Of course there’s Jaromir Jagr, but get to know some of the lesser-known impact players on the Florida Panthers.
By Justin Weiss
In other news, two teams without much of a desire to win skated around the ice in circles before one inevitably found the back of the net more times than the other.
While some Isles fans are likely thrilled about the result (Pittsburgh is on ?, they argue), it should be noted that the Florida Panthers are a speedy, youthful team that has been aided tremendously by a handful of vets (if you haven’t read this week’s Sports Illustrated, you should. The true character of the Florida players is on full display there).
Here are a couple of players worth keeping your eyes on as the Islanders embark on another postseason journey:
(Special thanks to Ethan, formerly of Rats N’ Pucks, for all his help with the research.)
Derek MacKenzie
MacKenzie, 34, is the archetypal team player: a hard-working veteran who has led-by-example (in terms of work ethic) his entire career.
The fourth line centerman is a tad undersized (5’11”) and lacks any umph scoring prowess, but is solid on the draw, is one of Florida’s most trusted penalty killers and plays a very defensive-oriented game.
Take it from coach Gerard Gallant: “You don’t judge MacKenzie’s game by goals or assists, ever.” Rather, his role is that of a defensive forward: “MacKenzie’s role, one he fully embraces, is as a defensive forward. He centers Florida’s fourth line, is on the Panthers’ top penalty-killing team,” the Miami Herald wrote in an article.
Expect parallels to be drawn between MacKenzie and Cal Clutterbuck all series long.
Jussi Jokinen, Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith
Likely the Rink Rats’ best line is their second forward pairing, which features the likes of Jokinen, Trocheck and Smith — the perfect blend of youth and old.
Jokinen, 33, is a skilled and polished winger who can play power forward and can even take faceoffs. He’s having a career year in terms of assists (42), and is a remarkable +25.
Trocheck, 22, is in his first season in the league. It’s hard to fathom that he’s eclipsed the 23 goals and assists mark in his very first season. A center by trait, he has tremendous playmaking ability and deft hands, but can be slightly exposed when a larger defenseman is placed on him.
Smith, 25, is another player having a career-high; this time in goals. The largest forward on the line, Smith knows where to place himself in order to score (and he did a lot of that this season when he found the back if the net a quarter of one hundred times).
“I love playing with those two,” Trocheck said. “I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else. They make it easy on me. We have chemistry and that makes life easy when that trust is there. We have confidence we can do more.”
“The chemistry has been good with them all year,’’ Gallant said. “We had some injuries, had to switch up some lines. When we got those guys together, they really played good. When you see that, it’s tough to break them up.’’
Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell
At the trade deadline, with the Cats failing to find the back of the net, both Hudler and Purcell elevated their games and solidified the team’s third line as a legitimate threat.
Hudler, 32, has tremendous offensive instincts and creativity. He overcame some of the things that have plagued him throughout his entire career — streakiness, lack of defensive polish, inability to overcome his lack of size and strength — in the second half of the seasom.
Purcell, 30, has a very solid frame and loads of offensive ability. He is a brilliant player, but lacks game-to-game consistency and is often too passive.
Brian Campbell
Campbell, 36, has a slew of experience and a knack for coming up clutch in pivotal situations. A former Cup winner himself, he lead the league’s defensemen in +/- and was a formidable threat when paired with Aaron Ekblad, Gudbranson and Petrovic this season.
Besides for being a mentor in the playoff process to these young guys, he’s also revitalizing himself in the offensive zone. The way to exploit him is simpler than not: knock him off the puck. Throughout his entire career, Campbell has been prone to turnovers as his stickhandling ability has never really been a strength of his.
It should be noted, however, that Campbell anchors their power play, is confident and fluid with the puck, owns outstanding mobility and has plenty of creativity and intelligence.