Why Andrew Brunette had to give Panthers ‘a little snap’ at practice. Plus Hornqvist on return
The Florida Panthers’ practice had been going on for maybe 10 minutes on Sunday when interim coach Andrew Brunette huddled his players together.
He wasn’t happy.
The energy, the want-to wasn’t entirely there.
Yes, Brunette knows it’s their third consecutive practice after nearly a week and a half away from the ice and there’s the urge to get back into live action.
But until the Panthers resume their schedule Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Brunette still needs the team to keep its focus.
“I think I saw a team that’s practiced too many days,” Brunette said. “It’s hard. I was a player before too and it gets a little bit stale. Just had to give them a little snap and remind them that we need really their best effort because we have to be ready going forward.”
The players understand the situation. They lead the Eastern Conference in points (69) and points percentage (.734), but they still have 34 games left to cement themselves as the top team in a tightly contested Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning is one point behind the Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs are at 63 points but have played two fewer games than Florida.
“We had a good first half,” forward Carter Verhaeghe said, “but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t have a good second half or a good playoff push.”
And that means staying in the moment, even if it can be tempting to look ahead to the upcoming schedule when other teams have already resumed playing.
Brunette spent his Saturday night watching the Minnesota Wild’s 3-2 win over the Hurricanes — a matchup of the Panthers’ next two opponents — in preparation for this upcoming three-game road trip that also includes a matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I think for the guys, they’re ready to go,” Brunette said. “Sometimes, you get this little bit of a pause and it’s good for rest, but you lose a little bit of your cadence. We have to find a way coming into Tuesday’s practice here to pick it back up.”
Hornqvist’s return
Patric Hornqvist, who missed the Panthers’ final eight games prior to the All-Star Break with an undisclosed upper-body injury said it “feels great” to be back.
The veteran forward has been a mainstay on the Panthers’ fourth line with Eetu Luostarinen and Ryan Lomberg and was on a run that included five points (three goals, two assists) in four games before suffering the injury in the second period against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18.
“Obviously it was not the way I wanted to go into the break, being hurt and all that,” Hornqvist said, “but the break came at a good time for me, and I think the team as well. We were playing really well and then got these 10 days [off] and now we’re back at it. ... The fun part is in front of us.”
Brunette added: “You notice [when he’s not there] on the bench. I’m not there in the locker room, but you miss his intensity at certain times. For instance, Seattle, when things were a little quieter and he is always a guy who finds a way to find that extra gear for our group, find that extra intensity. His competitive fire is contagious for our group.’’
Tippett’s near misses
Forward Owen Tippett has had his share of near misses this season, shots that either ricochet off the post of the net or just fail to get past the goaltender.
As he strives for consistency — and goals — his plan is to keep shooting. Eventually, those misses will sort themselves out.
“Frustration can set in so easily,” Tippett said, “but I think when you’re getting chances, it’s a lot easier to stay positive and stay focused. I think it’s when you don’t get chances — that’s when you start to kind of have to worry a little bit. I’ve been so close and just trying to stick with it and bear down on those chances.”
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