You Hate What You Can’t See

Remember those good feelings during the hockey off-season? All of that talk about how losing a stud defenseman won’t cripple the Florida Panthers and how the young players will take the next step? It’s nearly a quarter of the way through the season, and all of that talk seems like it was just hot air and wishful thinking. Tomas Vokoun’s backup, Scott Clemmensen, can’t seem to stop anything; David Booth is suffering through a concussion thanks to a cataclysmic hit by Mike Richards; and attendance is as disappointing as ever. Thankfully, there’s some good news too: Everyone else in the division (save the Caps) is just as terrible, so there’s plenty of space to make a move for second place. Plus, this Wednesday night’s game against the New York Rangersshould draw a big crowd. Granted most of the audience will probably be wearing blue, but no one is complaining about who is buying tickets.
Wed., Nov. 25, 7:30 p.m., 2009