Got the Trade Deadline Blues

It’s been a brutal stretch for the Panthers these last couple weeks. Dates with the Bruins, Rangers, Devils, Caps, and Penguins have tested the mettle of this team and their playoff hopes. The trade deadline is finally behind us, so we can focus on the rest of the season rather than when Jay Bouwmeester will be leaving the Sunshine State for greener pastures. Thank God for that, because this Panthers team is for real most nights, and with the distractions out of the locker room, the wins should start coming in bunches. Tonight at 7:30, the St. Louis Blues bring their playoff hopes with them, despite finding themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference in late February. Only a few points separate the last place team in the conference with the eight seed in the playoffs, so you can bet that the Blues will be playing playoff level hockey for the rest of the season if they hope to make it. The Cats need to match that intensity if they hope to climb the ranks and gain home ice for a round or two once April rolls around.

Check out a preview of playoff level hockey for as little as $17 at the BankAtlantic Center, located at 1 Panther Pkwy. in Sunrise. Visit ticketmaster.com, or call 954-835-7825 for discounted multi-game packages.
Sat., March 7, 7:30 p.m., 2009