There's good news and bad news for the Panthers. The bad news has to do with their stats: the Cats have been at or near the bottom of the league in points for most of the year. That does not bode well for playoff hopes, let alone a division title. The good news is the Panthers are playing far better than that record indicates. Take the November 14 game versus the Detroit Red Wings. Most people believed that game would be a complete blowout, but Florida was hangin' tough and played with a passion fans haven't seen in years. Sure, the game ended with another notch in the loss column, but Tomas Vokoun and company proved to the rest of the league that a trip to South Florida doesn't mean an easy win between visits to South Beach. Tonight, the New York Rangers come to town with a lineup full of talent to face our scrappy Panthers in what is sure to be a hard-hitting affair. Be sure to watch Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard flatten everyone in his path. Check it out for as little as $37 at the BankAtlantic Center (One Panther Pkwy., Sunrise). Visit ticketmaster.com, or call 954-835-7825.
Fri., Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2008