Florida Panthers Slammed for Shocking Strategy Move Targeting the Maple Leafs
The Florida Panthers are trying to make sure they stick around to repeat this season, they may be doing so with a goal in mind to mess with the Maple Leafs.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs only a few weeks away from kicking off, it's crunch time for teams fighting for division supremacy, and the Maple Leafs are going to look for an Atlantic Division title but have to fend off some tough competition.
They currently hold a solid four point lead over the Lightning and an eight point advantage over the Panthers, but could that be by design?
More so: Is Florida tanking in order to play Toronto in the first round?
It looks like head coach Paul Maurice is waving the white flag for his Sunday evening game and resting several top stars including Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida Tanking For Chance To Face Toronto
What this could indicate is that Maurice wants to give his top stars a rest and make sure they are at full strength when they face Toronto on Wednesday; or perhaps he's doing it as a way to mess with his former club.
Florida wants to lose, but not enough to see them fall out of playoff contention and are looking to set up a first round matchup with the Maple Leafs as opposed to us getting a Battle of Ontario.
Putting in several weaker players and trying to ensure your team plays at a consistent pace (both winning and losing to try and balance the scales) is a great way to sneak into the playoffs then have your full team available starting Game One.
If Toronto can handle the Panthers on Wednesday they won't have too much of an issue regardless of who Florida throws out there, and it's definitely not the most ethical of moves, but it's certainly not as egregious as other tank jobs from other leagues.
Gary Bettman Urged to Investigate the Panthers After 5 Game Losing streak
Paul Bissonnette put on his tinfoil hat on the NHL on TNT's latest broadcast, believing Gary Bettman needs to see what the Panthers are doing after they seem to be tanking to face Toronto in the playoffs:
This is an inside job, Paul Maurice and the Panthers need to looked at by Gary Bettman, the Battle of Florida and Battle of Ontario needs to happen! Stick to the script!
It feels weird seeing Florida struggle so much, and while they are dealing with a lot of key players currently being shelved, it's not like they are completely terrible, which can lead some to believe a tank job isn't necessarily out of the cards.
If Florida continues to put out a weaker lineup as we head toward the end of the season, they may end up risking pushing themselves out of a playoff spot. But if they play their cards right, they'll end up facing Toronto.
It's a plan, that while certainly not the most honest, might bring Florida the most success.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 6 | 1021 ANSWERS Florida Panthers Slammed for Shocking Strategy Move Targeting the Maple Leafs Do you think Florida is purposely trying to mess with Toronto's playoff future? | ||
| Yes | 700 | 68.6 % |
| No | 321 | 31.4 % |
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