A Gallant Attempt 2016-03-28 Sitting 10 points out of a playoff spot was not something the Panthers envisioned at this point in the season when they traded for Alex Ovechkin in the summer. So in a desperate attempt to hopefully put the season back on track and maybe even save the general manager's job, the Panthers have let go of their head coach Marc Crawford.......again. Crawford, after taking over for Joe Sacco mid-season in the 2012-13 season, has been on a rollercoaster ride that's been nothing but a descent since winning the MRFHL championship that season back in 2013. The following season they were crowned President's trophy winner, only to be bounced in the 1st round. The next season they squeaked into the final wildcard spot. So it goes without saying that Crawford has been on thin ice since. Yet, he was given 55 games of sub-par play that has seen the team play abysmal at home and all season searching for a way to get the plethora of stars on the team to mesh. Taking his place is veteran coach Gerard Gallant who had been with the Canadiens farm team in St. John's. The hope is that Gallant can somehow get the likes of Benn, Ovechkin and Kane going and push this team into a playoff spot. Even with the move, the Panthers have been apparently fielding in calls in hopes to potentially shake things up. One name that continues to pop up is Evgeni Malkin. His time with the Panthers the last two years has been less than stellar and apparently management is looking to move on.
