November 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Alan Cohen's days as majority owner of the Panthers are numbered, as two partners in his ownership group are expected to take control of the team, sources said. Panthers Vice Chairman Cliff Viner and Managing Director Stu Siegel, both Boca Raton businessmen, have reached agreement to buy as much as half of Cohen's approximately 43 percent share of the team, a source said. They will become co-general partners, other sources said. The agreement has not been signed but is expected to be announced next week. Cohen is to retain a stake but will no longer be making team decisions. Panthers fans are desperate for change. The team has not made the playoffs since 2000, the longest playoff drought ..."
November 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Jose Theodore stopped 28 shots, Brian Pothier had a goal and two assists and the Washington Capitals beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Friday night to break a three-game losing streak. Brendan Morrison scored twice and Tyler Sloan added a goal for the Capitals (9-3-4) in the opening contest of home-and-home series with the Panthers."
November 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Florida Panthers winger David Booth said Thursday he expects to start exercising in the next day or two, though doctors won't allow him to do anything more strenuous than about 10 minutes on a bike. Booth has been restricted from physical activity since suffering his first-ever concussion Oct. 24 during a game against the Flyers in Philadelphia. He said he has gone for walks and relaxed in the pool. "You start to get anxious when you haven't done anything for so long," Booth said. "This is the longest I've ever gone without doing anything. I don't like it, but it is part of the process and you have to stick with the program." Booth said Thursday he felt much better than the days ..."
November 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers' defenseman Bryan McCabe hasn't forgotten how nervous he was before his first NHL game 14 years ago against the Bruins in Boston. "I remember being across from Ray Borque and my legs were shaking during the anthem," said McCabe, who started his career with the Islanders and was in the starting lineup that night. "It was a dream come true." With a laugh, he added, "I think I had probably 10 penalty minutes, too, that game -- minors for tripping and hooking." Friday night, McCabe will play in his 1,000th career game. He'll become the seventh player to do so in a Panthers' sweater and first since Chris Gratton on March 22, 2007. Lyle Odelein, Greg Adams, Kirk Muller, Mike Foligno and ..."
November 5
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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There he was, camped out in front of the net, in the perfect place at the right time, as he has been so often the past three weeks. Steven Reinprecht didn't need to move to score the winning goal Wednesday night, just stand there and wait for Cory Stillman's shot to go in off his left shin pad. Reinprecht's goal a little more than five minutes into the third period led to the Panthers' 3-0 win against the Hurricanes at BankAtlantic Center — the third consecutive win for the Panthers and 10th straight loss for their Southeast Division rivals, who haven't won since beating the Panthers on Oct. 9 in Raleigh, N.C. "We found a way to get a win tonight," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It wasn't ..."
November 2
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers coach Pete DeBoer and Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice, close friends for many years, exchanged text messages the other day about their early season predicaments. "I think misery loves company," DeBoer said with a laugh before Saturday's 4-0 win in St. Louis, "and neither of us is off to a great start. But the one thing we learned last year when both of us were sitting a long way outside of the playoffs is it's a long year and this is a marathon, not a sprint." The Hurricanes (2-8-3) lost their ninth consecutive game Sunday and are off to their worst start ever. The Panthers, despite back-to-back wins, are 4-7-1. The teams will play Wednesday at BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers, who ..."
November 1
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The three previous times the Panthers played on back-to-back nights this season, they looked like a tired team in the second game. And it showed in the results — three losses. Saturday was a different story, though. Riding the momentum of an emotional shootout win in Dallas the night before, the Panthers played a strong first period, seizing a two-goal lead on their way to a 4-0 win against the Blues at Scottrade Center. "We were a pretty fragile team going into this weekend," coach Pete DeBoer said. "This was exactly what we needed." With consecutive wins for the first time this season, they flew home Saturday night with renewed optimism and a more respectable record (4-7-1) that, ..."
October 31
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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After going scoreless in his first five games as a Panther, center Steven Reinprecht received "a tongue-lashing" over the phone from his biggest fan and critic — Paul in Edmonton. Also known as his dad. Ever since that conversation, Reinprecht hasn't just returned to being the player he'd been. He's transformed into a scoring monster no one could have envisioned. Reinprecht recorded the fastest hat trick in franchise history Friday night against the Stars, scoring three goals in a span of 5:11 in the first 16 minutes. Still, the Panthers needed a shootout goal by Rostislav Olesz to beat the Stars 6-5 at AmericanAirlines Center and end a four-game skid with their third win of the season. ..."
October 31
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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After going scoreless in his first five games as a Panther, center Steven Reinprecht received "a tongue-lashing" over the phone from his biggest fan and critic, Paul in Edmonton. Otherwise known as his dad. "Nobody knows my game better than him," Reinprecht said. Ever since that conversation following the game against the Lightning, Reinprecht hasn't just returned to being the player he'd been. He's transformed into a scoring monster that no one could have envisioned. Reinprecht recorded the fastest hat trick in franchise history Friday night against the Stars, scoring three goals in a span of 5:11, the second and third in a span of 29 seconds. Still, the Panthers needed a shootout goal by ..."
October 30
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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If moral victories counted, the Panthers could easily have five wins instead of being in a 2-7-1 hole after 10 games. But despite outplaying the Senators in Wednesday's 4-3 loss — as well as the Penguins and Lightning in recent one-goal losses — a combination of ill-timed giveaways, unlucky bounces and special teams ranked near the bottom of the league have the Panthers mired in their second four-game losing streak of the season. "It's not about playing well; it's about results," said Panthers center Stephen Weiss, who scored his third goal Wednesday just two seconds after a second-period power play expired. "We're in a winning business. "We're good for periods and then we have lapses like ..."
October 29
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Ville Koistinen remains in the Panthers' lineup, but he's certainly not in coach Pete DeBoer's good graces. DeBoer used Koistinen for just five shifts Saturday against the Flyers — a season-low ice time of 3:19 — and all but said after Wednesday's morning skate that he doesn't trust him in a role beyond fourth-line forward. The Panthers signed Koistinen, 27, to a two-year, $2.4 million free-agent contract this summer with the expectation he'd be one of their top six defensemen. Instead, he's been a winger the first 10 games. The two times DeBoer has given Bryan Allen a game off to rest his knee, the team has called up defenseman Jason Garrison from the AHL rather than moving Koistinen back ..."
October 29
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Coach Pete DeBoer said he doesn't feel like the Panthers are a 2-7-1 team. They certainly didn't feel like they were Wednesday night, with the way they played against the Senators. But even arguably the team's best effort of the season wasn't enough for a win. The Panthers fell 4-3 at BankAtlantic Center, and have lost four consecutive games and eight of their past nine. "The only way we're going to change what's going on is the guys in here," said defenseman Jordan Leopold, who had two assists. "Nobody else is going to do it for us. The fans aren't going to do it for us. Coaches aren't going to do it. ...We played better, but obviously we can't be satisfied with that." The Panthers led ..."
October 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers forward David Booth spoke with reporters for less than five minutes Tuesday, which is good because that's about the limit for any activity since his first-ever concussion Saturday. "I do nothing. I'm either lying in bed or sitting on the couch. I'll go on the computer for five minutes or I'll read for five minutes," Booth said. "Everything is in five-minute spurts and then I have to take a break for 55 minutes. It's weird. I don't like it." Three days after taking a hit to the head from the Flyers' Mike Richards and falling face-first to the ice, Booth's right eye was swollen nearly shut and bruised purplish yellow. There was a scrape on the left side of his face and a cut on his ..."
October 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Coral Springs - Watching from high above the ice Saturday night, Panthers defenseman Bryan Allen was bothered by the hit to the head David Booth took from the Flyers' Mike Richards. Something else concerned Allen, who sat out that game to rest his surgically repaired knee. "I can't tell you what other teams think or say, but I heard from one guy from Philadelphia that we were easy to play against: 'You don't get hit, you're probably not going to fight,'" Allen said Tuesday. He wouldn't reveal the source. Regardless, the perception exists that the Panthers lack toughness. The fact they didn't retaliate after Richards' hit doesn't help. Players and coach Pete DeBoer said after the game that ..."
October 27
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers forward Cory Stillman knows what it's like to rush back too soon after a head injury, so no one is expecting teammate David Booth back on the ice for at least 2-3 weeks after sustaining a concussion in Saturday night's loss to the Flyers. "There's not much advice to give," said Stillman, who tried to come back after three games following his concussion last November, then sat out 10 more before the symptoms completely disappeared. "You pretty much have to rest until you feel better. You can't rush; it's too dangerous to mess around with." Booth, who scored his first goal in eight games in the first period of the 5-1 loss to Philadelphia, was leveled by Mike Richards' elbow and ..."
October 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers' forward David Booth flew back to South Florida on Sunday after spending the previous night in a Philadelphia hospital because of a concussion. Booth suffered his first ever concussion when Flyers center Mike Richards, skating full speed, drove his left shoulder into Booth's jaw late in the second period of the Panthers' 5-1 loss at Wachovia Center. The NHL decided not to suspend Richards for the hit Sunday, much to the dismay of the Panthers, whose frustration over the incident was eased from learning Booth was feeling better. Panthers' general manager Randy Sexton said comprehensive tests showed a concussion ? Booth also suffered a cut above one eye that required stitches ? but ..."
October 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers' forward David Booth flew back to South Florida on Sunday after spending the previous night in a Philadelphia hospital because of a concussion. Booth suffered his first ever concussion when Flyers center Mike Richards, skating full speed, drove his left shoulder into Booth's jaw late in the second period of the Panthers' 5-1 loss at Wachovia Center. The NHL decided not to suspend Richards for the hit Sunday, much to the dismay of the Panthers, whose frustration over the incident was eased from learning Booth was feeling better. Panthers' general manager Randy Sexton said comprehensive tests showed a concussion ? Booth also suffered a cut above one eye that required stitches ? but ..."
October 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Panthers' forward David Booth spent Saturday night at a local hospital after receiving a vicious hit to the head late in the second period of Saturday night's 5-1 loss to the Flyers at Wachovia Center. The extent of Booth's injury wasn't known after the game. Panthers' general manager Randy Sexton, who spoke briefly to the doctor who treated Booth at Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia, said it appeared Booth suffered a concussion, but that he was conscious when he was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and could move his extremities. Assistant team trainer Steve Dischiavi, who rode in the ambulance with Booth, stayed with him at the hospital while the team flew home. "They did some ..."