The hypothesis is simple: with the Miami Heat on hold because of the NBA lockout and the Miami Dolphins having another forgettable season, are the Florida Panthers seizing the moment and the attention of local sports fans? Yes, say the players on the first-place hockey club.
"Obviously people are paying more attention to hockey right now," said defenseman Dmitri Kulikov Friday, after the team's morning practice.
Kulikov has been through the last couple of lean years for the Panthers, so he's relishing the team's fast start. The Panthers are in first place in the NHL's Southeast division, with division rival Tampa Bay coming to town Friday night.
"It's a great opportunity for us to get hockey growing in South Florida right now with the NBA being in a lockout, and the Dolphins, with their slow start, it's a great chance for us to go out and keep winning and hopefully we can keep getting the fans to come and support us," said defenseman Keaton Ellerby.
Talk to the reporters and sports writers who cover the team, and they'll tell you there's a completely different feel on this year's Panther squad. The team expects to find a way to win instead of wondering how they might lose.
"Not only are they winning, but the games are exciting," said veteran Panthers announcer Steve Goldstein. "There's a buzz in the building, the crowds have been great and I think people are starting to catch on that after some bad years, this Panther team this year is for real."
The new had coach of the Panthers, Kevin Dineen, says his own informal straw polls of people he runs into indicate there's a lot more interest in the hockey club.
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"They're enjoying how things are going, that's nice to hear, I think we've talked about the hole in the landscape without the NBA playing right now and fortunately for us, we're off to a fairly solid start and hopefully people see us as a viable option to come out and enjoy some entertainment," Dineen said.
As bad as the NBA lockout is for the local economy and for Heat fans, the longer it goes on, the more the spotlight will shine on the Florida Panthers. Now all they have to do is keep winning.
