1/1/09 Florida Panthers-New York Islanders notebook for South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Panthers coach DeBoer sends message by sitting Zednik

By Denis Gorman

Special Correspondent

January 1, 2009

UNIONDALE, N.Y.

Coach Pete DeBoer made lineup changes Wednesday and expressed displeasure with the way several veterans have played.

Right wing Richard Zednik was scratched against the Islanders.

"We have guys in the organization [who are] capable of pushing people for jobs," DeBoer said before the 4-2 loss. "I haven't liked the way we've competed in the last three games. Zednik is a casualty tonight, but it could have been any number of guys. So hopefully the message is received that play hard or someone else will come in and do that.

"We need more from Richard Zednik. We need more from a lot of different guys: Nathan Horton, Cory Stillman. It's a small picture here; it's only three games. I know people will say don't panic, but we don't have that luxury. We can't let a three-game losing streak turn into six or seven. We have to fix it right away. I haven't liked what I've seen the past three games, so were going to make some changes."

Shawn Matthias, a recent call-up from AHL Rochester, was in the lineup and was minus-1

Defensemen Noah Welch and Cory Murphy were also scratched.

Toronto return

Wednesday's game was the start of a four-game trip for the Panthers. The Panthers will visit the Penguins on Saturday, the Canadiens on Sunday and end with the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

The Leafs game will be a return for defenseman Bryan McCabe. McCabe spent seven years in Toronto before being traded along with a fourth-round pick in the 2010 to the Panthers for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

McCabe was an integral part of the Leafs' playoff teams from 2001-04. However, after signing a five-year deal with Toronto in 2006, McCabe became the face of the Leafs' post-lockout failings.

Glove work

Goalie Craig Anderson robbed Islanders defenseman Mark Streit early in the third. Streit and rookie center Josh Bailey came in on a two-on-none. Bailey flipped a soft pass to Streit, who attempted an in-close wrist shot that Anderson gloved.

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