Panthers lose; Jokinen Lashes Out

After a demoralizing 5-2 defeat to the best team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, the Panthers afterwards were not entirely sure the entire team put forth its best effort during the game. Olli Jokinen suggested after the score got to 4-2, some players stopped trying, leading to a whopping 46 shots on goal by the Red Wings.

If this is true, I don't really see how it's that huge a deal. You never want your team quitting, especially in sports like soccer or hockey when you are only a few plays away from tying the game, unlike in football where you need several solid drives on offense and defense to mount a comeback. However, it's the Red Wings and the Panthers probably weren't going to win anyhow. Heck, our two goals came thanks to the Red Wings scoring for us. It's early and the Panthers remain just a few wins out of the playoffs, but there is such a logjam between the 6th seed and the 14th seed that they would need to have consistent performances to squeeze in.