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SUNRISE, Fla. — Fans of the Florida Panthers cheered the Stanley Cup. Cheered the banner going to the rafters. Cheered the return of the back-to-back NHL champions.

And cheered the opposing goaltender.

Yes, some Panthers fans still shout “Knight†during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner†before each game, even though Spencer Knight — the former Florida goalie whose name is on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2023-24 championship squad — no longer plays for the team. Knight was traded to Chicago last season and started against the Panthers in the season opener for both teams.

Knight made 34 saves, but Florida won 3-2.

“Honestly, I didnâ€t know if they still did or not, but thatâ€s cool,†Knight said in advance of the game. “And again, I think that goes through, top to bottom, the whole community around here, the people. Everyone was just very nice, kind and very appreciative. So, Iâ€m really thankful that I was able to start here. And I hope that I gave some people good memories.â€

The Panthers gave Knight a video tribute at the first TV timeout of the first period. Many of the Blackhawks looked up to watch, and when it was over Knight gave the fans a wave as many in the crowd rose for a standing ovation.

“I was playing the game,†Knight said. “I saluted the crowd, but I was there to play hockey.â€

The Panthers took Knight, the onetime Boston College star, with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He went 44-25-7 in parts of four seasons with Florida, plus 1-1 in a pair of playoff starts he got in 2021.

He was the primary piece that the Panthers gave up in a trade last season that brought defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago to Florida. Knight went 5-8-2 in 15 games with the Blackhawks after the trade last season.

“Itâ€s a special little connection there,†Panthers coach Paul Maurice said of seeing Knight again. “For me, as a player, it was always his explosiveness. Heâ€s just an incredible athlete. And his ability to get from one side of the net to the other under control with strength … I think heâ€s going to be a great goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks for a lot of years.â€

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TENSE TIMES: Chief selector MSK Prasad (right), skipper MS Dhoni (centre) and coach Anil Kumble indulge in an intense discussion on the eve of the fifth ODI at Vizag. (AFP Photo) VISAKHAPATNAM: The roller-coaster ODI series is all set to have a landfall in the City of Destiny on Saturday even as storm clouds hover over the city and threaten to make their presence felt in the final game of the five-match series. It rained the previous night and though there was no rain during the day time, the possibility of it coming down on match day is not ruled out.However, weather forecast says that cyclone Kyant has weakened and chances of it washing out the game is less but a few spells of rain are still on the card. Hence, the teams have their fingers crossed as they look to grab the honours.
ALSO READ: MS Dhoni slogs it out ahead of series decider
Coming back to the series, the New Zealanders, after being thrashed in the three-match Test series, were expected to put up a much improved show in the One-dayers – a format which they have done well in over the years. Even though they managed to level the series, the Kiwis haven’t put in a dominant performance. Both matches which they won were close affairs as the Indians failed to hold their nerve. To the credit of the Kiwis , they hung in when the going got tough and managed to keep the hosts from running away with the series and thereby making the final game a competitive one.
ALSO READ: We would like to do what no other NZ side has done, says Southee
The problem for them has been the inability of the batsmen to dominate the Indian bowling especially the spinners. In the Ranchi game, the Kiwis’ ploy to go after the pacers paid rich dividends as they garnered 80 runs in the first 10 overs. But once the spinners came on, they struggled and the final 10 overs yielded a ‘normal’ 61 runs.
ALSO READ: Under-fire Dhoni faces tricky Kiwis test in series-decider
Opener Tom Latham has been the most consistent batsman for the Kiwis in this series and skipper Kane Williamson has struck a century in the Delhi game, but the rest haven’t been consistent. The return to form of Martin Guptill augurs well for the visitors but the middle-order batsmen will have to give one final push if they fancy their chances against a determined India, who are keen on not losing the series. India’s problem has been finding a suitable replacement for skipper MS Dhoni in the No.6 & 7 spot. The ageing warrior has slowed down and his inability to pull off his trademark strokes at the death has hurt the side much. He, has, however showed that he can still contribute to the side as he did with an 80 in the third game in Mohali. The trouble is that his move up the order makes life easy from him but it doesn’t solve the team’s concerns.
A finisher at the end of the innings – a role which ‘Captain Cool’ essayed with consummate ease for many years – is the call of the hour. The hosts have placed their trust in the likes of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya but the youngsters have not been able to deliver yet. However, Dhoni has called for patience with the inexperienced batting.
While there is no doubt that India need to plan ahead especially keeping in mind the Champions Trophy, it’s the immediate future that counts and Dhoni & co will have to step up their game if they don’t want to dampen the festive mood.
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