Florida Panthers coach Kevin Dineen preaches trust and rest to combat tightness

DETROIT?

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen kept the locker room door closed longer than usual follwing Friday's sloppy 4-1 loss to the NHL-doormat Columbus Blue Jackets.

No shouting could be heard in the hallway and when the rookie coach emerged, he was calm as if the score was reversed and his tightly wound players hadn't just lost for the fifth time in the past six games - all to NHL dregs playing out the string.

Instead, the composed players in the dressing room reiterated their coach's mantra that the best way to cure tightness was to trust each other and to recharge their bodies on their day off in Detroit to prepare for the Red Wings Sunday afternoon.

"We just have to trust one another and play our game,'' said forward Scottie Upshall. "It's worked all year. We really got to put it together for the last four games. It's a refocus thing, take advantage of our day off to reflect, come back strong, put together 60 minutes of full-on effort in Detroit and steal some points there.''

The Red Wings have lost eight of 10, but have clinched a playoff berth, while the Southeast Division-leading Panthers (90 points) lead the Capitals (86) by four points before Washington's home game against the lowly Canadiens Saturday night.

With four games left the Panthers' magic number to clinch is still five combined points either gained by Florida or lost by Washington in the final week of the regular season. The Panthers are also tied with seventh-place Ottawa and still four points ahead of ninth-place Buffalo.

"We're not thinking about [Washington],'' said rookie Erik Gudbranson. "It's all about inside the room here and playing well as a team and reaching that goal, which is the first spot.''

Of course, scoring some goals would help.

The Panthers have scored 13 goals in regulation over the last eight games (3-2-3). Although Kris Versteeg led the team with five shots Friday, he has been stuck on 22 goals since Feb. 12, a drought of 14 games (missed nine games with hip injury).

Shawn Matthias has gone 21 games without a goal. Mike Santorelli, who scored 20 goals last season and has nine, is trapped in Dineen's doghouse with eight healthy scratches in the past nine games.

Campbell, who leads the NHL in total time on ice, has been steady throughout the recent malaise. He has seven assists in his past nine games to give him 47 helpers, including a franchise-high 29 power-play assists.

"I can't speak for everybody but just try to stay loose, go out there and work hard and work smart. Things will come,'' said Campbell, an alternate captain. "We've put ourselves in a good situation.''

One reason why General Manager Dale Tallon is a frontrunner for NHL Executive of the Year is because he brought several players with Stanley Cup championship experience in to act like human Tums during the final week of this season that could end with the franchise's first division title or in one of the most colossal collapses in league history.

"We need to get our energy back and get a little trust in each other,'' Dineen said. "That'll take care of the tight, tired part.

"It hasn't been an easy path. It's not the highway; we take a little of the dirt path.''

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