CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -- When asking Florida Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant about the team's formidable fourth line, don't expect his response to come without candor.
"That's not a fourth line," Gallant said adamantly with a smirk after the team's so-called fourth line notched two goals in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. "It's a good line. They work hard, compete and get as many minutes as the other guys."
Taking a closer look at the stat sheet from Tuesday's victory, it's hard to argue with his logic.
Coming together to play what Gallant called "the best 60 minutes" the team has played all season, the Panthers had 10 different skaters garner at least one point, with no player seeing fewer than 12 minutes of ice time.
After allowing 10 goals in their previous two games, the Panthers also reaffirmed their identity as one of the league's premier defensive units, holding the Sharks to a season-low 22 shots while stifling an offense that is tied for fourth in goals scored (49). Dominant at both ends of the ice, it was the Panthers' first victory this season decided by more than one goal.
Still, it's unusual to see a hockey team so confident in their ability to succeed while lacking not only a bonafide superstar, but also a clear-cut top line. And while the old saying may say that too many cooks spoil the broth, Gallant believes that the Panthers' depth and well-balanced scoring attack will be pivotal to their success this season.
"We've got four lines that can play," Gallant said after an off-ice conditioning workout at the team's practice facility on Wednesday. "Our so-called fourth-line went out and scored two goals last night. People call it our fourth line but it isn't a fourth line and I'll say that all year.
"You look around the league with the so-called fourth lines of most teams they play 6-8 minutes. I think there's been very few times this season you've seen anybody on our team play six or seven minutes. I think the most of the time the least minutes is 10-12 minutes, in that area."
Looking ahead, Gallant alleges that the team's lack of a centralized player and scoring line will actually make his club more difficult for opponents to prepare for. Unaware which player will spark the offense and step into the spotlight each game, opposing teams will rarely be able circle any one Panther skater on the white board before a game as a shutdown target.
"You look at some teams and you talk about shutting down guys like Steven Stamkos and the top line," said Gallant, who has coached the team to a 5-4-4 record. "With us, we throw four lines out there that are all effective. I think we're a hard team to play against when we play the way we did last night."
Using Tuesday's victory as the blueprint, Gallant's system going forward will rely heavily on the Panthers playing like a team without a face, but rather several. Any player can be the star on any given night. Anyone can be a hero. Expectations are the same for everyone.
"We played with speed last night, we played with some emotion and I thought we were really good defensively," Gallant said. "When we play like that, as a group of 18 guys, that's when we're most effective."
One player in particular benefiting from Gallant's unconventional system has been forward Tomas Kopecky. The team's leading goal scorer during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Kopecky's follow-up performance last season consisted of only four goals and was cut short due to concussions.
Showing promise on the team's so-called fourth line earlier this season, Kopecky was rewarded with a promotion to the starting line with Scottie Upshall and Aleksander Barkov on Tuesday.
Making the most of his opportunity, Kopecky assisted on Barkov's eventual game-winning goal midway through the first period before ending the night with a team-high 17:21 of ice time among forwards.
"He told us straight from the beginning how it's going to be and if we want to win, especially with our organization, we have to have four full lines going and all the guys have to be involved," Kopecky said Wednesday. "He has tried to spread the ice time on all the lines and in the long run that's great because you have more fresh guys at the end."
On a team filled with a plethora of former first-round picks and Stanley Cup champions, minutes are not dictated by former accolades and must be earned on a game-by-game basis.
Players like Kopecky know that in Gallant's system only their play on the ice will determine whether they find themselves on the bench or in the thick of it as the clock winds down in the third period.
In Gallant's eyes, a player's contract or name mean nothing when it comes to wins and losses.
"That's the way it should be," Gallant said. "You play your guys if they're playing well they get more minutes. Guys that are working hard, playing well and contributing to your team will probably play 17-18 minutes and the guys that aren't, you know, they're not playing as much, probably 10-12 minutes a game. Guys want to play a lot of minutes and they want to compete for those minutes. I think right now it's working real good for our team."
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
