Respectfully Al, I think you are seeing something none of us are. Fox, Kreider, and Panarin have all struggled against the Panthers, but I only see one guy who doesn't seem to be giving his all, is playing soft as heck, and doesn't seem to give a sh*t. Now I am sure he does obviously, but he is playing like he doesn't. He's coasting, making low % plays, doesn't appear to be hustling, isn't sticking his nose in there, and is saying ridiculous things after the game. It is not a good look for him, and it is more than just a player working hard but struggling. I don't like anything about what I am seeing from Mika right now.
Maybe I am being too tough on him and being swayed by the terrible effort I saw in OT and his ridiculous post-game comments, but that's how I see it, and I think others agree.
Fox has 3 points and is a +3 against Florida, Panarin has 3 points and is a +1, both Kreider and Zibanejad have zero points and are -3.
If there is any comparable it is Kreider, but at least I see him hustling and saying the right things, Mika I am not. And yes, maybe that shows how well the Barkov line has played against them, but I don't care how good the D is on the other side, to have zero points through 4 games is just not acceptable, and they have to take accountability for that, as Kreider has.