Panthers Fire Head Coach Gerard Gallant

Panthers: Visit Chicago on Tuesday night in the second of a six-game trip.

Florida’s power play ranks 21st in the league with a 14.7 percent success rate while their penalty kill is 19th, killing 81.3 percent of penalties.

The Panthers rank eighth in (score, zone and venue adjusted) possession at 52%, according to corsica.hockey, but they are 28th in scoring chances per 60 minutes.

The Panthers cited philosophical differences Monday as the primary reason why they fired Gallant, a coach of the year finalist last season who made it through only 22 games this season.

Gallant led the Panthers to the playoffs last season for the first time in four seasons.

As far as Gallant goes, his fate was likely sealed following Tuesday’s loss to the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

Gallant, 53, was the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for parts of three seasons (2003-04, 2005-06 and 2006-07), compiling a 56-76-4-6 record. The Panthers have had a huge offseason with many changes both on the ice and off. Assistant coach Mike Kelly has also been fired. Jokinen and Huberdeau were the team’s second and third leading scorers last season.

Against the Panthers Leighton looked shaky early on, allowing two goals in the first 9:51 of the first period. Florida has also been restructuring the front office of the organization since giving Gallant the extension.

Rowe was brought to the Panthers as Associate General Manager under Dale Tallon on January 1, and was promoted to GM in mid-May after Tallon was moved up the front-office chart as well. Eric Joyce and Steve Werier, who was the vice president of legal and business affairs, became assistant GMs.

So how could the team he owns handle something as simple as a coach’s firing so poorly?

Rowe noted in his statement a focus on improving the Panthers’ special teams.

Did the Florida Panthers at least pay for the fare?

That “positive friction” obviously wasn’t all that positive for Gallant.

MacLean says that he likes analytics but that he doesn’t buy the old school versus new school concept. In were Keith Yandle, Jason Demers, Mike Matheson and Mark Pysyk. No coach has ever lasted into a fourth season with the Panthers. Gallant could emerge as a favorite for the head coaching job of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Only time will tell if this is the right decision. Would Gallant fit the bill? Firing Gallant, however, is a step in the wrong direction.

Rowe has coached at multiple professional levels but never in the National Hockey League.