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Tallon says Dineen not on hot seat in Florida

Kevin Dineen

Despite a 7-0 pounding at the hands of St. Louis on Saturday, the Panthers aren’t looking to make a coaching change.

“No, he’s not,’' Panthers GM Dale Tallon told the Florida Sun-Sentinel when asked if bench boss Kevin Dineen was on the hot seat. “He made the playoffs in his first year as a coach. Last year you can’t judge his coaching on what happened. It wasn’t a coaching issue.

“I believe he’s going to do a great job for us. We were ripped with injury; I’m fine with our coaches.’'

Dineen, 49, has fallen on hard times since leading Florida to a 38-26-18 record and the playoffs in his first year on the job. Last year was a disaster -- just 15 victories and a .375 winning percentage -- though things did get off to a solid start this year as the Panthers beat Dallas 4-2 in their season opener.

The way Tallon sees it, Dineen is closer to the coach that snapped Florida’s lengthy playoff streak in 2011 rather than the one that stumbled to last place in the NHL in 2013, and is planning on retaining Dineen past this year.

Tallon told the Sun-Sentinel the club is having “ongoing discussions” with Dineen about a contract extension, noting that the Panthers “take care of our own.”