Weighing The Positives And The Negatives Of Having Imama, Hathaway On The Panthers' Fourth Line

The Florida Panthers picked up a critical win on Tuesday, ending a mini two-game losing streak.

The Panthers got contributions from the second line with a Lars Eller goal, then from their second power-play unit, and finally from their top line in the third period to restore the two-goal lead.

The one issue that continues to nag the Panthers is that they have received zero offensive contributions from their fourth line.

Garnet Hathaway and Bokondji Imama have played in all 19 games this season and have combined for just one assist. Imama hasn't scored and is a minus-6, while Hathaway's lone assist came in a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 2.

Once again, Imama and Hathaway were invisible offensively, recording no shots on goal while playing 9:51 and 10:59, respectively.

At 5-on-5, Imama owned a 25.0 Corsi For percentage and a 23.59 expected goals percentage, according to naturalstattrick.com. Hathaway owned a 26.32 Corsi For percentage and a 19.49 expected goals percentage. Imama and Hathaway posted the team’s worst results in both statistics. 

This really isn't a one-off. This season, Imama's 48.23 Corsi For percentage ranks third-worst among players who have played more than five games. Hathaway's 47.11 ranks second worst. The expected goals percentages are a bit better, but Hathaway and Imama still rank in the bottom five. According to moneypuck.com, the trio of Imama, Hathaway, and Cole Schwindt own an expected goals percentage of 41.2 percent.

While playing Imama and Hathaway together on the fourth line has some negative effects, it also has advantages. They've done a fairly good job of limiting high-danger chances and have allowed just six goals at 5-on-5. 

Additionally, they bring a physical element matched by few players in the NHL. Hathaway leads the team with 86 hits and ranks fifth in the NHL. Imama has thrown 50 hits and ranks second on the team. Imama has shown no hesitancy to drop the gloves to defend a teammate or create a spark when needed.

Overall, there are good and bad aspects to having Hathaway and Imama on the fourth line. They might bring virtually no offense, but they add to the team's toughness. The question really is whether the toughness outweighs the lack of production.

When fully healthy, the argument probably sways to being yes; it’s worth it. But with injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, the Panthers have struggled with their depth scoring. 

The Panthers need to take the good with the bad on their fourth line.

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