CHICAGO -- New Florida coach Tom Rowe met with captain Derek MacKenzie and the rest of the Panthers leadership on Monday. He talked to the whole team on Tuesday.Rowe knows Gerald Gallant is well-liked in Floridas locker room, and he wanted to be as transparent as possible on why the coach was let go just 22 games into the season.I came in and I told them, I said `Listen, were not going to change a whole lot. We need to tweak a few things, Rowe said. But if I came in here and wasnt sensitive to that, it just wouldnt work. I love our room. I love our leadership group, and weve got the right guys to help us get going.The good news for Rowe is Florida doesnt have to move very far to get into a playoff spot. The Panthers are just one point out of a wild card after a 2-1 shootout loss at Chicago on Tuesday night in Rowes first game behind the bench.We feel that were on the right track after this game today and after, obviously, the events that happened before this, defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. We think were headed in the right direction.Gallant was believed to be the right guy for Florida after he coached the Panthers to a franchise-record 103 points and the Atlantic Division title last season. He got a contract extension last January that runs through the 2018-19 season, and then-general manager Dale Tallon called him an ideal fit for our group.Not so much anymore. At least from the perspective of Floridas front office.The Panthers dropped to 11-10-1 when they blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss at Carolina on Sunday night, and that was it for Gallant. The players were informed of Gallants dismissal and the coachs luggage was taken off the team bus headed to the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. Assistant coach Mike Kelly also was fired.They were pretty blunt, center Vincent Trocheck said. Made a coaching change, that was it.Gallant, who played parts of 11 seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings, then departed the arena in a taxi, drawing criticism from some of the teams fans.It was bad the way it all happened, unfortunately, said Rowe, who was promoted to general manager in May in a front-office shake-up that elevated Tallon to president of hockey operations. It didnt look good, but Ill tell you right now, we respect him and like him and Gerard and I had a good relationship.The Panthers ownership and other team officials rely heavily on advanced statistics, and Gallant was not the biggest fan of analytics. But Rowe, who returns to the bench on an interim basis, made it sound as if he was only planning small changes, beginning with Floridas defensive zone coverage.Really big believer in the D-zone being more area than man on man, he said.Rowe coached Floridas AHL affiliates in Portland and San Antonio before moving into the Panthers front office. He also served as an assistant with the Hurricanes from 2008-11.Hes hard-nosed, old-school kind of guy, said Trocheck, who played for Rowe in the minors. He gets the most of his players by getting them to work hard, make sure everybodys playing the right way.But Trocheck, who liked a handful of pro-Gallant messages on Twitter after his dismissal, said he didnt think coaching was the reason for Floridas disappointing start.Its just a matter of us kind of pulling it together, he said before the loss to Chicago. Got to come together as a group and realize that we havent been playing our best hockey and we have a lot more to go.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Stitched Falcons Jerseys .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Mohamed Sanu Sr Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseysonline.com/?tag=derrick-shelby-jersey-online . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Matt Bryant Jersey . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Terrell McClain Jersey . 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