Panthers' fourth line has a production problem

David Dwork reports that the Panthers have received no production from the fourth line built around Bokondji Imama and Garnet Hathaway.

The numbers back him up. Through 19 games, Imama has no points and a -6 rating, while Hathaway has one assist and a -3.

Dwork's message is that Florida has to take the good and the bad that come with pairing those two.

The bad is easy to spot. Imama has 36 penalty minutes and Hathaway has 32, so this line spends real time in the box and none of it on the scoresheet.

The good is what Hathaway brings when he's engaged. He was still shoving Ryan Leonard into the ice in Washington on Saturday, and that edge is the reason he has a job.

Last night in Columbus, the line finally looked like it belonged. Goldieonice noted that it was a game without a parade to the penalty box, with the Imama, Cole Schwindt and Hathaway trio getting regular shifts and having its best game.

The ice time backs that up. Hathaway played 10:59 in the 4-1 win, Schwindt 10:16 and Imama 9:51, and the line was on the ice while Florida defended well in front of Jacob Markstrom.

Is the Imama and Hathaway pairing worth the cost?

Physical play is the job description for a fourth line, and Hathaway at 34 still delivers it. But a team can live with no offense from that group only when it doesn't give minutes back in the box and in the minus column.

Imama's -6 and 36 penalty minutes do exactly that. Of the three, he looks like the odd man out.

Schwindt is the more interesting piece. He has no points and a -5 in 10 games, but he's the player who talked about his faceoff work last week, and the draw is a real job on a line that wants to defend.

Coach Paul Maurice now has to decide whether one good night in Columbus is enough to run it back. The Red Wings visit on Thursday, riding a four-game losing streak, and the answer will show up on the lines.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.