(My Sportsbook) - Mike Keenan is approaching the one-year anniversary of his hiring as the Florida Panthers' head coach.

And the fact that the well-traveled helmsman is still behind the Cats' bench isn't the biggest surprise out of Sunrise, it's that he has the immature club playing respectable hockey through nearly a quarter of the season.

Sure there have been moments to this juncture that have likely made the fiery Keenan try to pull the remaining hairs from his head -- the defensive breakdowns, squandered offensive chances and the entire nights where the Panthers' collective inexperience was out on the ice in full force. But the bottom line is that he has a club with an average age of 26 at 6-7-4-4 through its first 21 contests. The Panthers' 20 points place them right there in the Eastern Conference with teams like the Rangers, Capitals and Canadiens, who were either playoff clubs last season or had sky-high hopes entering the current campaign.

Now, before you think it's fair to anoint Keenan's troops this year's version of the Carolina Hurricanes, hold on a second. Time will obviously tell if the Panthers are legit, but considering we're talking about a team that has won a meager total of 44 games the past two seasons, it is by no means wrong to commend a strong start.

Keenan's job will, of course, become increasingly difficult as the season evolves, while playoff races heat up and his young squad's fragile psyche is repeatedly tested. And we were treated to an early display of this during Florida's slate of games in the first half of November.

Eight matches in 15 nights were what the Panthers had to deal with, and the range of emotions in that time was varied and wide. In all, they went 2-2-2-2 over the stretch, securing eight of a possible 16 points.

The only two contests that saw Florida go away empty were a 3-1 loss to Atlanta on November 2 to open the month and last Saturday's 7-3 pounding at the hands of San Jose. Between the setbacks, however, the Cats didn't lose in regulation and hung with quality teams like Washington, Philadelphia and Ottawa. They also shrugged off a late collapse to defeat Mario Lemieux and the potent Penguins in overtime.

And given the energy emitted over the two-week span -- between the comebacks and overtimes -- it's no surprise that the Panthers were simply clubbed and outclassed by a Sharks team trying to re-establish itself as Cup contenders on Saturday at the Office Depot Center. San Jose tormented Florida physically throughout the night and was able to take command with a three-goal outburst during a 2:28 interval of the third period.

Even though the Panthers valiantly tried to come back after falling behind 4-1 in the second period, Keenan was none too pleased at how his crew responded to such a stern test.

"I thought the whole team [was intimidated] with the exception obviously of [Peter] Worrell and [Lance] Ward," Keenan said. "All these youngsters are going to have to learn that they're going to have games like this."

Keenan added that he hopes Saturday's loss is the kind of licking the Panthers can take notes from as they continue to grow as a unit.

"Hopefully they can learn something from a game like [Saturday], because if they will succeed in this league, in the second half of the season, that intensity level will be driven up as teams start to compete for playoff position," he said. "And most definitely if there's any expectation of ever competing in the playoffs, this was a little bit of a view of what it might look like, but it's even more intense than what we saw [Saturday].

"And you find out whether people really want to compete in that kind of mix or not."

Keenan has coached a wide-range of teams during his NHL coaching career -- from this green group of Panthers to the 1994 New York Rangers, who were one of the most experienced and tested clubs ever assembled. Several times, though, this season he has compared the Florida squad to his very first NHL assignment, the 1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers.

"We're pleased with the improvement of the hockey club," Keenan said. "I coached a young team in Philadelphia that were pretty much around .500 for three or four months of the season. After Christmas, they took off and found a way to win every night. They went from the middle of the pack to the top of the pack. You never know with young people what the upside might be for them."

At a time when there wasn't a whole lot of parity in the 21-team NHL, Keenan guided the 84-85 Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals where they eventually bowed out to the mighty Edmonton Oilers in five games.

The Panthers obviously aren't quite ready to think playoffs let alone a Finals berth, and the 84-85 Flyers, in addition to youngsters like Rick Tocchet, Peter Zezel, Ron Sutter and Murray Craven, had a stable of veterans to offset the inexperience. Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin and Brian Propp, two of whom are in the Flyers' Hall of Fame, were all in their primes and the true driving forces of the club.

But, at their base, Keenan's comparisons still hold some relevance.

"[Both clubs had] young, enthusiastic players that have an awful a lot to learn about the league," said Keenan, who wore out his welcome in Philly after four seasons and has never spent more than four years in a single city.

One of those "young, enthusiastic players" Keenan spoke of is Olli Jokinen, and he has teamed with the enigmatic Viktor Kozlov to carry Florida's top line, and the production of that unit has been a backbone of any success thus far. Both players were nearing bust status after their showings in recent years, Jokinen due to lack of production and the 27-year-old Kozlov because of his proneness to injury.

Kozlov, despite missing eight games with a rib ailment, has flourished after being moved from center to left wing and is finally utilizing his 225-pound frame to create space and chances on a more consistent basis. Jokinen, meanwhile, is the club's leading scorer after averaging a mere seven goals and 15 assists in the past two seasons since being acquired from the New York Islanders.

Joining them near the top of Florida's stat sheet is sophomore Kristian Huselius, who has given the Cats a threat on the second line while building upon his stellar rookie effort. A Calder finalist last season, the elusive Huselius' nine goals are second to Jokinen for the team lead.

And the youth movement goes even beyond the 23-year-old Jokinen and 24-year- old Huselius, who might be among the youngest players on the team if they were on a typical NHL club.

Nineteen-year-old center Stephen Weiss, who has had his style of play compared to that of Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, is still getting his feet wet in the NHL and is, for all intents and purposes, taking a fourth-line shift as he develops into what the Panthers hope will be a star. He has yet to score this season, but has contributed six assists.

Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, also 19, was likened to anyone from Paul Coffey to Chris Pronger before being taken with the third overall pick this past June, and has played more of a role than Weiss in the early going, despite making his share off rookie mistakes on the blueline. In 21 games he has contributed a goal and two assists, and has begun to shown some of the premier offensive tools that have people so excited about him.

Of course, there are some veterans Keenan has to lean on amongst the youngsters, and the most crucial are defensemen Sandis Ozolinsh and Dmitry Yushkevich, who are 30 and 31, respectively. And it's up to these players, along with a savvy guy like Stephane Matteau -- players who've "been there before" -- to keep control of the team's psyche, especially when things nosedive like they did last Saturday.

And if the Panthers can manage to keep somewhat of a level head -- not get too high or too low -- they'll be OK, and the folks in South Florida might have some fun as their club flirts with a playoff spot. If they don't stay on an even keel, however, things could plummet in a hurry, and we might see just what Iron Mike's breaking point is these days.

And we probably don't want to find that out.