One Goal. Win.

Sunday's developments -- about as subtle as the kind of blindside check into the boards that leaves molars and bicuspids skittering on the ice -- suggest a slightly different motto might have been more apt:

One Goal. Win. Now! Or Else.

South Florida's eventful, nine-year ride in pro hockey got wilder fast on Sunday when the new consortium of owners fronted by ex-NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar abruptly sacked coach Duane Sutter and removed Bill Torrey, the bow-tied veteran puckman, as the general manager.

Almost one-third of the way into the season, this was.

The fortune cookie may tell you patience is a virtue, but, alas, patience doesn't fill a rink in Sunrise, or get a listing, embarrassed underachieving franchise any closer to the playoffs, or back to respectability.

In comes Mike Keenan as coach, and at the least, you must give the Panthers credit for landing a ``name,'' for trying, in one enormous sweep, to make Florida begin to matter again in the sport.

I sampled opinions of Sunday's earthquake from some friends who are serious Cats fans. They seemed honestly energized. One told me he supports the double-sacking and the infusion of Keenan ``120,000 percent,'' a rather notable upgrade from the standard 110 percent.

Is it ``fair'' or ``right'' that Torrey and Sutter are guillotined from us because the players they chose managed a sorry record of 6-15-2-3?

Sadly, I'm not at all sure fair and right apply as relevant words at the moment.

Sunday's sweep is justified, bottom line.

It doesn't feel good -- Torrey is the only club president Florida has known in its nine NHL years, and Sutter is a hockey lifer who was given only pieces of two seasons to prove he is a coach -- but playing 26 games and winning six makes its own statement.

Torrey had a good, long opportunity here, and had moments that made a résumé smile, such as the rubber rats-strewn 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.

Sutter may have ``deserved'' more time; then again, the Panthers gave him 72 games in parts of two seasons, and he won 22 of them.

The calamity around the Panthers and the awfulness enveloping the NBA Heat should be seen as distinct, though it is natural to link them.

The Heat's Pat Riley has the name and the earned reputation to weather one horrible season, and make any decision to leave his own call.

Duane Sutter had earned or enjoyed none of that.

The Panthers' desperation in the past year has been plainly unhidden.

It was this month a year ago -- Dec. 28 to be exact -- that the ill-fated Torrey de-Murrayed the team with one swipe, firing GM Bryan and coach Terry just after Christmas.

Had things improved, Sutter and The Bow-Tie would still have a job today.

Instead, assistant GM Chuck Fletcher ascends to fill Torrey's role, while Keenan -- probably a superstar coach if the term is not an oxymoron -- moves in to rehabilitate his reputation and the Panthers' all at once.

Fifteen seasons with six franchises have produced a nice .562 career winning percentage over 1,069 games.

The Boston Bruins fired him after last season; still, the Panthers have not had a coach of such stature.

Keenan may not be the long-term solution, but he offers a rather dramatic jump-start.

He is those two shock-paddles placed on the dying patient's chest on ER after the doctor yells, ``Clear!''

It will be interesting to see how much power is given Keenan, a coach unafraid to make bold moves.

He favors a dominant goalie, which should put more of the franchise on Roberto Luongo's shoulders and see Trevor Kidd gone.

He likes a fast-tempo attack, which should suit star Pavel Bure . . .

. . . but how will Bure's inattention to defending sit with the first Panthers' coach of a stature to have an ego staredown with his superstar?

It should make things interesting.

When you have played 26 games and won six, interesting alone is an improvement.

Interesting alone is a start.

gcote@herald.com