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Just over a week ago, the Florida Panthers were sitting in 5th place in the eastern conference and playing some fine hockey. They had just finished a rigorous 5-game road trip, and a week in which they won 3 of 4 games. Fast forward to the present. The Cats are 9th in the east, losers of 3 in a row. While they were able to grab a point out of 2 of those losses, twice Florida could not hold on to 3-1, 3rd period leads. The Panthers are just 1-2-2 in their last 5 games.
So is it time to panic in south Florida? Not yet, according to head coach Pete DeBoer. “I don’t think it’s a trend,” he said, referring to their 3-game losing streak. “I don’t think we’re doing anything differently than we did earlier in the year. But there’s no doubt we have to find a way to close out games.” Prior to this recent streak, Florida was 24-1-1 when leading after 2 periods. Clearly, the last two blown leads are not the norm, but they certainly come at a tough time.
The difference between 5th and 9th place right now is just 4 points. To be sure, the Panthers are far from out of the race. And to be fair, they played well against Buffalo and Tampa Bay, even though they earned just one point in those two games. But in a race as tight as this one, every point lost hurts. Playing well and not getting the result is not good enough. Every missed opportunity could prove to be the reason your season ends early. That includes shoot outs, in which Florida is just 3-8 this year. There are 8 extra points that Florida missed out on.
For now, the Panthers are focusing on the positives. They are playing solid hockey. Even though they are losing games, they are still earning points. 8 of Florida’s final 13 games are in their home barn, where they are 9 games over .500 this season. They also have played one fewer game then the New York Rangers, who are currently tied for 6th, and 2 fewer then Pittsburgh (5th) and Carolina (8th). The numbers appear to be on Florida’s side. It is up to the Panthers to make them work in their favor.
The players are trying to find the bright side as well. “You win three games in a row, two for that matter, and you could be fifth again,” Panthers’ center Greg Campbell said. At the same time, you lose three games in a row, two for that matter, and you could find yourself 5 or 6 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot. While there is no room for panic, there has to be a sense of desparation. Florida is playing well, but they cannot be satisfied with good efforts. With 13 games remaining, the Panthers need to start earning W’s, in any way possible.
Florida’s next four games are at home, starting tonight against the Washington Capitals. The Panthers also get one more note of good news. Defenseman Bryan McCabe will return to the lineup tonight. He has missed Florida’s last 3 contests, recovering from surgery to repair broken bones in his face. McCabe will be wearing the full bird cage, but will be back on the ice. It’s now or never for a Panthers organization that has not seen playoff ice time since 2000. It is within their reach now, all they have to do is work hard enough to grab it.
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