Panthers Close to Punching Playoff Ticket

If the Panthers lose to the Senators in overtime or a shootout, they will still have an opportunity to clinch. A single point for the Panthers means they would need either the New York Rangers to lose to the New Jersey Devils in any fashion, or the Montreal Canadiens to lose to the Philadelphia Flyers in regulation.

Not all hope is lost for the Panthers even if they lose in regulation and fail to record a single point. If the Panthers lose, they’ll need the Columbus Blue Jackets to lose to the Toronto Maple Leafs in any fashion and for the Rangers to lose to the Devils in regulation.

The Panthers are heading into one of the final weekends of the season looking to extend their playoff streak. It wasn’t that long ago the Panthers were one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL.

Now, they’re hunting for their sixth-straight playoff appearance and hope to defend their franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

The Panthers are led offensively by Sam Reinhart with 78 points (37G-41A) and Aleksander Barkov with 67 points (19G-48A), and backstopped by future Hall of Fame goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with a 31-17-2 record.

It’s hard to talk about the Panthers and not mention Matthew Tkachuk, who has 57 points (22G-35A) in 52 games played.

At the trade deadline, the Panthers took big swings with the hopes of a big payoff. They added Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks and arguably made the most surprising move of the deadline by grabbing Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins.

The Panthers are on the greatest run in franchise history. On the verge of a sixth-consecutive playoff appearance with a Cup under their belt, they'll look to prove there is no Stanley Cup hangover in South Florida.