The Florida Panthers are trying their best to climb their way back up the standings. Currently, they sit two points behind the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference controlled by the Montreal Canadiens. In the Atlantic Division, they sit three points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for third place, four points behind the Boston Bruins for second, and five points behind the Detroit Red Wings for first.
Early in the season, the Panthers fell off the wagon hard. On Dec. 3, they were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 12-12-1. Granted, a good run would get them back into potential playoff seeding. But the fact of the matter is that the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions were sitting in the basement of their conference. As a result, this team cannot simply afford to tread water until their players come back from injury.
Eastern Conference Has Turned Into a Gauntlet
The conference itself has turned into a slug-fest between everyone involved. In the Atlantic Division, mere points separate the Red Wings, Bruins and Lightning for the top spot, as one little slip can derail the chance of getting the divisional banner. The Metropolitan Division is not that much different. The Carolina Hurricanes control it with a three-point lead over the New York Islanders. However, the Philadelphia Flyers are not far behind, being only four points out from a potential leapfrog in the standings.
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For a playoff position in the conference period, six points separate dead last and the final wild card spot. One good run for anyone, along with a slump, can easily slot a group into a potential spot. As a result, the Panthers can’t squander any chance they have to make a push in the standings, because an unexpected dark horse can emerge and take over.
Panthers Have Been Rattling Off Big Wins
To get back into the postseason, the team has rattled off big wins over the last week. In their past road trip, they won three of four, collecting six out of a possible eight points. This includes shutting out a tough Dallas Stars team by a score of 4-0. In addition, they’ve collected points in six of their last seven games.
Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand skates between Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and goaltender Jake Oettinger (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
If the team can continue at this pace, they should be able to get back into the playoff picture. It does not get any easier from here on out.
Players Are Starting to Return to the Lineup
Injuries have been plaguing the Panthers before the season began, but the team should be getting some reinforcements soon.
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Forward Eetu Luostarinen recently rejoined the lineup after being week-to-week with a barbecue incident. His wife will probably not let him cook again anytime soon. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is due back sometime next month from the shoulder injury that he suffered in October. Jonah Gadjovich is expected to return next month as well. In one of the most anticipated returns of the summer, forward Matthew Tkachuk is due to return to the lineup on Dec. 30 per PuckPedia, just in time for the Winter Classic and the Winter Olympics. This all comes at just the right time for a massive push towards the postseason.
The Team Needs to Floor the Gas Pedal
With everything going right for them, the Panthers need to put their foot down and not let up on the gas pedal. The first half of the 2025-26 season is coming to a close in a matter of months.
The team is beginning to fire on all cylinders, and they need to grab a playoff spot and not let it go if they want a chance to win their third straight Stanley Cup.
