The NHL’s regular season concludes in just over a week, and the Florida Panthers could not be playing better hockey.
To some extent, I feel like this is the same story we’ve been talking about all year. The Panthers have been among the NHL’s elite since the opening week, and they have maintained that spot, as the Cats own a 56-15-6 record.
As a result, Florida has cruised to the number one overall seed in the Eastern Conference, while also vying for the Presidents’ Trophy.
All of that is great, but if any team, the Panthers included, limps into the postseason, even the most mesmerizing season will be for not. Fortunately for Florida, that won’t be the case.
The Panthers are the hottest team in hockey.
The Cats picked up yet another offensively-driven win on Thursday, defeating the Detroit Red Wings to extend their winning streak to 12 games. The last time Florida lost was March 27, and the team has outscored its opponents 61-31 in that span.
Jonathan Huberdeau continues to lead the offensive charge in Sunrise, as he has officially shattered his career-high in points. The forward has 113 points on the year (tied for first in the NHL) and has tallied at least one point in 15 of his last 16 games (11 goals and 18 assists in that span).
As of late, the defense has stepped up as well for the Panthers. In each of the team’s last six contests, it has held its opponents to two goals or fewer, thanks to continued efficiency from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and a much-needed bounce-back from Spencer Knight.
Overall, this team is 21-2-1 since the beginning of March following a three-game losing streak to end February.
Such a degree of dominance exceeds that of even the 10-0-1 streak the Colorado Avalanche were on prior to dropping a pair of games in regulation, as well as the 14*-game point streak for the St. Louis Blues.
The Eastern Conference is extremely deep, and reaching the Stanley Cup Final will be no easy task. With that said, the Panthers are giving their fans everything they could possibly ask for heading into the postseason.