The Florida Panthers saw their five-game winning streak end on Wednesday night, a wet blanket thrown onto the momentum gained by sweeping a long road trip for the first time in franchise history.
Yet the 4-3 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers did little to tamper Florida’s resolve.
The five-game streak, and winning eight of nine, helped the Panthers crawl back into the playoff race in a muddled Eastern Conference.
They plan on making their presence known.
“We’re going to be there,” coach Tom Rowe said of the postseason.
Florida is one of a handful of teams jockeying for playoff position in the east with the Panthers now realistically thinking about challenging Montreal’s season-long stranglehold atop the Atlantic Division.