We’ve reached the NHL All-Star break, and the Florida Panthers have been a disappointment, sitting 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot currently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Panthers (20-20-8) have 48 points, and they would need to leapfrog three other teams in their remaining 34 games just to get to the Penguins.
But then there’s also the fact that the Panthers were the hottest team in the league last year from Jan. 30 to the end of the regular season. They finished just one point short of the playoffs.
This year, they got started a little early — as least compared to last season — as they have taken their current nine-day break while on a three-game win streak.