SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – As the wins pile up, the Florida Panthers continue their charge towards the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Winners of seven in a row and 10 of their last 11 games, the Cats are closing in on the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
Knight Time
Spencer Knight, 20, has been playing his best hockey of the season in goal. After going to the AHL in February, Knight is 8-2-1 since his return to the NHL with a solid save percentage. It’s a great sign for the Panthers having Knight playing as well as he is teaming up with Sergei Bobrovsky in the net.
Wins Keep Coming
Despite missing Norris Trophy candidate Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers keep rolling. They’ve gone 10-1 without their top defensemen. The record shows the depth of this team and its desire to win.
Barkov Dominating
While many teammates have gotten well-deserved attention the Panthers captain has been playing the best hockey of his career. And that says a lot considering how well Aleksander Barkov has played throughout his career. He has been dominant in all three zones and piling up the points. Barkov is two goals away from his career high.
Playoff Possibilities
With the top seed within their sight, the Panthers would play the 8th seed. The East is stacked this year, so despite the great regular season, the Cats will face an experienced, difficult first-round series. Right now the 1st round opponent would be Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. They won the Stanley Cup a few years ago and still have the core of that team. Other realistic possibilities include Boston and Pittsburgh, both closing in on 100 points and have star players who have won the Cup.
Next up
The schedule lightens up a bit this week as the Panthers have two home games; Tuesday against Anaheim and Friday against Winnipeg. The Cats have been equallly good against playoff teams and non playoff teams. With two games remaining at home against East playoff teams, Tampa and Toronto, the Panthers can finish the season undefeated at home, 10-0 against in conference playoff teams.