Panthers Return to Winning Ways

Wednesday night's OT loss to Carolina was disappointing, and as DSponge pointed out, it probably ended their hopes of a division crown.

The 8th seed, however, is looking alive and well, especially after a solid 4-2 victory over the Lightning tonight. This puts them at 8-0-1 in their last nine games...not too shabby.

I predicted that the Panthers would need to go 6-2-1 in their last nine games to qualify for the playoffs. They have since gone 2-0-1, but the OT loss was in the worst situation (to division leader Carolina).

With six remaining games, the requirements go up a bit. Could 4-2 do it? Possibly, if one of Boston or Philadelphia goes on a losing streak, but that's asking for a lot. I'm inclined to think 5-1 (or 4-0-2) is more likely the antidote for playoff ills, with 4-1-1 also in play.

No matter what happens, the Panthers deserve our respect and praise.