April is just around the corner, and with it the NHL playoffs. The Florida Panthers have been in ample position to defend their Stanley Cup championship all season, but home-ice advantage will be tough to earn.
There’s a three-way quagmire at the top of the Atlantic Division with the Panthers separated from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning by one point with just over two weeks left in the regular season. Florida plays Toronto twice before the playoffs start, while a Sunshine State showdown with Tampa awaits in the regular-season finale April 15.
After a 2-4 road trip, the Panthers returned to Sunrise last week and won two in a row, a shootout win over Pittsburgh and an overtime win vs. Utah. Sam Bennett’s second goal of the night kept Florida in the division lead … for the time being, at least.
Florida has one more home game today vs. the Montreal Canadiens before starting a four-game road trip, its last of the season. Here’s a look at the Panthers schedule ahead and where they sit in the standings, plus how to buy tickets for upcoming games:
The Panthers, Maple Leafs and Lightning are bunched together atop the Atlantic Division. After Friday’s win, Florida was 44-25-3 with 91 points, putting them in first place before Toronto’s game Saturday night in Los Angeles. Tampa Bay beat the New York Islanders earlier Saturday to pull even with 91 points, though the Panthers currently hold the advantage because they’ve played one fewer game. The Leafs entered the night with 90 points.
Here’s a look at the standings and tiebreaker scenarios after the Lightning’s win Saturday:
The second- and third-place teams in the division will play each other in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Barring an incredible collapse by the East-leading Washington Capitals, the division winner will face the wild-card team with the most points, which is currently the Ottawa Senators.
Here’s a look at the Panthers’ schedule for the week ahead. All times Eastern:
Entering Saturday’s games, Sam Reinhart was tied for ninth in the NHL with 35 goals and led the league with five shorthanded goals. Gustav Forsling was tied for ninth in plus/minus at +31. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was sixth with a 2.43 goals against average and tied for third with five shutouts. A.J. Greer was seventh with 98 penalty minutes. Mackie Semoskevich was tied for seventh among rookies with 13 goals.
Tickets for tonight’s game vs. the Canadiens at Amerant Bank Arena are available for $25 (before fees) on StubHub. Seats in the lower bowl are available for $73.
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