Resilient Panthers controlling own destiny in playoff race after appearing down and out just a week ago

Florida holds top Wild Card spot with four games remaining

The Florida Panthers picked a good time to go on their best run of the season.

Over the past month, Florida has reeled off a 10-4-1 record, climbing from eleventh in the Eastern Conference and four points out of a playoff position to owning the top Wild Card with four games to go.

Did the Panthers appear to be on life support after losing a fourth straight game last week in Ottawa?

You betcha.

The consensus on the outside may have been that Florida’s late season run at a playoff spot had run its course, but inside the Panthers dressing room, belief never wavered.

Perhaps it’s because Florida has a roster full of players who, at different levels, have been there before. Whether that means coming out on top of a heated playoff chase or making a deep postseason run, the Panthers are a squad that is battle tested.

That would explain why enduring a four-game losing streak at what felt like the most inopportune time didn’t faze the Panthers.

“Maybe for some people and some teams it's high stress, but for us, we know that when we have the preparation and the execution, we’re a great hockey team,” Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk said after Tuesday’s win over Buffalo. “At the end of the day, we're just taking each day and just having fun with it and trying to be as prepared as we can.”

Tkachuk and the Panthers have reeled off a season high four consecutive wins, directly on the heels of the aforementioned four-game skid.

That losing streak immediately proceeded a seven-game points streak that had many thinking the Panthers would be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference Wild Card chase.

A week later they were an afterthought.

But despite dropping four straight games, somehow, someway, Florida has now become the team in control of its own destiny.

“It’s a good feeling coming to the rink, and you feel in control of something,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice.

Following Tuesday’s slate of games, the Panthers jumped over the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders in the race for the two Eastern Conference Wild Card spots.

Florida and the Islanders are tied with 87 points, but Florida holds the tiebreaker over New York due to having more regulation wins. The Penguins are one point back of both with 86.

Each team has four games remaining on their respective schedules.

“Every game is big, but we have to try go into each game as if it were a first playoff game,” said Panthers center Anton Lundell.

Florida’s next challenge will come Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators at FLA Live Arena. Also that evening, Pittsburgh will host the Minnesota Wild and the Islanders welcome Tampa Bay to UBS Arena.

At this point of the season, every win, and every point, really, has maximum value attached to it.

Nobody cares if the opponent is first in the league or 31st.

“Every game is important now,” said Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour. “We're trying to maintain that. We need these games, we need these points, and we need to be a desperate team.”

When the Panthers arrive at the rink for practice on Wednesday, they’ll likely be feeling pretty good.

They should. It’s been earned.

Just don’t make the mistake of confusing those good feelings for any sense of contentment regarding the task at hand.

As quickly as Florida jumped up into a playoff spot, it can be taken away just as fast.

“There's not enough separation. We're running neck and neck, is the way it feels,” Maurice said of the playoff race. “We don't have a lead here. We're just (moving toward) the finish line, full on sprint as hard as you can. It feels like we're running side by each, and the push will come right to the end.”