Panthers Claw Their Way to Playoffs as Wild Card

Hockey is a funny thing at times. When the Florida Panthers made that trade for Matthew Tkachuk, I said--on a loop, mind you--that they fleeced the Calgary Flames. I had the Panthers as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division (and maybe the Eastern Conference overall), while the Flames would either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in. By the midpoint, however, both teams were sputtering big time. However, the Panthers managed to get over the hump just a bit, while Calgary hung on and stayed alive for several weeks.

On Monday, April 10, the Panthers had a chance to clinch a playoff spot, but fell short. Later that same day, the Flames lost a shootout to the Nashville Predators, and as a result, the Flames--who reached the Pacific Division Final last year--were eliminated from playoff contention. On the following day (Tuesday, April 11), the Panthers did not play, but could still clinch a playoff spot, needing losses from the Buffalo Sabres (in any fashion) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (in regulation) to get in. The first part was a given; Sabres were throttled by the New Jersey Devils, but would the Pens really lose to the Chicago Blackhawks...at home? Shockingly enough, that's what happened; a 5-2 Penguins home loss to the lowly Blackhawks ended up doing the trick.

So the Panthers reached the playoffs, while their trade partners in Calgary didn't. However, did they really win the trade?

To say this was a sharp decline from last year would be an understatement. Last year was a dream season for the Panthers: 58 wins, 122 points (both franchise records), and the Presidents' Trophy. All of that only took the Panthers to the second round, but even so, high expectations came with that amazing season. What we saw this year was a potential 30-point decline in the standings, and the team struggle badly. It was Matthew Tkachuk carrying the load. He reached the century mark in points this season, but here's the thing--the lead he has is a vast one. Aleksandar "Sasha" Barkov, the face of the franchise, is second in points with 77--which is 31 less than Tkachuk!

Goaltending has been another issue for the Panthers this season. Neither Sergei Bobrovsky nor Spencer Knight have really wowed anyone this season. Both have GAAs above 3.00, and are barely skirting above a .900 SV%, while having one shutout each. Even though Bobrovsky's great claim to fame was being in net for the Columbus Blue Jackets when they pulled off the big upset of upsets in 2019, there has been nothing else of note from Bobrovsky in his playoff career. Interestingly enough, the goalie that has turned heads for the Panthers is none other than Alex Lyon, who has been showing out in recent weeks. Lyon's numbers: 9-3-2 record, 2.80 GAA, .916 SV%, and a shutout in so little time. He has shown out to much that there is actual talk of having him start Game One of Round 1. They may do it; he's been quite good in recent weeks.

Florida's clinch leaves one spot left in the Eastern Conference, and that's between the Islanders and the Penguins. The Panthers are locked in as a Wild Card, though whether they're WC1 or WC2 will be determined in the final days. If they end up as WC1, they'll play whoever wins the Metropolitan Division. If they end up as WC2, they'll face a Boston Bruins team who set the league record in points and wins, though remember, the Panthers have Bobrovsky--and we know what happened the last time Bobrovsky faced a team who (at least) tied a wins record.

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