The Florida Panthers start a five-game road trip Saturday in Pittsburgh on the verge of making history. Only this time, it’s for a dubious distinction.
The Panthers (37-35-3, 77 points) are on the cusp of playoff elimination. Should that happen, they would become the sixth Stanley Cup champion to miss the playoffs the following season.
Florida faces long odds to get into the playoffs — the Panthers are 11 points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with seven games remaining and five teams between them. But it hasn’t stopped the hobbled two-time defending champions from trying to play spoiler.
Even with players like Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola out, Florida’s modest two-game winning streak includes wins over the Senators and the Boston Bruins, who hold the other wild-card spot.
“We’re trying to make sure that they don’t get an easy one from us,” coach Paul Maurice said after Thursday’s 2-1 home win over Boston.
Sam Bennett has points in three straight, including a goal in the Boston game. With 57 points (26 goals, 31 assists), he could top Reinhart as the team’s leading scorer in the final couple of weeks. Reinhart has 61 points, leading the team in both goals (29) and assists (32).
The Panthers may also get one of their injured players back for Saturday as the team reported forward Cole Schwindt is expected to return to action. He has not played since Feb. 26 due to a lower-body injury.
Saturday’s game marks the first of back-to-back games between the two teams, both in Pittsburgh. The Penguins (38-22-16, 92 points) look to rebound after losing 6-3 on the road to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
The Penguins, who have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division and would get first-round home-ice advantage if they stay in that spot. However, the New York Islanders are three points behind in third place, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are in fourth place, but with 88 points, they do not currently hold a playoff spot.
After the two home games with Florida, Pittsburgh will play at New Jersey, have a home-and-home with Washington and end the regular season at St. Louis. None of those teams currently sit in a playoff spot, but coach Dan Muse does not want to see his team ease up down the stretch.
“We have to turn the page quick,” Muse said after the loss to the Lightning. “There’s not going to be any easy games. Every game, every day is going to have a new challenge, and none of them are going to be easy this time of year.”
Sidney Crosby leads the team with 67 points (28 goals, 39 assists), but he has not scored a goal in seven games. His last goal came on March 18, his first game back after suffering an injury playing for Team Canada in the Olympics. Anthony Mantha leads Pittsburgh with 30 goals and has six points (four goals, two assists) during a four-game points streak.
