When it comes to the Florida Panthers, the operative word in March has tended to be maddening.
At least that's been the case during the last two years because the team has developed a frustrating habit of roaring through March like a lion, only to have its efforts silenced like a lamb come playoff time. Maybe the third time is a charm.
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| Not dealing Olli Jokinen at the deadline might prove to be a master stroke. (Getty Images) |
Florida, a combined 18-8-3 in March the past two seasons, has won all seven games it has played this month, a winning streak that ties a club record and is currently the longest in the NHL. The run pulled the Panthers within two points of the eighth-place Philadelphia Flyers heading into Tuesday night's play, and despite having the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals stand between them and the final playoff seed, it has created a buzz of hope that's eluded the struggling franchise in recent seasons.
"We're definitely playing with a lot of confidence now, but that's what happens when you get on a roll and it snowballs, I guess," center Stephen Weiss said. "It's a funny game that way because it doesn't take much, just doing the little things, but for some reason, it just takes a while for us to figure out what it takes to win consistently."
That's an issue the Panthers have been trying to get a handle on since they last made a playoff appearance in 2000 and were swept in the first round by the New Jersey Devils. The team has gone through five coaches and four general managers since then –- Jacques Martin holds both jobs now -- and has reconstructed its roster several times through that period with an alternating emphasis on youth and veteran leadership.
Those efforts produced squads that have been generally competitive, just inadequate to keep going after the regular season schedule ended. And until recently, it was hard to see that changing any time soon.
Despite being one of the league's better skating teams with an impressive collection of young talent assembled through recent drafts, the Panthers spent much of this season relying on the offense of captain Olli Jokinen and the goaltending of All-Star Tomas Vokoun. That was enough to keep Florida in the hunt for an automatic third seed that comes with winning the weak Southeast Division, but when the Carolina Hurricanes started pulling away from the pack around the deadline, the Panthers again found themselves in the uncomfortable familiar position of facing another early summer vacation.
It didn't help that Florida, hit hard by injuries earlier in the season, failed to make a major splash at the trading cutoff, although the team resisted the temptation to deal Jokinen, its most prized asset who drew a lot of interest. But it obviously helped focus a team that appeared to have nothing to lose.
"I don't think we looked at it that way because you always have stuff to lose even if it doesn't look that way in the standings," said Vokoun, who was named one of the NHL's three stars this week after picking up three wins with a .946 save percentage. "Everybody here is playing for their jobs and I think once we won a couple of games, the guys realized that we can do it.
"When you look at it, the difference between the top team and last place is so little, so if can improve every area of your game just a little bit, it can be the difference between winning and losing."
There have been some intangible advantages as well for the Panthers, most notably playing nine of the 12 games in March at home, although ironically, the winning streak started on the road thanks to consecutive brilliant shutout performances by backup goalie Craig Anderson.
That provided the initial spark and since then, Florida has been getting offensive contributions from more than its top line and a potent power play that now ranks fifth in the league, cutting down significantly on its shots allowed and odd-man rushes and playing a much more physical game that has translated into nearly 30 hits per game.
"The players are buying in now," Martin said.
Even so, the Panthers face an uphill struggle for the playoffs despite a favorable schedule. Florida finishes with eight games against Southeast teams including Thursday's critical meeting with Carolina, its only remaining opponent that is now in a playoff position. Meanwhile the Flyers play their last seven against tough Atlantic Division opponents, with six of them against Pittsburgh, New Jersey and the New York Rangers, who are all in the mix for a division title.
But with the Sabres and Capitals desperately fighting for that same spot, the Panthers could again find themselves in the situation of doing too little, too late.
"We all wish we would have played this way the last 70 games, but there's nothing we can do about the past and what we did early in the year," said Jokinen. "The only thing we can do is keep our hopes alive by winning. Every game is huge for us."
