Panthers stay red-hot with 6th straight win
Don't look now, but the Florida Panthers are closing in on an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Despite losing seven of nine games heading into the All-Star break, Florida finds itself in serious contention for one of the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots, winning six in a row and 13 of 16 since the break.
While the Panthers are firing on all cylinders up and down the lineup, a lot of their recent success can be attributed to the resurgence of a finally-healthy No.1 starter in Roberto Luongo, who has been simply sensational over his last five starts. Bobby Lu posted a 5-0 record to go with a save percentage of .934 in those contests, all against teams currently holding a playoff spot in the East.
As of Sunday night, the Panthers sit one point up on the Carolina Hurricanes and one-point back of the Columbus Blue Jackets with three games in hand on each club.