15. Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have shocked a lot of people down the stretch. They had a great month of February and impressive start to March. This great run of play took them from the playoff picture and put them right in the middle of it. With three games in hand, they are only two points behind the Blue Jackets for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot. Stars like Alexander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad will need to continue to carry the Panthers into the playoffs with their strong play. A potential matchup in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning would be exciting and possibly reignite an interstate rivalry.
This past week, the Florida Panthers continued their hot play, winning three of their four games. Including wins against, the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. Their only loss last week was against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida will be looking to extend their elevated level of play over their three games this week. They will be taking on the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers. It will be important to pick up as many points as the Panthers can down the stretch. The wild card race is tight right now, and the Panthers cannot afford to lose any points.