from Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel,

The playoff hopes have all but evaporated, the Florida Panthers erasing a two-month push towards the postseason with a three-game stretch that dashed them.

The Panthers were one of the NHL’s hottest teams since the All-Star break, putting it all together after facing a 12-point playoff deficit at the break. They had three separate winning streaks of at least three games. They had just one prior to the break.

They won a franchise-record eight consecutive home games by sweeping a six-game homestand and then winning the next two in Sunrise. On March 5, a trip to the postseason looked probable, trailing the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot by one point with three games in hand.

But then the Panthers hit a wall, suffering a third consecutive defeat with a 5-1 loss to Boston on Saturday afternoon. They entered Sunday five points behind New Jersey for the final playoff spot.

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