Luongo and the Panthers prowl around East’s playoff race
Mix of veterans and rising stars puts Florida in unexpected spot
SUNRISE, Fla. — By stocking up on tons of upcoming draft picks and young talent, the Florida Panthers are trying to set themselves up for a bright future.
The future might arrive a little ahead of schedule.
Often a playoff long shot at this time of year, the Panthers find themselves right in the mix of the Eastern Conference postseason race. The Panthers are six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
“We still have some growing to do,” Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. “But we’re close. It’s getting exciting because we see the future and we see that we’re not far off.”
Led by a combination of savvy veterans — like goalie Roberto Luongo and defenceman Willie Mitchell — playing alongside a young core that includes rising star defenceman Aaron Ekblad, centre Nick Bjugstad and winger Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida has probably exceeded many expectations already.
A year ago, the Panthers were 15th in the 16-team East. Now some of the players are already checking scoreboards on a nightly basis to see the standings. Florida starts a threegame, swing through the New York metropolitan area Saturday, with games against the Rangers, Islanders and Devils. The Rangers were immediately atop Florida in the standings entering Friday, and the Islanders seem poised to grab one of the East’s best playoff seeds.
It might be a critical stretch. The Panthers have emerged with 13 of a possible 20 points in their last 10 road games. “This is a huge road trip,” Luongo said.