The Florida Panthers securing a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and defending their championship is essentially a given. At this point, it’s only a matter of time before they officially punch their ticket. Right now, Florida is on track to clinch a postseason berth as early as this week.
The Panthers’ magic number is four points. Here’s how it works:
How the Stanley Cup Playoff Field is Determined
The playoff structure includes the top three teams from each division, plus the top two remaining teams in each conference. For Florida to secure its spot, it simply needs to match the maximum possible points that the teams battling for the final wild-card position can achieve.
Currently, that competition includes the Montreal Canadiens (34-30-9, 77 points, nine games left) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (33-30-9, 75 points, 10 games left). If both teams were to win every remaining game, their maximum point total would be 95.
Florida, with a 44-26-3 record and 91 points, has nine games left and already holds the tiebreaker over both Montreal and Columbus (Florida has 35 regulation wins, while Columbus can max out at 33 and Montreal at 34). This means that reaching 95 points—just four more—will guarantee their playoff spot.
How Florida Can Clinch
The Panthers can earn those four points in several ways:
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Two wins in any fashion
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Four overtime or shootout losses
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One win and two overtime or shootout losses
Additionally, if Montreal or Columbus drop points in their remaining games, it will further reduce Florida’s required point total to clinch. Simply put, the Panthers are on the verge of making it official.
Atlantic Division Seeding Race
Beyond simply securing a playoff spot, the final stretch of the regular season will determine how the Atlantic Division standings take shape, ultimately deciding first-round matchups.
As of Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs sit atop the division with a 45-25-4 record and 94 points, with eight games remaining. The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning (43-25-5) are tied for second at 91 points each, but Tampa Bay holds the tiebreaker with more regulation wins (37 for the Lightning, 35 for the Panthers).
With Florida and Toronto set to face off twice more, Florida and Tampa meeting once, and Tampa and Toronto also playing each other once, the division standings remain highly fluid. The top team in the Atlantic will earn a first-round matchup against the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card team—most likely the Ottawa Senators (39-28-6, 84 points). The second- and third-place teams in the division will go head-to-head in the opening round, with the higher seed securing home-ice advantage.
A Grueling Final Stretch
Florida’s schedule to close out the season is challenging, featuring nine games in just 15 days, including three back-to-back sets and eight games against playoff contenders.
The Panthers begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday against teams either inside the playoff picture or fighting for a spot—Montreal on Tuesday, Toronto (45-25-4, 94 points) on Wednesday, Ottawa on Saturday, and Detroit (34-33-6, 74 points) on Sunday.
Their final homestand includes matchups against Toronto on April 8, Detroit on April 10, Buffalo on April 12, and the New York Rangers on April 14, before wrapping up the regular season with a showdown against Tampa Bay on April 15.
With the standings as tight as they are, expect plenty of movement at the top of the Atlantic before the playoffs begin.
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