The theme has been the same from the Florida Panthers for the better part of the past month and a half as they have spiraled down in the standings.
There have been several aspects within their game that they have liked. They are creating quality chances when playing 5-on-5. When healthy, they feel they have the talent to compete with anyone. The effort is there most nights.
None of those glass-half-full declarations have made an impact on their place in the standings. After their 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday, the Panthers are 16-18-4. They have already matched the total number of regulation losses they had all of last season when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. They are in seventh place in the eight-team Atlantic Division, ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens.
