The Florida Panthers didn’t hide their feelings about the Washington Capitals on Thursday: It wasn’t just a typical mid-February victory to the Panthers, who are desperately fighting for their postseason lives with less than two months left in the regular season. It was a game Florida built its road trip around winning and expended every bit of energy possible to take. The Panthers openly referred to it as their biggest game of the year.
Two days later, it all led to a letdown. Florida ended its four-game road trip with a 7-3 rout at the hands of the Nashville Predators, blowing an early lead in Tennessee to settle for a .500 trip with both losses by four or more goals.
The Panthers’ loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, though, was on the second night of a back-to-back set. Florida had a day off before this one and still got blown out.
