Panthers Win 7th Straight

Don't look now, but here come the Panthers. After being left for dead a few weeks ago, the Florida Panthers tied a franchise record with their 7th consecutive victory by beating the Wild 3-2.

The victory puts them in a tie for 10th with Washington and only 2 points behind slumping Philadelphia for the final playoff spot. The Panthers have 8 games remaining and the Flyers have 9. There is still an outside chance that Florida can catch up to Carolina, but the Hurricanes are equally hot and enjoy a 5 point lead with 8 games remaining as well.

In basketball, I wouldn't be a proponent of making a late playoff surge. Unless you can get a top seed in basketball, it usually is a futile attempt at making an impact. Most teams that sneak in the playoffs get bounced quickly. It makes more sense to tank and get a lottery pick. In football, it goes both ways in that if you have a shot, you should take it. The Giants and Steelers recently won 4 road playoff games en route to Super Bowl titles. They're proven that 6th seed in the NFL can still matter.

There's a give and take in tanking in the NFL too. If you don't think you can quite make it, then it might be better to lose some games and get a better pick. Then again, with the rookie salary structure the way it is, it might not be that great idea.

With the Panthers, I really hope they make the playoffs. We've been missing from the postseason for way too long and I think the fanbase needs a boost. Even if it means a first round exit, so be it. A Stanley Cup Playoff series is a long event and with the right momentum, even a mediocre team like Florida can go deep into the playoffs. Let's hope they can pull it off because Miami needs something to root for.