The Florida Panthers are riding a hot streak into the All-Star Break. They’ve won four straight games, eight straight on the road, and earned points in eight of their last 10 for a 31-14-4 record and 66 points. They trail the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins by five points, and their record is also tied for fourth in the NHL.
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A big factor in their winning streak has been in their special teams — specifically, the power play. Over the last few weeks, it’s been red hot as it’s finding the back of the net nearly every night.
Panthers’ Power Play is Powerful
After a slow start, the Panthers’ power play is now in full swing. Over the last 10 games, they’ve tallied at least one power-play goal (PPG) in eight of them, for a total of 11 goals. Over their last 20 games, they’ve scored 24 power-play goals and have found the back of the net on the man advantage 39 times this season.
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Because of that, their power play now ranks 10th in the league, up from 18th to start the new year. While it’s started to flourish just before the All-Star Break, their identity going forward needs to be that of a team that makes opponents regret going to the box.
Sam Reinhart The Biggest Factor
One of the biggest factors in the man advantage firing on all cylinders is the team’s leading goal-scorer, forward Sam Reinhart. Through 49 games, not only is he second in the NHL in goals with 37, but he also leads the league in PPGs with 20 and ranks 11th in power-play points with 24. Additionally, he’s scored a PPG in four-straight games. His power-play goal total is a franchise record for the most in a single season. In addition, it’s as many PPGs as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks have scored all season. Furthermore, it’s more PPGs than the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks. Earlier in the season, he became the first player in NHL history to score a special-teams goal in eight-straight games.
Because of his efforts, he’ll be headed to Toronto for the All-Star festivities from Feb. 1-3 – the first time in his career that he’s been selected for the game.
His goal scoring on the power play has been one of the key pieces in Florida’s elite play over the last month. It keeps them with some of the league’s best and puts him in contention for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy.
Can Panthers Keep Hot Streak Going?
If the Panthers can continue their pace on the man advantage, securing a high seed in the playoffs will be a piece of cake.
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It is going to be a while before they see the ice again with their last game being a 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on Jan. 27. Their next game is on Feb. 6 against their former teammate and recently-extended forward Owen Tippett and the Philadelphia Flyers. In that contest, they’ll attempt to extend their streak of games with a power play goal to five.
The Panthers’ power play was a big problem early in the season and dashed their Stanley Cup ambitions last postseason. If it continues to click, it should put them on track for another deep playoff run. With the way they have been playing, it’s clear they want another shot at Lord Stanley’s grail.