With less than three weeks left in the regular season, teams are jockeying for playoff spots, players are chasing milestones and the pressure is ratcheted up.
We’ve gathered our panel of experts to break down all the big topics ahead of the upcoming week, including their take on the Dallas Stars, who are in a tight race for a playoff spot and have key matchups with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild
1. Who should the Florida Panthers be hoping to face in the first round?
Victoria Matiash: If the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle as they have since March 23, the Panthers should hope Crosby and Co. fall to the second wild card position. Before Sunday’s win over Nashville, Pittsburgh had lost four straight and seven of its past nine games. Tristan Jarry — pretty great most of the season — has allowed 24 goals in his past seven contests. And Florida is 2-0-1 against the Pens this season, suffering their only loss in a November shootout. As it stands today, this series should be Panthers fans’ most desired match-up.