"The last few years really," says the Panthers' GM about their playoff bubble standing. "Last year we missed the playoffs and it came down to the last few games. You know, we're 5-5 in our last ten. We need to put something together here and get into the playoffs."

To get into the playoffs, the Florida Panthers will need to hold off several other teams. While they sit in a tie for 7th place, they're only 3 points ahead of the 12th place seed, currently held by the Carolina Hurricanes.

"It's been like this in the East for several years. It's always a competition for the final few playoff spots, and there's always four or five teams on the outside looking in that miss the playoff by just a few points. We're hoping to be on the inside this year."

The Panthers are expected to shuffle their lines going down the stretch. Dylan Guenther, who leads the team in points and is on pace for career highs, will be expected to be a leader as he finishes his breakout season. Tim Stutzle and Isac Lundestrom, two other young stars, will get first line duties to finish out the year.

Things are picking up, and playoff hockey could be on the horizon in South Florida. Stay tuned. The final stretch will be interesting!