Divisionally Speaking

Asked if the Panthers can return to the East's top eight, Bob says "Yes".

A bit of action in the Southeast last night, resulting in an unpleasant situation, but lots of time remains on the year.

• Ovie had two goals to lead his Caps over Detroit 4-2. Moving along...
• Carolina defeated Atlanta 2-0 behind a Cam Ward shutout. Screams are heard throughout Broward as the Hurricanes surpass Florida by a point in the East.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

Good and bad news...

• The Sabres shutout the Coyotes 2-0 in Phoenix, increasing their lead over the Panthers to three points. However...
• The Penguins continued their slide, losing to the Leafs 5-4 in regulation, remaining ouside looking in.

TODAY

Early games all around, due to some football thing. None of the contests directly affect Florida in the standings, but in the interest of full divisional disclosure:

• Ottawa @ Washington, 12:30p. The Caps chalk up another win, simply waiting to fill out the scoresheet.