Comments / New

Florida Panthers will have to travel the long road to make the playoffs

Former On The Forecheck head honcho Dirk Hoag as compiled his annual Super Schedule for the NHL’s 30 clubs. After traveling 42,786 miles last season, the Florida Panthers will rack up 41,891 miles in 2015-16 to lead the Eastern Conference once again. The Cats are the only Eastern Conference team in the league’s top ten. Nine Western Conference clubs, led by the San Jose Sharks at a staggering 50,362 miles, will travel more.

The Panthers will go back-to-back fourteen times, up from twelve last season, but that number puts them in the middle of the pack, so the schedule makers weren’t too unkind. The Columbus Blue Jackets will play the most back-to-backs with a hefty eighteen on their docket. Florida’s first back-to-back comes early in the season (games two & three), as they will face the Philadelphia Flyers on October 12 in The City of Brotherly Love before jetting home to tussle with the Carolina Hurricanes a day later.

Here is Dirk’s complete Captain’s Travel Log, Stardate 2015-16. Thanks for the fine work, sir. Live long and prosper.

Team 2015-16 Miles 2015-16 B-to-B 2014-15 Miles 2014-15 B-to-B
San Jose Sharks 50,362 14 45,318 11
Edmonton Oilers 49,401 9 45,597 11
Dallas Stars 48,419 12 48,216 12
Calgary Flames 48,341 12 38,874 10
Vancouver Canucks 45,711 13 45,173 12
Anaheim Ducks 44,653 11 46,967 13
Los Angeles Kings 43,750 13 44,100 9
Colorado Avalanche 42,901 10 44,167 12
Winnipeg Jets 42,380 12 42,027 9
Florida Panthers 41,891 14 42,786 12
Carolina Hurricanes 41,558 16 40,800 16
Minnesota Wild 40,976 15 41,178 13
Tampa Bay Lightning 40,974 13 37,221 12
St. Louis Blues 40,649 12 38,965 14
Arizona Coyotes 40,504 15 49,818 13
Montreal Canadiens 39,947 16 37,135 16
Chicago Blackhawks 39,332 13 40,074 15
Ottawa Senators 38,796 14 33,421 13
Boston Bruins 38,236 11 38,938 16
Columbus Blue Jackets 37,602 18 35,139 19
Nashville Predators 36,971 12 42,096 11
New Jersey Devils 36,271 12 33,597 18
New York Rangers 36,089 17 36,113 13
Washington Capitals 35,487 13 36,487 16
New York Islanders 35,015 15 33,214 16
Philadelphia Flyers 34,811 15 31,272 14
Buffalo Sabres 34,201 15 37,022 19
Toronto Maple Leafs 33,880 16 34,020 18
Pittsburgh Penguins 33,660 17 32,444 17
Detroit Red Wings 33,487 17 34,179 12

Talking Points