Last month, the New Jersey Devils coach admitted he watched a Florida Panthers game on his day off.
Panthers coach Bob Boughner, meanwhile, said he caught himself scoreboard-watching while on the bench, looking for out-of-town results.
That’s a glimpse into what it was like the past several weeks as the Panthers made a compelling charge up the standings. From Jan. 30, when the Panthers ranked 28th in the league in points, until the close of their season on Sunday, the Panthers posted a 25-8-2 record. Those 52 points in that span tied them with the Nashville Predators for the most in the NHL.