Panthers stumble through homestand after record road trip

This isn't how the Florida Panthers drew it up.

After picking up wins in San Jose, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, the Panthers swept the California road swing, a first in franchise history, and a performance that clawed the Panthers back into the playoff race.

Victories over the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues bookended the California games to mark a five-game win streak, with the defeat over the Blues pushing the Panthers to 28-20-10 and third in the Atlantic.

But Florida has failed to build on that success since returning to Sunrise. The Panthers have played five of their last six games on home ice, but have churned out only a single win, an overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The lack of recent success has the Panthers mired in a dog fight for the East's last wild-card spot, held by the New York Islanders, while three other clubs stand between Florida and New York.

On Tuesday, the Panthers suffered a key loss to the New York Rangers, falling 5-2, which coach Tom Rowe chalked up as a frustrating loss for the club.

The Panthers have one win in Sunrise since Feb. 4, but will have a chance to find the win column Friday when they take to the Minnesota Wild.