Florida Panthers have a points number to hit before the Olympic break

One Panthers fan put the target on it: get at least seven points before the league pauses, then breathe.

That’s not panic talk, it’s survival math.

There are 10 points on the table, and seven keeps you in the mix without forcing miracles later.

The timing checks out, the NHL pauses after games on February 5, then resumes February 25.

Florida’s next five are St. Louis, Winnipeg, Buffalo, Boston, then Tampa Bay, all before the pause.

That’s a nasty little stretch, because it mixes travel, heavy teams, and real standings opponents.

It also comes with a quiet promise, help should arrive after the break.

Aleksander Barkov, Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, and Tomas Nosek were back on the ice Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, which is exactly the kind of sight that lifts a room.

We also have to keep expectations realistic with Aleksander Barkov, because the timeline never pointed to a quick return.

After ACL and MCL surgery with a 7–9 month recovery window, the earliest “realistic” target lines up around April at best, with Florida’s hope being more about a playoff runway than an immediate regular-season comeback.

Panthers fans feel the stress, but you can also feel the belief building again after that perfect road swing.

From a coaching angle, this is where Paul Maurice gets practical.

If Florida banks points now, he can manage minutes and matchups without chasing games.

If they don’t, every mistake turns into a scramble, and the bench tightens up fast.

The injury list still matters, Barkov and Nosek have each missed 50 games, and Kulikov has missed 48, so the idea of “three or four bodies back” isn’t small.

Maurice also knows the schedule is jammed after the pause, with Florida’s season rolling again on February 26 against Toronto.

So yeah, seven points is the clean goal, but the bigger win is staying calm.

If Florida can keep stacking standings points now, the post-break sprint becomes a chase with fuel, not a chase with fear.