Panthers grab slim edge in very wild East wild-card race
Associated PressSUNRISE, Fla. — Alex Lyon’s goaltending resume is no joke. They play the soundtrack to “The Lion King” in the Panthers’ dressing room after wins these days — a nod to Lyon, who has gone 4-0-0 with starting netminder Sergei Bobrovsky sidelined by illness. “But it felt more towards that direction.” Florida has jumped from being outside the playoff picture to controlling its own destiny in these last four games — somehow, the first four-game winning streak all season for a club that had the NHL’s best regular-season record a year ago. Florida’s odds didn’t look great a week ago when the Panthers had lost four in a row; winning four in a row since won’t cause the team to relax, coach Paul Maurice said. “We’ve got some important games coming up,” Penguins star Sidney Crosby said Tuesday night.