"That 4-0 shellacking the Panthers endured Tuesday in Washington was more than a punch to the gut.

It had the impact of a shove down a flight of stairs.

That's how far they fell from the Southeast Division lead to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points out of the final playoff spot. Last week, the Panthers did the same to the Capitals in a 4-2 win on home ice.

As the two teams take this yo-yo routine into the final 30 games, it appears increasingly likely that the Panthers will have to win the division title to end their NHL-record 11-year playoff drought. The automatic berth for a division champion is the only certainty for any team in the Southeast."