A significant second-round drought will end for one of these two teams as the Islanders and Panthers open up their best-of-seven Round 1 Stanley Cup playoff series Thursday night in Florida.
New York hasn't advanced past the first round since 1993, while Florida hasn't gotten into the Eastern Conference semifinals since 1996. These teams will also be meeting in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time ever.
The Islanders won 47 games and notched 101 points this season, good enough for the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and their second straight playoff berth. The Panthers, meanwhile, won 47 games and clinched 103 points to win a division title for the first time since the 2011-12 season, which was the last time they made the playoffs.
Florida boasts a great young team, but two veterans will hope to anchor it on the big stage in Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo. Jagr led the Panthers with 66 points this season, while Aleksander Barkov had a team-best 28 goals and Jussi Jokinen paced the club with 42 assists.
Jagr downplayed his impact as he enters the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
"I don't think they should look at me," Jagr said per NHL.com. "I'm 50 years old. I can't even skate."
John Tavares and Kyle Okposo lead a relentless attack for New York. Tavares had a team-high 33 goals and 77 points, while Okposo was first on the club with 42 helpers in the regular season.
Opposing Luongo in the blue paint for the Islanders will be Thomas Greiss, stepping in Jaroslav Halak, who remains sidelined with a groin injury.
Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic (knee) will return to the lineup. He missed last year's seven-game, first-round loss to the Capitals with an injury.
"Last year is last year; it was tough not being able to play and watching the guys battle," Hamonic said via NHL.com. "This year as a group we've pushed hard and we're ready for the challenge in the playoffs."
Game Preview & Live Stream
Details: Islanders at Panthers Game 1.
Venue: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Fla.
Time: 8 p.m. ET.
Radio: New York (WFAN 101.9); Florida (560 WQAM).
Prediction: Our predictions for this series can be found here.
Betting Odds: The latest betting odds can be found here.
Watch Online: This game can be live streamed for free here.
