The NHL season is set to return on Saturday, and the No. 7 New York Islanders, with their brick wall defense, will be taking on the offensively dangerous No. 10 Florida Panthers in the Qualifying Round.
The Islanders swept the Panthers during the regular season, beating them in all three matchups, but this will be another story. The Islanders had an excellent start to the season, picking up where they left off last year.
However, they grew ice-cold beginning in December, going 6-8-5 between the All-Star break and the suspension of the season.
This will be the Panthers’ first playoff appearance since 2016 when they lost to none other than the Islanders in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round.