Who will advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The Stanley Cup Playoffs return this Wednesday, and one of the most interesting matchups starts Thursday night in Florida. The Atlantic Division-winning Florida Panthers are set to take on the New York Islanders, who took the Eastern Conference’s top Wild Card Spot.
The Panthers were expected to be a middle of the road bubble team. This belief was solidified when the Montreal Canadiens started off the season incredibly hot. As the Habs cooled down, however, the Panthers started to rise. Maybe President Frank Under—err—Kevin Spacey pulled some strings behind the scenes.