With the Philadelphia Flyers’ 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders Sunday evening, the Panthers’ opponent for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been solidified. The game’s result kept the Isles one point back of the New York Rangers and slotted them opposite the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings to finish the season.
If regular season performance is any indication, the series is bound to be a nail-biter. Florida amassed a 47-26-9 record worth 103 points, while the Islanders went 45-27-10 for 100. The Panthers carried the first two regular-season meetings, recording a 3-2 overtime victory on November 27 as well as a 5-1 win on December 15.