The time is now for the Islanders and the time is coming for the Panthers.
Florida reminds me of the Islanders from a few years ago.
After not making the playoffs for many years and getting some high draft picks the Islanders made the 2013 playoffs.
They met the Penguins in a series that went 6 games but New York just didn’t have enough experience, didn’t have the star quality to match Sidney Crosby and didn’t have what it took to make a big play at the right time. Even though the Islanders seem to outplay Pittsburgh it was only a matter of time until the Penguins would win the series.
The Islanders missed the 2014 post season when Tavares got injured in the Olympics and then last year lost in the 1st round to Washington. The series went 7 games and the Islanders failed to score a powerplay goal in the entire series.
In 2016 the Islanders looked better prepared, Tavares has the star power and they won a playoff series for the first time since 1993.
The Panthers showed they will soon be a team that can not only make the post season but will find a way to get past the 1st round.