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The Florida Panthers were supposed to be serious playoff contenders this season http://www.officialcanucks.com/authentic-adidas-bo-horvat-jersey , and the New York Islanders, well, weren’t.But through roughly the first-eighth of this season, the opposite seemed true.The Islanders, who visit the Panthers on Saturday night at the BB&T Center, entered the weekend atop the Metropolitan Division with 18 points and an 8-5-2 record.Article continues below ...New York hasn’t seemed bothered by what many hockey writers predicted would be a catastrophe for the franchise — superstar center John Tavares’ decision to bolt to the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent.“We know we can play with anyone,” Islanders center Mathew Barzal said of his team sans Tavares. “We know we can beat anyone.”Meanwhile, the Panthers, who finished just one point short of the playoffs last season and then traded for winger Mike Hoffman — who has averaged better than 25 goals in each of the past four seasons — entered the weekend tied for last in the NHL with 11 points.But it appears Florida’s fortunes are changing. Goalie Roberto Luongo, a sure-fire Hall of Famer Youth Brandon Sutter Jersey , injured his right knee in the season opener. Ever since he got back, the Panthers are undefeated at 2-0-0.“It’s good to get on a roll,” said Luongo, who has a stellar 1.19 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage in three games this season. “We’ve got to keep pushing hard.”Assuming Luongo gets the start Saturday, he will be facing an Islanders team that has lost two straight games, allowing eight goals during that span.Winger Evgenii Dadonov leads the Panthers this season in goals (seven) and points (14). Hoffman is tied for third on the team with 11 points, and he also has a career-best 10-game points streak.In 25 years of Panthers history, only three other players have had points streaks of that duration – Pavel Bure, Olli Jokinen and Jussi Jokinen.“I guess it’s good,” Hoffman modestly said of his streak. “You’ve got to get a couple of lucky breaks to have a streak like that Brendan Leipsic Jersey Kids , but I’m just trying to help the team win as many games as possible.”Hoffman leads Florida in power-play goals (three) and power-play shots (43). He has led a Panthers power play that has recovered since starting the season with no goals in 13 tries.In their last five games, Florida has gone 7 of 23 on its power play.As for the Islanders, they are led in scoring in points by Josh Bailey (17) and in goals by Brock Nelson (seven).In goal, the Islanders have Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner. Greiss is 4-2-1 with a 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage. Lehner is 4-3-1 with a 2.53 GAA and a .924 save percentage.One issue for the Islanders is that left winger Matt Martin, who has three goals in 11 games this season, has an upper-body injury. If he can’t play against the Panthers, that would be the fourth straight game he has missed.Florida is relatively healthy, especially now that Luongo is back. Most of the Panthers’ current injuries are to players who are bottom-six forwards or Mark Pysyk, who is one of their bottom-three defensemen. In other words, Florida’s injuries are manageable now that Luongo has returned. As an expansion team http://www.officialcanucks.com/authentic-adidas-brock-boeser-jersey , the Vegas Golden Knights have defied all sorts of odds.Long shots to even make the playoffs seven months ago, they are a favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. Behind the stellar play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the Golden Knights completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Kings to move into the second round against San Jose.That puts the Golden Knights in some rare company as they became the first expansion team in NHL history to sweep a series in their inaugural season . The Pittsburgh Penguins recorded a sweep in their first playoffs appearance in 1970, which was their third season in the NHL. Not to be overlooked are the St. Louis Blues, who made three straight Stanley Cup finals beginning in 1967-68 after the league expanded and threw all the new teams into the same division. The Florida Panthers also had early success, going to the 1996 Finals three years after entering the league.”We’re just trying to be as good as we can be,” Vegas general manager George McPhee said. ”No one knows what exactly is going to happen. We think we’re a pretty good club, but we’ll keep trying to do what we’re doing and see where it takes us.”After a few days off, the crew gets back to work with the Sharks looming.Asked if the down time was good for his squad, McPhee responded: ”This is not like the bye week where they have five days off and they’re not skating or they’re not training. We’re not going to Mexico.”A look at a few of the expansion/charter teams that found success early:CAROLINA PANTHERS & JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSCarolina went 7-9 in its inaugural season in 1995 with Kerry Collins leading the way. The Panthers made it to the NFC championship game one season later Christopher Tanev Jersey , losing 30-13 to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Jacksonville followed a similar path. The Jaguars went 4-12 in `95 and then caught fire and made it to the AFC championship game the next season behind QB Mark Brunell, before a 20-6 loss to New England.MILWAUKEE BUCKSOK, their first season wasn’t all that dazzling at 27-55 in 1968-69. But then the Bucks drafted a center named Lew Alcindor – now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – with the No. 1 pick. In 1970-71, the Bucks captured an NBA title by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets. Oscar Robertson wasn’t too bad for Milwaukee, either.ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKSStarting in 1998, the Diamondbacks got off to a 65-97 mark. Three seasons later, with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling leading the rotation, they were World Series champions. Arizona beat the New York Yankees in Game 7, with Luis Gonzalez bringing home the winning run with a single off closer Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning.D.C. UNITEDThe Major League Soccer team was the best of the best in the charter league. The squad captured three of the first four MLS Cups – 1996, ’97 and ’98. Their first coach was Bruce Arena.PHILADELPHIA/BALTIMORE STARSDonald J. Trump owned the New Jersey Generals in the fledgling USFL Authentic Daniel Sedin Jersey , which ran from 1983-85, but the Stars ruled. The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars reached the championship game all three years, winning the title twice. They lost to the Michigan Panthers in the 1983 championship game, then beat the Arizona Wranglers to cap the 1983-84 season. After relocating to Baltimore, the Stars beat the Oakland Invaders for their second straight title in the league’s last hurrah. The team was coached by Jim Mora and their quarterback was Chuck Fusina, the former Penn State standout who finished runner-up to Oklahoma’s Billy Sims in the 1978 Heisman race.—AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed.—