FI PANTHERS

TORONTO, ONT Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, and the New York Islanders beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to clinch an NHL best-of-five preliminary round playoff series in four games on Friday. Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal had a goal and assist each in a game the Islanders never trailed. The 10th-seeded Panthers wound up one-and-done for their fifth consecutive postseason appearance, and eliminated for the second straight time by the Islanders. New York needed six games to eliminate the Panthers in a best-of-seven first-round series in 2016. Florida hasnt won a playoff series since making its first postseason appearance in 1996, when the team reached the Stanley Cup Final only to be swept by Colorado.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Over the past two-plus decades, Florida Panthers hockey and Thanksgiving have not been an ideal pairing. Panthers fans have rarely had the opportunity to sit around the Thanksgiving table and discuss how good their hockey team is playing. Florida heads into Turkey Day with a solid 12-7-5 record, good for second place in the crowded Atlantic Division; only four points separate the Panthers and sixth place Buffalo. For a few weeks, it looked like Florida's overall defensive play was beginning to really tighten up. "Whether it's in the neutral zone or our rush game, I think we’re giving too much off the rush," Quenneville said.

SUNRISE, Fla. – There was never any doubt that the Florida Panthers were capable of more than what they'd accomplished in recent years. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)It's clear that the Panthers are a team that is still figuring things out. Florida Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau smiles after scoring in overtime against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. UNCHARTED TERRITORYThere is something quite different about this Panthers team. “We’ve had a few good comebacks over the years, but a team this good, doing it consecutive weeks, it’s unheard of.”