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New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers: 5 Players To Watch For

By Kenneth Teape

Nov 27, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (1) makes a save against New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) as defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) looks on in the first period at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (1) makes a save against New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) as defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) looks on in the first period at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers will get their Round 1 Series of the NHL Playoffs started tonight. Check out our slideshow of five players to watch in the series.

New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers: 5 Players To Watch For
Nov 27, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (1) makes a save against New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) as defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) looks on in the first period at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Islanders and Florida Panthers will be facing off in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs, and will get things started tonight. The puck will drop for Game 1 8:00 PM ET at BB&T Center, home of the Panthers.

The Islanders and Panthers faced off three times during the regular season, with the Panthers getting the upper hand. They won the season series 2-1, with the first victory for the Panthers coming in a shootout. The Islanders were able to win the last game of the season series 3-2, but were outscored by the Panthers 9-6 in the regular season.

The Panthers will be entering the series on a high note, as they have won seven of their last nine games. The Islanders were on a stretch of winning seven out of nine games as well, but ended the season on a low note losing the final two games of their regular season. Some people would say it was for good reason, as they avoided the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Panthers present their own problems for the Islanders as well.

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This will be the first time that the Islanders and Panthers face off in a playoff series. It is the second consecutive season that the Islanders qualified for the postseason, and third time in last four seasons. This will be the first time the Panthers take part in a playoff game since the 2011-12 season when they lost in the first round to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

Both teams are facing lengthy droughts for playoff series wins, as the Islanders haven’t advanced past the first round since the 1992-1993 season, while the Panthers haven’t advanced since the 1995-96 season. Something will have to give this year, as one team has to advance.

Which team will it be? We will have to tune in to find out. One thing for sure is that these players will have a hand in the final outcome. Check out our slideshow for the five players to watch for throughout the first round series between the Islanders and Panthers.

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