Florida - The Florida Panthers raced out of the gates and promptly won 5 out of 8 points available in their first four games. They established an early lead in the tight Southeast Division.
The Southeast promises to be a competitive division this season thanks to the great rebuilding jobs done in Florida, Atlanta and Washington.
The Panthers won their season opener in Buffalo on the strength of two Kyle Calder goals, the winner in OT. The next night a sellout crowd cheered loudly as the Southern Cats skated to a 2-2 tie with Chicago. Justin Williams was the hero scoring both Panthers goals.
Florida traveled to Tampa Bay to tangle with their State brothers and received three goals from the defense on their way to a 4-2 road win over a key divisional rival. Jason York scored the game winner and Ed Jovanovski notched his first for the Cats since he was signed in Free Agency.
The Panthers fourth game was against Dallas in Florida with another sellout crowd announced. They lost the game 2-1 but the fans got to witness the first NsHL goal from rookie sensation Evgeni Malkin.
Notebook:
Williams leads the Panthers in most offensive categories. Ivan Majesky has started very well, no doubt enjoying his time paired with Sergei Zubov. Majesky has three points, ten hits, ten shots and a plus2 rating.
Patrick Lalime has played well in goal, posting a record of 1-1-1 in three games. Lalime has a tidy 1.60 average and .940 save percentage. Manny Fernandez won his only start making 18 saves in Tampa.
Next Game:
The Cats head to the swamps of Jersey for a monday night tilt against the Devils. Tuesday night the team plays Edmonton at home.
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