Puck Drops Thursday For Florida Panthers Home Opener

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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) — The Florida Panthers open their home schedule Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.

Last season, the Florida Panthers came as close to making the playoffs as a team could. But they ended up on the outside looking in.

The team has won three playoff series in their third season of existence — 1995-96. They've won zero series since, missing the playoffs entirely in 17 of the 21 seasons that followed their lone run to the Stanley Cup final.

They'd nothing more than to change the narrative and make the playoffs this year.

It's been five days since their regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game Florida lost in a shootout after holding the top scoring team in the league last season to just one goal.

The Panthers are one of four NHL teams to have played in just one game so far this season along with the Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers.

The puck drops on Thursday's game at 7pm.