For only the 5th time in the Florida Panthers' 23 year history, the playoffs are a reality.
Obviously that is nothing to brag about, but it is rarefied air nonetheless. Most fans were not believing it until it was official, or assumed it would come down to the very last game of the regular season to get into the dance.
For maybe the first time Panther fans have reason for hope not just this year, but for many years to come.
When GM Dale Tallon went on a historic spending spree in the summer of 2011 to give this franchise a makeover like no other, the results were amazing.
Florida won it's first ever division title, and were one goal away in double overtime in Game 7 against New Jersey away from advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs.
But everyone knew that was a patch.
The organization from top to bottom was in shambles from a decade of mismanagement and horrible draft picks.
Tallon said he had a 5-year Blueprint to turn this franchise around. 5 years later, it has arrived.
No longer do fans of this beleaguered franchise have to wonder if success is sustainable moving forward.
Young stars like Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad, Vincent Trocheck, Reilly Smith, etc. are producing incredibly well yet years from their primes with Lawson Crouse, Kyle Rau, Dryden Hunt, and Jayce Hawryluk likely becoming full-time soon.
Aaron Ekblad, Erik Gudbranson, Dmitry Kulikov, and Alex Petrovic are showing they will continue to be the blue line of the future, with Mike Matheson and others on the way.
Kulikov and Smith are the old men of this group...at 25 YEARS OLD.
For the first time, the Panthers are loaded now and indefinitely.
Do they have the experience to do substantial damage in their year's playoffs? We shall see.
But the transformation this team and organization has undergone since Tallon's arrival and owners Vinny Viola and Doug Cifu is astounding.
The Panthers have been long known as the place where older players or those that don't care come to finish out their careers. When Tallon arrived he said the Cats would no longer be easy to play against. Slowly but surely that has become true.
The young talent he has drafted or traded for is only part of the story. Add the savvy and ballsy acquisitions of Roberto Luongo, Jaromir Jagr, Jiri Hudler, and Teddy Purcell and you have a team that is beautifully balanced between hungry youngsters and older players that know time is ticking on their careers.
For the most part the culture in the Panther locker room has been harmonious. If issues popped up Tallon shipped them out of town or didn't consider re-signing them. That kind of friendship and camaraderie shows on and off the ice, and this team is one South Florida is falling in love with.
In the coming weeks North America is once again going to be proven wrong about the numbers and quality of the Florida Panthers fan base. It's been a long time coming. But if any fanbase deserves this it is this one. For all the problems the franchise and people that care about it have endured it is time to be paid back.
That time is now.
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