from Jameson Olive of FloridaPanthers.com,

The Panthers haven't had a start like this in, well, ever.

By coming from behind to defeat the Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime at PNC Arena on Wednesday night, the Cats secured their best record through the first 14 games of the season in franchise history, improving to 10-2-2 and sinking their claws right into first place in the Central Division.

"The one thing we did try to stress going into the season is that we need a big start," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said after Thursday's practice in Detroit. "That's a good start. I think the standard has been enhanced based on play. I think expectations internally should be in the right place to push us further as well. Let's keep trying to strive for better and push one another."

As the Panthers continue to topple one opponent after another, those outside of South Florida are also beginning to take notice. Jonathan Huberdeau's eye-popping assist in Carolina led off last night's SportsCenter, while the team also climbed to sixth in the NHL's latest "Super 16" list.

But what's been the key to this sudden resurgence? Well, it's not just one thing that's made the difference. With new general manager Bill Zito overhauling both the team's roster and culture in the offseason, there's a multitude of players and statistics that are deserving of praise right now.

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