from Travis Yost of TSN,

But the Florida Panthers, as it stands today, may be the most dangerous team in the National Hockey League. And for Atlantic Division contenders — including their most likely first-round foe in the Toronto Maple Leafs — they are becoming a major concern.

Outside of Sam Reinhart’s mind-boggling 39 goals (and counting), coverage of the Panthers has been a little light for a team with so much returning pedigree.

Through the weekend action, Florida already has four skaters (the aforementioned Reinhart, as well as forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Alex Barkov) over the 50-point threshold, keying an impressive offence.

But it’s their defensive performance that has garnered my attention. This isn’t the same old all attack, all of the time, team. Florida is second in the league in goals conceded per game (2.5), with Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz both outperforming behind an improved defensive structure.

The Panthers are starting to tilt the ice in these games in stunning fashion. Florida’s goal differentials (both real and expected) have been going vertical for months, and they compare extremely favourably to their Atlantic Division counterparts:

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