The last time the Florida Panthers qualified for the postseason, Pavel Bure was the best goal-scorer in the league, Alex Rodriguez was still clean and pure, Sidney Crosby was 12 years old, and Britney Spears' Baby One More Time was a No. 1 album. What a strange time that was. I bet gas only cost a buck, too. Needless to say, it's been a long time since the Panthers and playoff hockey were mentioned in the same sentence. Despite this, Florida management is evidently quite confident in its ability to break a nine-year playoff drought, and it's even willing to put its money where its mouth is.
