Panthers Vs. Bruins: Jose Theodore’s Shutout Moves Panthers Past Bruins In Standings

The Boston Bruins have been on quite a roll this season. After starting 3-7-0, Boston did not lose a game in regulation during the month of November,

Yet, they lost their second 60-minute game Thursday because of No. 60 - Jose Theodore. Theodore's 40-save shutout lifted the Florida Panthers to a 2-0 win over the Bruins and past them in the Eastern Conference standings.

Florida was the busiest team this offseason, bringing in about a dozen new players ranging from proven scorers (Tomas Fleischmann, Kris Versteeg) to battle-tested veterans (Ed Jovanovski, Brian Campbell). Unlike the collection of players that the NBA's Miami Heat assembled last year, the Panthers seemed nothing like a "dream team." Instead, they simply looked like a mess of players with large contracts being thrown together.

Fortunately for the Panthers, they have found chemistry. Five players have already eclipsed the 20-point mark this season and Theodore is having a career resurrection one year after being relegated as a back-up with the Minnesota Wild.

Florida holds a seven-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the Southeast Division and are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers. The Panthers have not made the playoffs in a league-high 10 years. That looks to be changing if things continue to improve in Sunrise.