NHL Playoffs 2012: 10-Plus Key Players in the Devils-Panthers Series

Here are 10 key players to look at, five from each side, in the upcoming Eastern Conference first-round NHL series between the third-seeded Florida Panthers and the sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils. It's the first time the Panthers have made the Stanley Cup playoffs in 12 years, while the Devils are returning to the postseason after a one-year hiatus and ended the regular season with six straight wins.

New Jersey Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk led the Devils with 37 goals and 83 points, and will undoubtedly be their go-to guy on offense. He's only skated in nine playoff games in his career, with just one victory, and will undoubtedly be looking to change that, starting with the Panthers.

He has the size, skill, speed and shot to be a true game-breaker, and when he winds up in the neutral zone and charges the blueline, he tends to make defenders nervous.

If Kovalchuk is the Devils' game-breaker, Zach Parise is New Jersey's heart and soul.

He finished third in team scoring this season with 69 points after being limited to just 13 contests a year ago due to a damaged knee. He has world-class skill and hands, but what sets him apart is his tenacity. He works as hard as any star out there, and is willing to go to the high-traffic areas in the offensive zone to produce goals.

Patrik Elias is the Devils' "old" reliable, and was second in team scoring with 72 points. He has a great shooting arsenal and knows where to get to on the ice to utilize it, but he's not very flashy in going about his business. Florida will be keeping a close watch on him.

Andy Greene may not seem to be a key skater for this series, but he's the best among the Devils' defenders at jumping up into the play and trying to create offense from the blue line. He was held to less than 20 points this season, but also missed more than 20 games with a fractured foot before returning to the lineup last month.

As Martin Brodeur goes in goal, so will the Devils.

This could be the last postseason hurrah for the future Hall of Famer, who has seemed rejuvenated at some times this season and a step behind at others. He still posted another 30-win campaign, and if he's on this series, he could give the Panthers fits.

ALSO LOOK FOR: Devils forward Petr Sykora, whose best NHL days were thought to be behind him. He was signed as a free agent and notched 21 goals this season. David Clarkson hit 30 goals for the first time in his career, and will be looked to for more physical play and points in the playoffs.

Florida Panthers 

Florida's top scorer this season was Tomas Fleischmann, with 27 goals and 61 points, and he will be the one to jump-start the Panthers' attack. The Devils will look to contain him.

Kris Versteeg helped the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in almost half a century two springs ago, and this year was second on Florida's squad with 23 goals, including a career-high eight tallies on the power play. He could be dangerous on the man advantage in a short series.

Stephen Weiss was third on the Panthers with 20 goals and second with 57 points, and, like Parise, will go to the dirty areas of the ice to get the job done. Look for the former first-round draft choice and career Panther to be a thorn in the Devils' side, although he hasn't been in a playoff situation himself since 2004-05 with Chicago (AHL).

Brian Campbell only scored four goals this season, but set up 49 from the point. The Devils can't let the former Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks pass the puck around freely, either on the power play or looking to spring a teammate for a breakaway.

Although he wasn't the starter for most of this season, former New Jersey netminder Scott Clemmensen was 14-6-6 in 30 outings for the Panthers. More importantly, he's 4-0 lifetime against his old NHL club, including a 3-1 win in Newark in their last meeting in February. He just might get the nod in net at some point in this series over Jose Theodore, if not its very start.

ALSO LOOK FOR: Panthers forward Mikael Samuelsson has been here before. He helped Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Final last year, notching eight goals and 15 points in 12 games, and also helped Detroit to the final in both 2008 and 2009. Florida forward John Madden won two Stanley Cups with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003, and added a third ring with Chicago in 2010.