Florida Panthers and Most Surprising NHL Teams so Far in 2011

Currently ranked first in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers have shocked NHL fans everywhere with their outstanding play early this season. 

They're not the only team that has turned some heads. A handful of clubs that were expected to miss the playoffs are sitting near the top of the league standings a quarter of the way into the season, while a few teams that are considered by most to be contenders for the Stanley Cup are struggling to win games. 

Here are seven teams that have surprised us so far this year, for good or bad. 

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have a record of 13-7-3, good enough for second in the Western Conference and fourth in the entire league. 

Despite their relative lack of scoring (54 goals in 23 games played), the Wild have benefited from strong defensive play and outstanding goaltending from veteran Niklas Backstrom, whose 2.17 goals-against average and .929 save percentage solidifies him as one of this young season's top goalies. 

The Wild were expected to be a middle-of-the-pack club that would be lucky to secure the eighth seed in the West. Now, they're among the top clubs in the NHL. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ranked second in the Eastern Conference and third in the NHL with a record of 14-8-2, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been a great road team this season and boast one of the league's most lethal offenses. 

Toronto has amassed a whopping 79 goals in just 24 games, tying them with the Chicago Blackhawks for most goals scored. This high level of offensive production has helped cover up a shaky defense and an inexperienced goalie tandem. 

Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf have seemingly returned to elite form, with Kessel leading the league in both goals (15) and points (31). Winger Joffrey Lupul has also been a key contributor, with 29 points. 

The Leafs have struggled to win in recent years and have yet to make the playoffs under the reign of Brian Burke. It looks like that'll change this season. 

Anaheim Ducks

On paper, the Anaheim Ducks are arguably a top five team in the Western Conference. They have four elite forwards in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and the ageless wonder, Teemu Selanne. They have a balanced defense corps headlined by Lubomir Visnovsky and youngster Cam Fowler, and a solid goaltender in Jonas Hiller.

Despite all of their talent, the Ducks have stumbled out of the gate early this year. Their record of 6-13-4 has them ranked 14th in the West, just one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The key statistic to look at when it comes to analyzing why they're struggling is goals scored. Anaheim has buried only 50 pucks this season, tying them with the Calgary Flames as the second-lowest scoring team in the NHL.

Unless they somehow manage to reignite their offense, it might be a long, miserable year for the Ducks, who were penciled in by many as a playoff team prior to the start of the season.      

Phoenix Coyotes

They haven't taken the league by storm, but the Phoenix Coyotes are putting together a strong season thus far. Their 12-7-3 record is good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. 

The biggest surprise in Phoenix has been the play of recently signed netminder Mike Smith, who has won 11 of the 18 games he has suited up for. Smith has a 2.19 goals-against average and the sixth-best save percentage in the league at .933. 

The Coyotes could easily slip out of the playoff picture as the distance between sixth and 10th in the conference is just one point, but for now they are one of the NHL's pleasant surprises. 

Washington Capitals

Riddled with elite talent and regarded as one of the NHL's premier clubs, the Washington Capitals have had a lackluster start to the 2011-12 season. They have a record of 12-9-1 through 22 games, which isn't terrible, but they're well behind the other top dogs in the Eastern Conference. 

With 70 goals scored, the Capitals aren't having any trouble producing offense. Their woes are on the defensive side of the puck, where they have allowed 73 goals. 

Washington has also played very poorly on the road, with an away record of 4-7-0.

In their last 10 games, the Capitals are 3-6-1 and are coming off a two-game losing streak. Perhaps the firing of Bruce Boudreau and the hiring of Dale Hunter will give the team the boost they need. If it doesn't, we may see some major shakeups in Washington by season's end.  

New York Islanders

They have been one of the worst teams in the league in recent years, but the New York Islanders seem to be approaching the end of their long rebuild and, at the start of the season, looked poised to push for a playoff spot. 

Looks can be deceiving, though. Despite a deep and talented group of forwards, the return of top rearguard Mark Streit and the addition of a skilled veteran netminder in Evgeni Nabokov, the Islanders are in last place in the Eastern Conference with an abysmal record of 6-11-4. 

They have amassed just 41 goals this season, making them the lowest-scoring team in the NHL. They also have a league-worst minus-27 goal differential. 

Most hockey fans expected to see the Islanders return to the playoffs. Instead, we might see them picking in the top five of next summer's entry draft. 

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers underwent a serious overhaul this offseason, bringing in Brian Campbell and Kris Versteeg via trade and several other impact players through free agency. 

The result? A 12-7-4 record, good enough for third in the Eastern Conference behind only the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The Panthers have played particularly well over their last 10 games, a period in which they boast a record of 6-3-1. They have benefited from contributions from Versteeg, who leads the team in points with 26, and Stephen Weiss, who has 22 points thus far.

Florida has played terrific hockey early this season and looks ready to make a playoff appearance for the first time since 2000. Who saw that coming?

Sam Kelly is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @samkelly10.