Jagr set to head to postseason for the 18th time

Jaromir Jagr sat at his locker at the Clark Gillies JerseyFlorida Panthers training facility for a few seconds in silence, processing his answer. The question was about how often does he think about the Stanley Cup when he's putting himself through his workout regimen, if hockey's biggest prize is always in mind.

Finally, he spoke.

''I don't,'' Jagr said. ''When I work, I'm doing it for the next day.''

It might seem like a simple approach, but it's one that obviously works for Jagr. The Panthers' http://www.officialislandersstore.com/Womens_Youth_Denis_Potvin_Jerseyleading scorer this season is 44 years old, has gray in his beard, enjoys late-night skating sessions by himself, invents locker-room workouts that teammates participate in even though they don't fully understand why, and has been known to consume about a gallon of coffee per day.

Here's the results so far from his only full season in Florida: A franchise-record 12-game winning streak, a franchise-record 47 wins, a franchise-record 103 points. And now he's going to the playoffs for the 18th time, that journey starting Thursday night when the Panthers play host to the New York Islanders in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

''We worked all year for it, http://www.officialislandersstore.com/Womens_Youth_Frans_Nielsen_Jerseyto finally get the playoffs here,'' Jagr said. ''Now we have a chance to finally do something.''

It's a neat storyline, Jagr facing the Islanders again in the playoffs. They've met once before, the Islanders upsetting Jagr's Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games and denying them a chance at what could have been a third consecutive Stanley Cup.

That was 23 years ago. The Islanders Bryan Little Jerseyhaven't won a series since.

Jagr wouldn't mind keeping it that way for at least another year.

''He's been in the league so many years, such a veteran, played so many games, I think he's going to approach it no different than any regular season game,'' Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad said. ''Obviously, the mindset is kind of do-or-die in the playoffs. But he's that experienced, that mentally tough, he'll do his thing. I think he's going to be a big help to us younger guys on how to approach it, how to handle it.''

Bjugstad stands http://www.officialjetsonlinestore.com/Womens_Youth_Dale_Hawerchuk_Jersey6-foot-6, three inches taller than Jagr. When Jagr came to the Panthers, Bjugstad decided it would be a good idea to try to learn as much as possible, including how to flourish as a bigger forward in the game.

He had no idea what sort of lessons were coming.