Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena — Courtesy: Shutterstock — YES Market Media
The Florida Panthers are a rare breed, just like their eponymous mascot.
The Panthers are tough and aggressive. Quick and proficient. Possibly in the same game—as likely to outhit an opponent as to outscore them.
Florida has a tendency to excel in all areas. Top-tier players with a killer instinct are on both sides of the puck for this team. The Panthers have distinguished themselves from the pack over the last 12 months thanks to this excellent mix. However, Florida wasn’t always so certain.
The Panthers were considered a warm-weather curiosity in certain years. But Florida changed the story over time and developed into a club with tremendous promise.
However, something was still lacking: the essential components needed to transform the Panthers from one-time playoff runners-up to enduring Stanley Cup contenders.
It was not an overnight thing. The adjustments were thoughtful and planned. And what they produced is the Florida hitters that we see today, enmeshed in their second straight Eastern Conference finals match and hoping to return to the Cup Finals—that is, if they can defeat the New York Rangers, who are now leading their best-of-seven series, 2-1.
After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins in five and six games, respectively, this is the first time Florida has fallen behind in a postseason series this spring. They also had a distinct rhythm during those matches that was skillful, fluid, and maddening.
Florida can’t be rattled. The Bad Boy Panthers are at their best like that.
It has functioned thus far. Channeling that same intensity will probably be the key to Florida’s victory in its matchup with the Rangers.
Stanley Cup winners don’t just happen overnight. This Panthers team wasn’t either.
Florida was executing the most painful handshake line in the history of the team in late May 2022.
With a 122-point regular season record, the Panthers were the team with the greatest regular-season record and were awarded the Presidents’ Trophy. They were expected to contend for the Cup. Rather, the Tampa Bay Lightning, their in-state rival and recent two-time Cup champion, had swept them out of a second-round series.
Florida took a serious hit from that conclusion. With a roster full of skilled skaters, including Jonathan Huberdeau, who led the team with 115 points in the 2021–22 regular season, the Panthers were expected to go to the next level. Huberdeau, however, was incredibly quiet during the playoffs, managing just one goal and five points in ten games, along with just two assists against the Lightning.
Florida appeared to be in a state of disarray. The Panthers had been successful in the regular season, but they hadn’t gone past the second round of a playoff series since their defeat in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. Heck, since that loss, the Panthers had only appeared in six postseason games overall.
Florida required a change. Something earthquake accompanied it.
Nearly two months had passed since Florida’s playoff defeat when it was late July of 2022. The Panthers had previously hired veteran bench boss Paul Maurice in place of interim head coach Andrew Brunette. Something was changing.
Then, the shocking article appeared: Florida had dealt Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to Calgary in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk, who had also signed an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million a season.
Although unexpected, the Panthers’ decision to let go of Huberdeau was very intriguing. After the most prolific season of his career, it’s rare for a team to move its silky-smooth top scorer, and even less frequent for them to want a “pest” like Tkachuk in return.
Tkachuk was a fiery playmaker for the Flames, but he was also coming off a career-best season in which he scored 42 goals and totaled 102 points. With the trade, Florida indicated that it was prepared for a makeover and began the process of developing a brand that, once established and supported, could take the Panthers to new heights not seen in 25 years.
There’s a commendable quality to Florida’s style of play. Something unique.
James van Riemsdyk, a forward for the Boston Bruins, witnessed it firsthand during the team’s second-round playoff series loss to the Panthers, who eliminated Boston for the second consecutive season. With more skill, sass, and snarl than the Bruins, Florida was able to outplay them. While acknowledging the harsh reality and appreciating the Panthers’ valiant effort, van Riemsdyk felt that the gut blow proved to be devastating for Boston’s postseason ambitions.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
