What’s the Furthest the Florida Panthers Have Ever Gone in the NHL Playoffs?

May 29, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

The Florida Panthers are once again making a deep run in the NHL playoffs in 2024, continuing the franchise’s chase for its first Stanley Cup title.

Florida was established as an NHL expansion franchise in 1993 and made its first playoff appearance in ’96. Over 30 seasons, the Panthers have made 10 playoff appearances—including their current streak of five straight seasons—and have won nine postseason series as they battle the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Panthers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in two of those 10 playoff appearances in 1996 and 2023, coming up just short of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup both times. Here’s a look back at the Panthers’ two runs to the Stanley Cup Final:

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Avalanche 3, Panthers 1
Game 2	Avalanche 8, Panthers 1
Game 3	Avalanche 3, Panthers 2
Game 4	Avalanche 1, Panthers 0

The 1995–96 Panthers made the most of their first playoff appearance in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in five games, the Philadelphia Flyers in six and the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven for a chance to play on hockey’s biggest stage.

The 1996 Stanley Cup Final featured a matchup between two franchises attempting to win their first league title, as the Colorado Avalanche battled through the Western Conference bracket. The 1995–96 campaign was the Avalanche’s first in Colorado, as the franchise formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver after the 1994–95 season.

The series was all Colorado from the start. Goaltender Patrick Roy stopped 147 of the 151 shots he faced, and Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic tallied five points apiece as the Avalanche swept Florida in four games.

The Panthers wouldn’t make another appearance in the Stanley Cup Final until nearly 30 years later in 2023.

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Golden Knights 5, Panthers 2
Game 2	Golden Knights 7, Panthers 2
Game 3	Panthers 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4	Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
Game 5	Golden Knights 9, Panthers 3

The Panthers’ run through the 2023 playoffs was quite a roller coaster. As the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Florida found itself trailing the Boston Bruins 3–1 in the opening round but battled back to win the last three games of the series 4–3, 7–5 and 4–3 to advance. Florida defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

Florida’s momentum stopped against Vegas, however. Golden Knights forward Mark Stone scored a series-high five goals and Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP after tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) in the Stanley Cup Final.

After making the playoffs for three straight years from 2019 to ’22 and winning the Presidents’ Trophy in the 2021–22 campaign, the Panthers reconstructed their roster and traded top scorer Jonathan Huberdeau and three other assets to the Ottawa Senators for Matthew Tkachuk. The gamble paid off, as Tkachuk led them back to the Stanley Cup Final, but a championship still proved to be illusive for the franchise that calls Sunrise, Fla., home.

11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Every Seven-Game Stanley Cup Final Series in History

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is one of the most exhilarating scenes in sports, and NHL fans will certainly be hoping to see the championship clash between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers go the distance this year.

Throughout Stanley Cup Playoff history, seven-game series have been a fairly regular occurrence. Since 1939, when the NHL adopted the best-of-seven format, there have been 196 game sevens. Included in that tally is 17 in the Stanley Cup Final, and seven since the turn of the century.

We'll take a look at each of the 17 seven-game series in Stanley Cup Final history:

YEAR	MATCHUP
1942	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 3–1
1945	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 2–1
1950	Detroit Red Wings def. New York Rangers, 4–3 (2OT)
1954	Detroit Red Wings def. Montreal Canadiens, 2–1 (OT)
1955	Detroit Red Wings def. Montreal Canadiens, 3–1
1964	Toronto Maple Leafs def. Detroit Red Wings, 4–0
1965	Montreal Canadiens def. Chicago Black Hawks, 4–0
1971	Montreal Canadiens def. Chicago Black Hawks, 3–2
1987	Edmonton Oilers def. Philadelphia Flyers, 3–1
1994	New York Rangers def. Vancouver Canucks, 3–2
2001	Colorado Avalanche def. New Jersey Devils, 3–1
2003	New Jersey Devils def. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 3–0
2004	Tampa Bay Lightning def. Calgary Flames, 2–1
2006	Carolina Hurricanes def. Edmonton Oilers, 3–1
2009	Pittsburgh Penguins def. Detroit Red Wings, 2–1
2011	Boston Bruins def. Vancouver Canucks, 4–0
2019	St. Louis Blues def. Boston Bruins, 4–1

The last time the Stanley Cup Final went the distance was in 2019, when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 7, 4–1, courtesy of goals from Alex Pietrangelo, Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn and Zach Sanford.

Of the 17 winner-take-all games since 1939 in the Stanley Cup Final, only twice has the game-winning goal occurred in overtime. Both of the two overtime goals were scored by the Detroit Red Wings, in 1950 and '54, respectively. The Red Wings were involved in each of the first six Game 7s under the current format of the Stanley Cup Final, winning three of them.

5 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Stanley Cup Final Ticket Prices: Cheapest and Most Expensive Tickets

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final is ready for the puck drop, as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will battle in the best-of-seven series to decide who will hoist the most important trophy in hockey.

The Panthers cruised through the Eastern Conference bracket, defeating the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Boston Bruins in six and the New York Rangers in six to punch a ticket to their second straight Stanley Cup Final appearance and third in franchise history. Florida is led by 35-year-old goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has allowed just 2.20 goals per contest across 17 games this postseason.

The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games, the Vancouver Canucks in seven and the Dallas Stars in six to make their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. Connor McDavid, the six-time NHL All-Star, five-time Art Ross Trophy winner and three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner, is chasing the one piece of hardware that has alluded him his entire nine-year career—Lord Stanley's Cup.

It's shaping up to be a memorable Stanley Cup Final. So, what's the ticket price to get in the door? Here's a breakdown for each game (ticket prices as of June 5):

Most expensive tickets

If you're looking to buy a ticket to Saturday’s Game 1 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., and have some cheddar to spend, look no further than the second row in Section Club 29. Tickets there are going for $8,642 apiece before fees. Otherwise, most tickets in the lower bowl will cost anywhere between $1,500 and $4,200.

Cheapest tickets

The Panthers have won just one home game in the Stanley Cup Final in the club's 30-year history. They were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in four games in 1996 and won Game 3 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights before losing the series.

If you're looking for the cheapest ticket in the door to witness a chance at history, it'll cost you at least $445 to do so. Those "cheap" seats are located in the upper deck, the 15th row in sections 326 and 310—both of which sit behind each goal.

Most expensive tickets

The Panthers will be looking to either extend their series lead to 2–0 or head to Edmonton with a split series with a win in Game 2 on Monday. The most expensive ticket into the arena June 10 is $6,638 before fees, which will land you in the first row of Section Club 3, located in the club level parallel with the net the Panthers will occupy twice in the game.

Cheapest tickets

The cheapest way to get into Amerant Bank Arena for Game 2 is, once again, $445 before fees. Those tickets will seat you in the 10th row of Section 308, which overlooks one of the nets from an angle in the upper deck.

The least expensive ticket in the lower bowl currently is going for $617—in the 27th row of Section 109.

Most expensive tickets

Both teams will take the eight-plus hour flight from South Florida to Edmonton for Game 3, which is set to begin June 13 at 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place.

The most expensive ticket listed on Ticketmaster is currently priced at $11,595 in Canadian dollars, or $8,466 in U.S. dollars. Those seats are in the third row of Section 103, right behind the Oilers' bench. Fans sitting there will have a decent chance of being pictured on television behind an elated—or grumpy—Edmonton bench depending on how the game unfolds.

Cheapest tickets

If you thought the $445 from the first two games in Florida was too much to see the Stanley Cup Final in person, we have some bad news. The cheapest ticket for Game 3 is currently going for $1,271.36 in Canadian dollars, or $928 in U.S. dollars. Those seats are located in the eighth row of Section 208, in the upper deck behind the net that the Oilers will attack twice in the game.

Most expensive tickets

The country of Canada is currently in a 31-year drought without one of its teams bringing the Stanley Cup home. The last team to do it was the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Kings in five games in 1993. The Canucks (1994, 2011), Flames (2004), Oilers (2006), Senators (2007) and Canadiens (2021) all have fallen just short of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup since then.

If the Oilers claim the first three games of the series, they can end Canada's drought and claim the Stanley Cup in Game 4 at home on June 15.

Fans in attendance will pay for the chance to witness history, too. Per Stubhub, the most expensive tickets for Game 4 are listed at $18,441 apiece in Section 127. Fans sitting there will get a great view behind the net that the Panthers will shoot at in two of the game's three periods.

Cheapest tickets

Ticket pricing is subject to change based on how the first three games of the series unfold, but as of June 5, hockey fans can buy their way into Rogers Place for $960. Those seats are in the seventh row of Section 215, located in the upper deck over the net that the Oilers will shoot at twice.

9 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Gets Panthers Fans Hyped for Game 1 As Only He Could

Wearing a white Florida Panthers jersey, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made a special appearance at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

McDaniel led the Panthers' pregame festivities by banging the drum and encouraging the sellout crowd to chant "Let's go Panthers!" ahead of the puck drop. It went about as you'd expect.

Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel bangs the drum for the Florida Panthers ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. 🏈🏒🥁 pic.twitter.com/GFzh4TjopK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024

CHECK YOUR PULSE IF YOU’RE NOT FIRED UP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XAbgxwRQjk
— Bally Sports Florida: Panthers (@BallyPanthers) June 9, 2024

McDaniel's pregame efforts appeared to pay off, as the Panthers scored first on a goal by center Carter Verhaeghe just four minutes into the game. They scored again two minutes into the second period for a 2–0 lead when center Evan Rodrigues lit the lamp for his fourth goal of this year's Stanley Cup playoffs.

Game 1 wasn't McDaniel's first time banging the drum at Amerant Bank Arena. He also did it last May before the Panthers' Game 4 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final—which they won 4–3 to advance to the 2023 Stanley Cup final.

McDaniel will be able to enjoy the rest of the Panthers' Stanley Cup run, as his Dolphins wrapped up organized team activities and mandatory minicamp last week.

US Sports News

What’s the Furthest the Florida Panthers Have Ever Gone in the NHL Playoffs?

Related Posts

Jimm Sallivan