Florida Panthers Become the 1st to Clinch; Can They Finally Win a Series?

We finally have a playoff clinch in the 2021-22 NHL season. The Florida Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-3, behind a pair of goals from Anthony Duclair, and a late power play goal by Mackenzie Weeger that sealed the game. With the win, the Panthers became the first team to clinch a spot in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, locking in their third straight playoff appearance, but only their eighth in the team's history. We know the story; the Florida Panthers debuted in the 1993-94 season, the same year as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and the same year that the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas. Their third season was their most successful one, as they went 41-31-10 and reached the playoffs for the very first time--a run that saw them go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, where they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

It has been downhill ever since. Entering this season, the Panthers only made the playoffs six times since their magical run to the Cup Final. They never advanced. Not once. Five first round exits and a Qualifying Round loss in the 2020 "bubble playoffs." The 1996 Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins marks the last time that the Panthers won a playoff series, making them the only team to have a longer playoff series victory drought than the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Panthers are definitely on their way to their best regular season in the team's history. How are they doing it? Goals. Lots of them. The Panthers are the top scoring team in the league; they are the only team scoring four goals per game this season. Despite this, their PP is 10th in the league at 22.8%, but that's still pretty good. The Panthers' penalty kill is middle of the pack at 15th with a percentage of 79.5, but they have scored ten shorthanded goals, which is tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for 2nd in the league--only the Maple Leafs (12) have more.

The players leading the Panthers' high-powered offense are Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, with Huberdeau closing in on 100 points for the year. Huberdeau has 73 assists, which is an NHL record for left-wingers, and he has also added 24 goals of his own. As for Barkov, he is leading the team in goals with 33, and the pair are just two out of six Panthers players with 20+ goals this season. The others: the aforementioned Anthony Duclair (28), Sam Bennett (26), Sam Reinhart (24), and Carter Verhaeghe (21). The closest to that sextet is Aaron Ekblad, whose 15 goals lead Panthers defensemen.

As we know, the big Panthers news was the team winning the Claude Giroux sweepstakes at this year's deadline. For months, it was pretty much figured that Giroux's long tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers would come to an end, as the Flyers were sinking fast. The Panthers and Avalanche were the two heavily rumored teams, but it ended up being Florida who acquired Giroux--who was days removed from celebrating his 1000th game with the Flyers. In the seven games he has played in a Panthers jersey, Giroux racked up seven points--all assists. He is an absolute big acquisition for the Panthers.

The Panthers also have a pretty strong duo in net; in the form of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. Bobrovsky is in his 2nd season with the Panthers after spending several seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his stats so far: 33-6-3, 2.64 GAA, .914 SV%, and three shutouts. Bobrovsky's 33 wins trail only Andrei Vasilevskiy (35) for the league lead. Spencer Knight's numbers have been pretty stellar in a supporting role: 15-8-3, 2.90 GAA, .904 SV%, and one shutout. Neither goaltender is one to be trifled with. 2.90 is also the team's overall GAA, which is tied for 12th in the league. A bit high, but they've survived it so far.

Even with all of the great numbers and their amazing record, the million dollar question remains: will this team finally win a series? The Panthers have a good sized lead in the Atlantic Division standings, so finishing first could be inevitable. They are also in the Presidents' Trophy race, with only the Avalanche having a higher point total. But all of those positives aside, and there are many positives here, if they fail to win a series yet again, all of that means nothing.

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