The Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Finals Wednesday night. This is the third straight season the Panthers have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers are awaiting the winner of the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars or the Edmonton Oilers.
Florida Panthers Going to Stanley Cup
The Florida Panthers are 1-2 in the Final. They defeated the Oilers in seven games last season, lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. The franchise that could not win a playoff series for a quarter-century now is in the midst of a back-to-back-to-back run to the NHL’s championship round.
Florida won 25 playoff games in its first 28 seasons combined. The Panthers altogether have won 41 playoff games including the past three seasons. Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito did not do much to the roster in the off-season. The Panthers re-signed key players, such as forward Sam Reinhart, and retained the core players from last season. Zito did add Defenseman Seth Jones and Forward Brad Marchand in the NHL trade deadline. These players have been essential pieces to Florida’s success these playoffs.
Florida Panthers Looking Ahead to Stanley Cup
The Tampa Bay Lightning made three straight finals from 2020 through 2022 (with two of those seasons shortened by COVID), but no team had made three consecutive full regular seasons and reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of those years since the Edmonton Oilers from 1983 through 1985. Are the Florida Panthers amid a dynasty? They are now the standard in what a winning team looks like in the NHL. Will the Panthers win back-to-back Cups? If the Florida Panthers win another Championship, you could say the dynasty is happening.
