The Florida Panthers close out their calendar year of 2023 with a record of 22-12-2 with 46 points. They currently sit at second in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Boston Bruins by just two points.
The year of 2023 had its share of ups and downs for the franchise. Despite all those, this was arguably the greatest calendar year in franchise history for the South Florida hockey squad.
Playoffs for the Third Straight Season
Starting with the shortened season, the Panthers have reached the postseason in three straight years. That is the longest streak in franchise history and this recent appearance marks their ninth in franchise history. The craziest part is that it was all with three different coaches.
Their previous longest streak was two straight seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97. Dubbed as the “Year of the Rat”, they went on to claim the Eastern Conference championship but were swept by Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final. The following year, they were eliminated in Round 1 by the New York Rangers by a series score of 4-1.
David Beats Goliath in Round 1
The Panthers got into the playoffs this year by the skin of their teeth. Because of that, they had to face a giant in last season’s Bruins team. This team set the record for most points and wins in a regular season, all while taking home the President’s Trophy.
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Despite all the odds stacked against them, the Cats came back from a 3-1 series deficit and took down the B’s in seven games, winning their second playoff series in two straight seasons. It would go on to set the tone for the team through the rest of the postseason.
Reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the Second Time in Franchise History
In what might be the greatest moment in team history, forward Matthew Tkachuk scored against the Carolina Hurricanes with 4.3 seconds left in the third period of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. As a result, the Cats would become Eastern Conference Champions and move on to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in their 30-year history.
While it was a huge success for the current team, it unfortunately turned into a summer lesson. They were bested by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games as the team ran into a juggernaut of a squad.
Verhaeghe Giving the Cats Their First Cup Final Victory Ever
Florida may have went down, but they were not going to go down easy. In Game 3 of the Cup Final, forward Carter Verhaeghe became an overtime hero in the postseason once again and gave them their first Cup Final victory in franchise history by a score of 3-2.
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It may not have led to Lord Stanley’s holy grail, but it’s a giant leap for the organization going forward. Also, it shows that Verhaeghe has a fantastic clutch gene.
The Captain Becoming the All-Time Leader in Scoring and Games played for Florida
On March 20, against the Detroit Red Wings, the captain in center, Aleksander Barkov, became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 614 total points (238 goals, 376 assists). On Nov. 1, against the exact same opponent, he played in more games for his team than anyone else in their history.
Currently, he still leads the team all-time in goals with 254, in points with 666, and in games played with 697. Hopefully, he gets at least one more point to change that bad number.
Matthew Tkachuk Becoming All-Star MVP
This past February, South Florida hosted their second All-Star weekend in franchise history after having it delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that All-Star Game, Tkachuk took home the MVP of the event for the Atlantic Division with four goals and three assists through two games.
It is the second time in franchise history a Florida player has won All-Star MVP, with the first being the “Russian Rocket” in Pavel Bure in 2000.
What’s in Store for 2024?
The Panthers enter next year on a four-game winning streak. They look to continue that with their next game on Tuesday night in the desert against the Arizona Coyotes.
Regardless of how that goes, the team has a lot to be proud of this calendar year. The late Wayne Huizenga is smiling from above at what he built back in 1993. And the best part? They’re only just getting started. The cats have their eyes set on a better 2024.