Florida Panthers Advance To Their Second Straight NHL Final Round

The incredible “pattern,” (road/home wins same as ’94 semi), as the Florida Panthers advanced to their second consecutive NHL final round, winning game 6 at home, (2-1) vs the New York Rangers.

Florida is (0-2) in previous NHL final rounds, (1-9) in final round games), as Las Vegas (Golden Knights) 5’d them last season and the Colorado Avalanche swept them in ’96 when Florida made the final round in just their third season. (Las Vegas, somewhat incredibly made the final round in its first season before winning it in their 6th season last year).

The Panthers (Panthers teams are (0-4) in final rounds as the Carolina Panthers lost NFL final rounds/Supes to New England (Patriots) in ’03 and the Denver Broncos in ’15) will face the winner of the Edmonton Oilers/Dallas Stars semi, which Edmonton leads 3 games to 2.

If Edmonton breaks “the pattern-i.e. road/home/road/home/road/road/home, and wins either game 6 at their home or #7 at Dallas, the Panthers would have home advantage in the NHL final round for the first time.

Dallas victories in the next 2 games, would result in the final series opening in Dallas, with the Stars having home advantage, for the second time in 5 “non bubble” NHL final rounds. (The one time the Stars, nee Minnesota North Stars, had home advantage, they won the final in 6 games vs the Buffalo Sabres in ’99. They are (0-3) in final rounds sans home advantage and (1-4) all-time in NHL final rounds).

No matter the matchup, the final will begin on Saturday June 8th, the exact 56 year anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s funeral, Don Drysdale breaking Walter Johnson’s scoreless innings streak and my long lost friend, Dr. Jay Rubin’s Bar Mitzvah.

Vladimir Tarasenko, pictured above with the St. Louis Blues, whom he helped win their lone NHL crown in 2019, scored to put Florida up (2-0), mid 3rd period in their (2-1) win last night.