Over 30 years of Panthers history, there have been a few seminal moments that could've gone Florida's way but didn't
Over 30 years of Panthers history, there have been a few seminal moments that could've gone Florida's way but didn't
An interested question was posed recently on social media that came with a fun hockey twist.
Jonny Lazarus from the THN New York Rangers site posted the question Monday night on X.
Scanning the not-so-vast, 30-year history of the Florida Panthers, it quickly became apparent that there haven't been many truly seminal, historic moments deserving of a visit by Doc Brown and Marty McFly.
It makes sense, as the franchise is still relatively young and is only starting to find consistent, sustainable success.
The first place my brain went was that first heartbreak of Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. Uwe Krupp. Triple overtime.
But if we want to change that moment, maybe go back and alter the outcome of Game 1 instead and give Florida the big road win. Who knows what happens after that. Maybe Peter Forsberg doesn’t score a hat trick in the first period of the next game (insert shrugging emoji here).
After going through all the big games the Panthers have played in and weighing the potential outcomes and eventualities, it suddenly became crystal clear what needed to change (credit to James on X for thinking the same).
We would go back to Thursday, June 8 in the year 2023. That was the night Florida hosted Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
You might be wondering why would we want to change anything the only game in the series that Florida won.
Well, before Carter Verhaeghe scored in overtime, and before Matthew Tkachuk tied the game with just over two minutes to go, something else happened.
Less than seven minutes into the game, Tkachuk took a crushing check from Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar, and while Tkachuk somehow not only stayed in the game, but scored a massive goal a couple hours later, it was later revealed that the star winger had suffered a broken sternum.
The injury kept him from most of Game 4 and completely from Game 5, both Florida losses that would prove to be the final games of the season.
Beyond the Tkachuk injury game, some good options were thrown out when I posted the question on X.
Here are a few, with some context to go with them.
What could've been, eh?
That 2012 Panthers team came out of nowhere to win the old Southeast Division, led by the likes of Kris Versteeg, Sean Bergenheim, Brian Campbell and Jose Theodore.
They took the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils to seven games in Florida's first playoff series since the year 2000.
It was an amazing experience – those seven games – for a fanbase long starved to feel the kind of weight and importance and stress that comes with actually making the playoffs.
Should Florida have scored before the Devils during that double overtime Game 7, who knows how far they could've reached.
The Panthers would've played the five-seed Philadelphia Flyers in round two, who the Devils quickly dispatched in five games.
Ah, what if Vincent Trocheck wasn't tripped?
Or...what if the trip had been called?
Either way, bringing that series back to South Florida for a Game 7 would've been nice, and boy did that Panthers team deserve it.
An incredibly tight series where Florida lost three games in overtime and Thomas bleeping Greiss played out of his mind.
The New York Islanders moved on to lose in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round.
I suppose if you change the outcome of Game 1 with the idea that it would alter the remainder of the series, and as such, Tkachuk is never injured, this would work too.
Perhaps if Adin Hill hadn't made that ridiculous stick save on Nick Cousins in Game 1 and Florida took a 2-1 lead in the first minute of second period, everything changes.
Perhaps…
And on that note, how about we just go back to Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes and have Eetu Luostarinen not get hurt?
Man, that Islanders series was such a killer.
With the series tied 2-2 and the game just over seven minutes into overtime, the Panthers were granted a penalty shot when New York defenseman Calvin de Hann grabbed the puck and threw it while in the defensive zone.
Barkov was the obvious choice to take the first penalty shot in Panthers playoff history, but his backhand was stopped by a sliding Greiss.
The Islanders went on to win both Game 5 and Game 6 in double overtime.
That Rangers series in 1997 was just as tough, with all tight games and a questionable call swinging the series.
A disputable icing call against the Panthers gave New York a late third period faceoff in the Florida end, trailing 3-2.
The Rangers ended up tying the game off that draw, then winning about an hour later in overtime.
As for the Columbus loss…there are probably more than a dozen late-season losses over the years that could be attributed to the several times Florida has just missed the playoffs.