SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The phenomenon of the Comeback Cats actually appeared to take off again in late November. The Florida Panthers have been trailing the Washington Capitals 4-1 early within the third interval, and a three-goal deficit that deep right into a sport nearly at all times means a loss.
Not that point, it didn’t. The Panthers scored 4 objectives, together with the gamewinner with 15 seconds left, someway pulling out a 5-4 win.
“There’s a perception in that room that we’re by no means out of a struggle,” Florida’s Ryan Lomberg mentioned that night time.
That perception by no means wavered, both.
One of the best common season in Florida historical past — and the most effective common season by any crew within the NHL this season — is now full. No crew this season had extra come-from-behind wins than the Panthers, who now will get able to see the Capitals once more in an Jap Convention first-round playoff sequence that begins Tuesday.
“You don’t have too many instances in your profession or in your life which you could be on a crew like this,” Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette mentioned. “And we’re an extended, good distance from attending to the place we need to be. However I believe we’ve loved one another. They love enjoying with one another. They like to compete collectively. And people are all enjoyable indicators and, for me, simply to be a part of that’s fairly particular.”
The Panthers had an NHL-best 29 comeback wins this season. They’d 24 wins after giving up the primary purpose, probably the most within the NHL since Calgary’s 26 such video games in 1990-91. They pulled off 5 wins after trailing by three objectives; the remainder of the NHL had 14 of these. They’d two wins in video games the place they trailed by 4 objectives; the remainder of the NHL mixed for 3.
“It’s been unimaginable,” mentioned Jonathan Huberdeau, the crew’s main scorer and Hart Trophy candidate.
The resiliency for Florida this season wasn’t restricted to what was occurring on the scoreboard.
There was no secret that the Panthers have been anticipating to be Stanley Cup contenders getting into this season, and one of many greatest the explanation why was the particular person calling the photographs on the bench. Joel Quenneville is a three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach, somebody who gave Florida unimaginable credibility, and had by far the most effective successful share of any Panthers coach ever. Quenneville acquired the Panthers off to a 7-0-0 begin — and by no means coached once more.
Quenneville, the second-winningest coach in NHL historical past, needed to resign after he was amongst these implicated for not swiftly responding to Kyle Seaside’s allegations of being sexually assaulted by one other coach with the Chicago Blackhawks through the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. Quenneville was Chicago’s head coach when Seaside mentioned he was assaulted by video coach Brad Aldrich.
The season may have fallen aside proper there. It didn’t. The Panthers beat Detroit in Brunette’s first sport and saved on successful. They mentioned the chemistry within the locker room would get them via the teaching change. They have been proper.
“We come to the rink day by day and have enjoyable,” Florida’s Brandon Montour mentioned. “And clearly, we’ve acquired a heck of a hockey membership in there. We take every shift, every sport, sport by sport and it’s been exhibiting all 12 months.”
There was no scarcity of adversity, both. Workforce captain Aleksander Barkov escaped severe harm when he took a scary knee-to-knee hit in November. Virtually half the roster was coping with COVID-19 in December. High defenseman Aaron Ekblad was misplaced to a knee harm in mid-March, although he’s anticipated again in some unspecified time in the future within the playoffs.
They simply saved successful, then made some tweaks across the commerce deadline, bringing in — amongst others — Claude Giroux from Philadelphia. Giroux has but to hoist the Stanley Cup. He determined Florida can be the most effective alternative to alter that.
“That’s the explanation I’m right here,” Giroux mentioned. “I’m right here to win.”
The Panthers have completed a ton of that this season. A partial record of the crew single-season data: most wins (by 11, 58-47), most objectives (340 this season, breaking the outdated mark by a staggering 93), most standings factors (by 19), most photographs on purpose (by 240), and most factors by a participant (Huberdeau had 115, breaking Barkov’s earlier file by 19).
They gained the Presidents’ Trophy for the primary time. They’d the longest successful streak within the NHL this season, 13 video games. They have been the one crew to have two separate double-digit successful streaks at house. They have been solely the third crew in NHL historical past to have separate successful streaks of eight and 13 video games in the identical season.
All nice stuff. All pales compared to what the Panthers really need. The franchise — which hasn’t gained a playoff sequence since 1996 — has by no means gained the Stanley Cup. This crew’s singular purpose is to alter that.
“I believe we have now to be appreciative,” Brunette mentioned. “However we additionally perceive there’s much more moments that we have to attain to get the massive one.”
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