Florida Panthers 2021-22 Season Recap

It was an incredible run for the Florida Panthers, as they went on a tear through the 2021-22 season. They had their best season in club history, as they won their first ever President’s Trophy and finished the season 58-18-6, for a total of 124 points. Another huge monkey off their back came in the 2022 playoffs, when they got out of the first round for the first time since 1996, defeating the Washington Capitals in six games. They fought through a lot of battles, but overcame a lot of adversity to have the season they did… I present to you the Florida Panthers. 

Preseason:

After another year of a first round elimination for the Panthers, this time losing in six to Tampa, Florida decided it was time for a Stanley Cup run. It all started when GM Bill Zito and the Panthers loaded off Keith Yandle, who was bought out by the team. Then, in the Seattle Kraken’s Expansion Draft, the Cats lost goalie Chris Driedger.

However, things took a turn for the best later in the offseason. The Florida Panthers received Sam Reinhart, who scored a team-high 25 goals in a shortened season with an awful Buffalo Sabres team, in exchange for a first round pick and goalie prospect Devon Levi. Florida also locked up Aleksander Barkov for eight years, while inking shorter term deals with fan favorites Carter Verhaeghe and Ryan Lomberg. Florida was also able to resign Anthony Duclair and Sam Bennett, among many other players.

October:

The season started out with two home games (versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders). Against Pittsburgh, the Panthers went up 2-0. However, Pittsburgh, led by their power play, scored four consecutive goals to go up 4-2. Then, led by Aaron Ekblad’s two goals, and a multiple-point night by Carter Verhaeghe, the start of the first variation of the Comeback Cats occurred, as the Cats won 5-4 in OT. Against the Islanders, Sam Bennett notched a hat trick, as Florida won in dominating fashion, 5-1. The Panthers then went on their first road trip, as they traveled to Tampa Bay to face the back-to-back Stanley Cup champs. Led by Spencer Knight and Anton Lundell’s goal and assist, Florida won in 4-1 fashion. The Panthers wrapped up an impressive opening month with wins over Colorado, Philadelphia, Arizona, and Boston. And yes, Florida did not notch a single loss in the month of October.

Coach Q:

On Tuesday, October 26th, information would leak throughout the hockey world, as former Chicago Blackhawks assistant Brad Aldrich would be exposed for sexually assaulting Kyle Beach back in 2010, who came out as ‘John Doe’. In a meeting with Gary Bettman on October 28th, it would be revealed that Joel Quenneville was accused of helping to cover up and give Aldrich a recommendation. Therefore, Coach Q would be forced to resign from the Florida Panthers. 

Andrew Brunette Comes Along:

After the resignation of Coach Q, the Florida Panthers would hire Andrew Brunette in an effort to continue Florida’s early-season success despite the controversy surrounding Quenneville. The Brunette era would start off with an OT win at Detroit to keep Florida’s hot streak going at 8-0. However, the Panthers lost their first game of the season at Boston in a shootout, therefore, ending Florida’s winning streak, but not their point streak.

November:

The Panthers would start the month of November against the Washington Capitals. The Caps blew a 4-1 lead, but would still hold on to win 5-4 in OT. Two days later, the Cats would host the NHL’s remaining unbeaten team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Florida would hold down the fortress, dominating the Jerks at home 5-2, despite Lomberg getting a match penalty on a questionable call when Antti Raanta left the crease.

However, life threw a curveball quickly and often, as two days later, the Panthers would lose their first game of the season in regulation at MSG. Florida went down 4-0 early on, but scored three goals in a comeback effort that ultimately fell short, 4-3. Florida suffered another loss a day later, this time to the Devils in 7-3 fashion. As a result of the two straight losses, many thought that Interim Head Coach Andrew Brunette wasn’t fit for the job.

Many fans questioned Florida’s road woes, which would continue against Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay. Despite losing to these two teams, Florida picked up a point in each. 

The Panthers would return to Sunrise and rebound in a big way with wins against the Islanders, Devils, Wild, and the Flyers.

Then, the rough patch began again, as Florida went to Washington and lost 4-3. The Cats then lost their first home game of the year against the struggling Seattle Kraken, 4-1.

The month of November did end on a good note, though. At home against the Caps, Florida found themselves down 4-1. However, the Panthers went on to score four unanswered goals to win 5-4. Sam Reinhart scored the game winner with 15 seconds remaining.

December:

Can The Florida Panthers Score Their Way To The Stanley Cup? | FiveThirtyEight

The Panthers would start December down three goals twice to the Buffalo Sabres at home, but the Comeback Cats struck again, as led by Aaron Ekblad and Anton Lundell’s two goals, and Jonathan Huberdeau’s five points (goal, four assists), Florida won 7-4. The Panthers also had their first home shootout win since February of 2019, defeating the Blues 4-3. However, the Blues would return the favor with the exact same score on a Buchnevich wrap-around.

The Cats would get their second road win in the Brunette era against the hapless Arizona Coyotes. That’s when another slump occurred. COVID started to hit the team, and after a close loss in Colorado with a Burakovsky hat trick, the Cats would start to struggle at home, getting destroyed by both the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings.

Then the NHL pushed all of its games planned before Christmas to mid-February. This would seem to help the Panthers, as they stayed home and welcomed the New York Rangers. Despite being down 2-1 in the third, Florida scored three third period goals to capture the 4-3 win.

Then on a back-to-back, the Cats hosted a Vasilevskiy-less Tampa Bay Lightning team, in which the Panthers DOMINATED, and started their offensive explosion, nearly putting up 10 goals, and beating down their opponent physically, which took Fat Pat Maroon the Baboon out of the game. Going into the new leaf, Brunette had gone 13-8-2, however, Florida lost seven of their last nine road games.

January:

As a New Years resolution, Florida received the honor to host the Montreal Canadiens, a team that was in the Stanley Cup Finals just six months ago. Florida pulled away with a 5-2 victory. Florida got to go on more of a tear through Canada at FLA Live Arena, as they dominated the Calgary Flames 5-2.

However, the Florida Panthers should have thought about their next New Year’s resolution, which was to win a road game. Despite them tying the game late in Dallas, Florida still struggled in shootouts, losing 6-5. Would their road woes continue when they went to Carolina? Nope. The Florida Panthers finally won a road game against a quality opponent, going up 3-1 early at Carolina and winning 4-3 in OT despite a late push from the Canes.

Then the offensive masterclass would show up again, as Florida beat the Canucks 5-2 which was highlighted by a Radko Gudas goal and fight. Should we also mention that this was the night Kodak Black went viral for “you know what”.

In the next game, the Cats defeated (or should we say dominated) the Dallas Stars, 7-1, highlighted by Sam Bennett’s second hat trick of the season.

That’s when the “WE WANT 10” chants showed up, as Florida almost put up 10 goals against Columbus, highlighted by four  first period goals.

The Panthers would travel to Western Canada in which the red-hot Flames extinguished the Panthers 5-1 in Sam Bennett’s return. Florida would win a road game when the team traveled up north in the province of Alberta and shut out Connor McDavid’s reeling Edmonton Oilers, 6-0. The Cats would capture another road win in the second half of the back-to-back, as they beat the Canucks 2-1 in a shootout. 

Florida would lose another road game, and would get swept in the regular season series against the Seattle Kraken, 5-3. However, the Panthers closed out the road trip with a win at Winnipeg, 5-3.

The Cats came back home for a brief home stand with two Western teams, Vegas and San Jose. After a defensive win against Vegas, the Comeback Cats came alive again against the James Reimer-led Sharks. Despite being down two goals in the third, Florida tied the game and then captured the victory thanks to a Sam Bennett goal in OT.

Finally, the Cats would close out January with another DOMINATING offensive performance, with an 8-4 beatdown of Columbus. The third line (Marchment, Lundell, Reinhart) combined for 15 points.

February:

February started out on another second stand of a back-to-back for the Panthers, as they traveled to MSG to play the Rangers. However, the Cats would get beat again handily, losing 5-2.

After a two week break, in which Jonathan Huberdeau was the only Panther selected for the NHL All-Star Game, the Panthers would travel to Raleigh. A nationalized TV crowd got to see the ‘Comeback Cats’, who swept the series against the Canes. 

The Cats would pick up an impressive win against the Wild, 6-2, in which Marchment notched a hat trick. The Panthers then beat the Blackhawks, 5-2, to continue an impressive stretch of wins.

However, February would not end well for the Cats, as they would lose three home games in a row against Nashville, Columbus, and Edmonton.

March:

Florida Panthers have reason for concern vs. Capitals

March started out well for the Panthers, who went 2-0 in their first two games at home. The Cats had a dominating 3-0 performance with the Senators, in which Bobrovsky only saved 18 shots. They then beat the Red Wings 6-2. 

Florida went on another trip up north, as they laid a beat down on the Sabres, then the next night, would fend off Pittsburgh late to win 4-3.

The Panthers then hosted the struggling Flyers, and dominated in 6-3 fashion. Then the road trip out to California would begin.

Trade Deadline

The Panthers were obviously huge buyers at the deadline in an effort to win the Stanley Cup.

Some of the trades included are:

  • (3/16) Frank Vatrano was sent to the Rangers for a 2022 4th round pick
  • (3/16) Ben Chiarot was sent from Montreal for a 2023 1st, the Rangers 2022 4th, and Ty Smilanic
  • (3/19) And the best of them all: the Panthers received Claude Giroux and some prospects for a 2024 1st, 2023 3rd, and Owen Tippett.

The Panthers would seem sort of out of rhythm on the California trip, as they started out blowing a late lead in Los Angeles, and losing in a shootout to the Kings.

Then, in NHL legend Joe Thornton’s return to San Jose, Florida would struggle early, allowing two first period goals despite having a Jonathan Huberdeau short handed goal. Frank Vatrano would be the hero in his final game as a Panther, scoring the tying goal in the third, then netting the OT winner. However, another former Panther would lead the way, as Evgenii Dadanov netted two goals for Vegas, defeating the Panthers 5-3.

The next night would feature a scary sight for the Panthers. Florida finished up their California trip with a game against the reeling Anaheim Ducks, and Jonathan Huberdeau had two goals in a 3-0 win. But a turning point would be a major injury to star defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who would suffer a (regular) season-ending injury. Luckily, MRI tests revealed it was only a sprain, and as we know, Ekblad was back for the playoffs.

The Panthers road trip continued, but this time they traveled back out east to Canada for a three game road trip, starting out with the Canadiens. It would be Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot’s debut. After a back and forth first two periods, the Panthers eventually pulled away in the third and held on to win 4-3.

Next up was a back-to-back against the Senators and the Leafs. Against the Senators, Florida went down 3-0 early. But… nothing was new for the Cats. Led by Giroux’s two assists, and goals by Duclair, Hornqvist, and Barkov, the Cats tied it up. Barkov wasn’t done, as he sent the Panthers home with a win using his great shootout abilities, which sent Steve Goldstein into his, “LET’S GO HOME BABY!!”, and Randy Moller saying, “That’s filthier than a county fair dumpster!”

Toronto’s John Tavares would dominate the next night, with the Panthers losing in Toronto 5-2. It would be their last loss in about a month, as they closed out March defeating the Canadiens 7-4 with red-hot Ryan Lomberg and Jonathan Huberdeau leading the way.

Against the Blackhawks two nights later, Florida would set a franchise record for most home wins in a season. Sergei Bobrovsky would have a 37-save shutout, and Barkov and Lomberg scored three combined goals to win 4-0.

April:

Tampa Bay Lightning score with 3.8 seconds left to stun Florida Panthers and take 2-0 series lead

April started out kind of crazy for the Cats. It was a typical Saturday afternoon in Newark, New Jersey, with a hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the struggling New Jersey Devils. It would turn out to be a crazy matinee game, as the Panthers fell behind 6-2 led by Yegor Sharangovich’s first NHL hat trick. But, the Panthers, once again, aren’t called the ‘Comeback Cats’ for nothing. They would quickly net two quick goals to cut the deficit to two goals within six and a half minutes, then with five minutes to go, Spencer Knight was pulled for the extra attacker, and it worked, as Aleksander Barkov became the hero, netting the two goals to take the game to OT. And they completed the comeback, and kicked the extra point a minute and 45 seconds in when Forsling ripped one home. With their win in Newark, the Panthers clinched 100 points in a season along with being the only team in the 2010s to come back from two four-goal deficits in the third period, twice.

The next day, the Panthers went to Buffalo, and won 5-3. With their win, the Panthers were officially the first team to clinch a spot in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Then, the Panthers came home for easily the wildest game of the season, a matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place, not just in the Atlantic Division, but in the Eastern Conference. There was a lot of offense expected in this game, and boy it did not disappoint. Florida and Toronto would each score an early power play goal to make it 1-1 heading into intermission. The second period may go down as the most, ‘what goes up, must come down’ moment for the Leafs, as they built up a 5-1 lead, including a short-handed and a power play goal by Mitch Marner, along with goals by Blackwell and Muzzin. It looked like the Leafs were going to blow out the Panthers, right? Nope… the comeback was on! Florida would score five unanswered goals and an eventual overtime goal to complete the improbable comeback. The crazy win would also mark a huge milestone in Panthers history, with Huberdeau being the first 100-point scorer in Cats history.

The ‘Comeback Cats’ were prevalent against the Sabres later in the week, then they traveled to Nashville and won a defensive game against the Preds. The winning streak was extended to seven and most of the Panthers fan base was ready for the playoffs.

After two wins against Anaheim and Winnipeg at home, Florida made Detroit look like an AHL team, dominating 6-1 on Easter.

Aleksander Barkov would have another kid, putting up a hat trick in Long Island to lead the Cats to a 3-2 OT win to move the win streak to 11 games.

Florida would come home for its final road trip of the year, and it would start off with the Detroit Red Wings. With a win, and a Toronto loss in Tampa of any sort, the Panthers would clinch their first President’s Trophy in team history. Well, both Florida and Tampa won, making the Panthers the 2022 President’s Trophy winners.

The Panthers would have another ‘Comeback Cats’ moment against the Leafs, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in OT.

However, in Florida’s final home game of the year, Tampa decided they wanted revenge from the 9-3 game, and spoiled the Panthers final home game, defeating the Panthers 8-4.

The Panthers seemed to struggle mightily on their sort of useless road trip, letting Boston win 4-2, but beating Ottawa 4-0 thanks to a Spencer Knight shutout.

The final game of the season, to say the least, was for the joke books. Backup goalie Joonas Johansson allowed the Montreal Canadiens to score 10 goals in a 10-2 victory, tarnishing the end of a great season, and potentially their playoff run, even though the Cats rested everyone.

Round 1 of the Playoffs:

Here come the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a sight that has not gone well for the Panthers, as they have not won a series since 1996.

Their first round opponent was the Washington Capitals, the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions, led by the Great 8, Alexander Ovechkin and HC Peter LaViolette.

Against the Capitals, who have not won a series since their Cup win, the Panthers were looking to make an early statement with a quick series against the struggling Caps, but it did not start that way, as the Capitals came into Sunrise and won 4-2, led by three third period goals by the red, white, and blue.

The Panthers rebounded in a big way on Cinco de Mayo, dominating 5-1, led by two point nights by Barkov and Verhaeghe, and Aaron Ekblad’s first playoff goal. The Panthers were looking to put up a statement game in Game 3 in Washington to take ahold of the series, but despite a quick Jonathan Huberdeau goal, the Capitals added a five goal flurry in two periods to take a convincing 6-1 win, giving the Capitals the 2-1 series. In Game 4, the Panthers won 3-2 in overtime. It was yet another comeback victory for the mighty Cats, who tied the series at two apiece.

In Game 5, the Capitals got a fast start early on, taking a 3-0 lead led by two TJ Oshie goals. Do we get the gist of what happens every time the Panthers go down by three goals? Yep, they did it again. Carter Verhaeghe would have his best game as a Panther, having a whopping five point night (two goals, three assists), which meant he had a point on every goal scored. The Panthers scored five unanswered goals to win 5-3, as the Panthers would have a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close it in Washington.

In Game 6, Bobrovsky was a wall for a while, stopping 15 shots before eventually allowing a goal after multiple missed chances by the Panthers. However, the GOAT Ryan Lomberg would tie it at one before the period ended. Then the craziness of the final period started, after the Capitals scored early off of a Backstrom goal, Claude Giroux would tie the game at two in the middle of the third, and then with a little under six minutes left, the Panthers would take the lead when Barkov added a goal, and it seemed all over, until the final two and a half minutes. The Panthers were playing against an extra attacker, and then Gustav Forsling received a tripping penalty with 66 seconds remaining. Off the draw, Bobrovsky went out of the crease, then a batted shot by Anthony Mantha would bounce in by TJ Oshie, and it seemed we were going back to a Game 7 in Sunrise, a position the Panthers did not want to be in. But Carter Verhaeghe came here for huge moments and he had his defining moment as a player, as he sent it home past Samsonov three minutes into overtime. They had done it, they had broken the curse, they had won a playoff series for the first time since the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Round 2: Florida’s Unraveling

2021-22 Florida Panthers Preview: Jumbo addition brings Cup dreams closer - Fear The Fin

Like last year, we would have another Battle of Florida, but this time in Round 2 of the 2022 NHL Playoffs. To say the least, the series had the same result, if not worse. With Brayden Point absent for the Lightning, and Florida’s home-ice advantage, everything pointed towards the Cats winning the series. However, that was not the case as Tampa Bay only needed four games to advance to the third round. Yes, the Bolts swept their in-state rivals. That ended Florida’s elite season, but for many, Florida’s regular season success was put to waste.

Regular Season MVP:

Jonathan Huberdeau, who had a whopping 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists in 80 games), was easily Florida’s regular season MVP. He broke multiple records for not just the Panthers, but in NHL history when he passed Joé Juneau’s 70 assists on March 31st against the Blackhawks. Huby would also reach the 100 point milestone on April 5th in the comeback against the Maple Leafs, scoring the OT goal. 

Playoff MVP:

Not that it matters, because the Panthers lost in Round 2 of the Playoffs, but Carter Verhaeghe was Florida’s playoff MVP. Even though he didn’t have any points in the four games against the Lightning, he was the one of the main reasons they won their first playoff series in 26 years, as he recorded 12 points (six goals and assists each), including a five point night in the make-or-break game five in Sunrise against Washington.

We do have to give Sergei Bobrovsky an honorable mention, as he stepped up late in Game 6 against the Capitals, saving 31 of 34 possible shots, and also had over a .900 SV% against Tampa in all games but Game 1.

Closing Thoughts:

Even though Florida got swept by their cross-state rivals, it was still a great season and was the best in club history. From the crazy comebacks, to the ‘We Want 10!’ chants, the Claude Giroux and Sam Reinhart trades, the four players that got over 30 goals (Barkov, Huberdeau, Reino, and the DUKE), and yes, the Kodak Black moments, to the rough moments of the year, like seeing fan favorite Frank Vatrano leave, or when Coach Q resigned from the team due to the scandal, it was a great time to get into hockey in South Florida.

Some questions heading into next offseason:

  • Will (and should) the Panthers keep Andrew Brunette for the upcoming season? And if not, who should they get?
  • Will Claude Giroux, Ben Chiarot, and Mason Marchment resign in Florida with their limited cap space?
  • Can the Panthers ink a trade or another big free agency splash in the offseason?
  • Can Sergei Bobrovsky and the big names (Huberdeau, Barkov, Ekblad) keep up their great work on the Panthers in the future?
  • Can Florida’s cup window remain open for years to come?

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