The Florida Panthers are through to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after dismantling the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round.
The Panthers are looking to defend their title as Stanley Cup champions after winning a championship in 2024. They'll need to get past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round in order to do so, however, and are already trailing 1–0 in the series.
The championship won by the Panthers in 2024 was the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. The team has been to a total of three Stanley Cup finals since it joined the NHL in 1993. We'll take a look at all three appearances in the championship game as they look to maintain their seat on the throne.
Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Finals History
1995-96, 4–0 defeat against the Colorado Avalanche
The Florida Panthers made their first Stanley Cup finals appearance in the team's third season in the NHL. They didn't put up much of a fight, getting swept by the Colorado Avalanche in four games and scoring a total of five goals in the series. Florida conceded 15 goals in the series, including eight in Game 2, before going on to lose 1–0 in a triple overtime heartbreaker in the series-clinching Game 4.
Defenseman Ed Jovanovski led the team with two points and was the only player on the roster to record more than a single point in the four-game series loss. Meanwhile, Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic had five points apiece during the rout.
2022-23, 4–1 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights
It took more than two decades for Florida to return to the Stanley Cup final, but they reached the NHL's biggest stage in 2023. The franchise secured its first ever victory in a Stanley Cup final game in '23, but ultimately lost in a five-game series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
In that series, the Panthers put up nine goals but were ultimately not much of a match for Vegas, who peppered Florida's defense with 26 goals of their own, including nine in the series-clinching Game 5. Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett led the scoring charge for the Panthers, picking up four points each in the series.
2023-24, 4–3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers
The Panthers hung their first Stanley Cup champions banner after the 2023-24 season, having finally secured the franchise's first-ever title. It took all seven games of a thrilling series against the Oilers, but Florida was able to get the job done.
Despite jumping out to a 3–0 series lead, Edmonton, led by heroics from Connor McDavid, answered the call and evened the series up to force a Game 7. The Panthers were able to thwart their comeback efforts by securing a 2–1 win in the series finale, thanks to goals from Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart.
McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy for his postseason efforts, but it was Florida who was hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup at the end of it all.
With much of the same core returning in 2025, the Panthers will hope to win back-to-back titles this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Florida Panthers Championship Wins & Stanley Cup Finals History.
