Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #3
As the days go by we continue to get deeper into our countdown of the top 10 moments from the Panthers 2011-2012 season. Today we will take a look at another memorable moment from the 2012 Stanley Cup playoff series against the New Jersey Devils. Of course that should come as no surprise after we revealed #4 from our list on Monday. #3 on our countdown earned its rank over game 7 because it is an event that has not occurred for the Panthers in over a decade. Every member of the Cats roster would agree when we say that making it to the post-season is great, but winning is even better.
#3 – Florida wins their first playoff game in nearly 15 years (April 15th, 2012)
April 17th, 1997 is an historic date for the Florida Panthers. Why? Because that is the last time the organization won a playoff game. That is until Stephen Weiss scored two power-play goals and Jose Theodore made 23 saves to lead the Panthers to victory in game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 15th, 2012, nearly 15 years to the day of Florida’s last playoff win. What made the W even better was what took place after the final buzzer; it rained rats.
Marc’s take: It goes without saying that game 2 against the New Jersey Devils was a memorable experience for any Panthers fan that was able to attend. The crowd was absolutely electric and the team controlled play for the majority of the game, especially in the first period. To those who did not make it out to the BankAtlantic Center on April 15th, 2012 for whatever reason all you need to know is that you missed one hell of a game.
Everyone knows the drill by know, hopefully. Click all of the links below for the full moment #3 experience and come back tomorrow for the reveal of moment #2. Also do not forget that when we reveal #1 on our top 10 list we will have a special surprise (or two), so stay tuned.
- Litter Box Cats recap of moment #3
Source(s): Litter Box Cats, NHL
Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #4
For moment #4 on Sunshine State Hockey’s top 10 countdown of the best moments from the Florida Panthers 2011-2012 season I am going to share my personal experience. By doing so I hope that everyone can realize just how special this moment was, especially for someone who has never witnessed live playoff hockey until this season. This rare event is something every hockey fan dreams of witnessing in their home arena, no matter how nervous they get. Of course I am talking about game 7.
#4 – Game 7, nothing better (April 26th, 2012)
Even though the final score of game 7 between the New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers was not one the home fans wanted it seemed everyone still left the BankAtlantic Center smiling, including me. Why would people smile after such a tough loss? Because we got to scream to the top of our lungs when Marcel Goc tied it late after the Cats trailed for the majority of the game. We witnessed the Panthers leaving it all on the ice until Adam Henrique scored the final goal in double OT for the Devils. We smiled walking out of the BAC that night because we got to see our team go to double OT in game 7 after not watching playoff hockey in South Florida for 12 years. Most importantly though there were smiles on our faces because we all knew that this was just the beginning.
By the way, those same New Jersey Devils that the Panthers pushed to the brink of elimination are currently locked in a battle with the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals. The Devils also easily made it past the Philadelphia Flyers in round two to advance to their current series, so Florida’s performance in the quarterfinals looks really good at this point. As Panthers fans continue to watch the 2012 NHL playoffs and imagine what could have been we all still keep those smiles on our faces because we know that soon it will be the Panthers locked in a heated Eastern Conference finals’ battle to see who advances to play for the Stanley Cup.
Browse the links below for great content related to moment #4 and be sure to check in with SSH tomorrow when we reveal moment #3 on our top 10 list.
- Miami Herald article from moment #4
Source(s): Miami Herald, NHL
Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #5
Before the start of the 2011-2012 NHL season being a fan of the Florida Panthers was a difficult task. For the past 12 years the Cats and their fan base seemed to be the laughing-stock of the league. That was until new owner Cliff Viner, GM Dale Tallon, and the rest of the new look Panthers changed everyone’s opinion about Florida by finally putting a winning product on the ice after a very long wait. Of course since the Cats did do plenty of winning this season they picked up a lot of points in the standings, which makes moment #5 on our top 10 list of the most memorable moments of the 2011-2012 season possible.
#5 – Panthers end 12 year playoff drought by losing to Washington (April 5th, 2012)
It is hard to imagine a professional sports team being happy after a loss, but that is exactly how the entire Panthers locker room felt after losing 4-2 to the Washington Capitals. Why was Florida so happy? Because thanks to the Flyers beating Buffalo in regulation the Cats had earned enough points to clinch their first playoff spot in 12 years.
“I don’t care (about the loss). I couldn’t care how it happened.” Said an excited Stephen Weiss. “All you got to do is get in, and anything can happen.”
The Panthers were not the only team scoreboard watching in this game. Their opponents, the Washington Capitals, were also fighting for their playoff lives. With the Capitals winning and the Sabres losing to Philadelphia it meant that both clubs in this game were locked into the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, a rare event enjoyed by both Washington and Florida fans in attendance at the Verizon Center. The video below shows the reaction from the pro-Capitals crowd when the standings are shown on the board during the final minute of the game.
Also, just as a little note about the ranking of this moment, we would have ranked it higher in our top ten if Florida would have won the game. Clinching a playoff spot after a 12 year drought is huge, but at the same time the loss put a small damper on the celebration. Thankfully it all worked out in the end though, and we are positive that the final four moments left to be revealed on the site are better than this one.
Be sure to check out the following links and come back tomorrow for the next installment of our top 10 moments of the 2011-2012 Florida Panthers season.
- Litter Box Cats recap of moment #5
Source(s): Litter Box Cats, NHL
Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #6
Today we continue on with our journey to the #1 most memorable moment from the Florida Panthers 2011-2012 season by revealing #6 on our top 10 list. The moment we are about to discuss is a game in which the Cats absolutely needed to win, especially for their fans in attendance at the BankAtlantic Center, or at least those who were able to get tickets. We could not think of a better way to ring in 2012 than how the Panthers did this season.
#6 – Happy New Year Montreal! Panthers send invading Habs fans home with a loss (December 31st, 2011)
While other people in South Florida were at night clubs and bars celebrating the New Year Panthers fans were busy watching their team send the Montreal Canadiens and their swarm of fans that invaded the BAC home with a loss. The Canadiens went into the first intermission with a one goal lead, but that would change early in the second period when Tomas Fleischmann ripped a shot past Montreal goaltender Carey Price on the powerplay, tying the game at one. Then, at the start of the third period, Shawn Matthias would squeak a shot by an unsuspecting Price to give the Panthers their first lead of the night, sucking the arrogance out of the pro-Habs crowd. Fleischmann scored one more late in the game and Florida survived a late surge from the Canadiens, sending them and their fans home frustrated.
Marc’s take: At a season ticket holder meeting during the 2010-2011 season Sunrise Sports and Entertainment COO Michael Yormark promised fans in attendance, including me, that Florida will NOT play Montreal on New Year’s Eve. Since it was Yormark who made the promise I was not at all surprised when it was announced that the Panthers would indeed play the Canadiens on December 31st, 2011. I look at it this way; these new Panthers are not like the teams of the past that were bullied by visiting clubs and their fans. Keep scheduling the New Year’s Eve game against the Habs Michael, let them spend their money at the BankAtlantic Center and let our team send them home upset.
Enjoy the video above and the links below from moment #6. Come back tomorrow as we continue our countdown to the #1 most memorable moment of the Florida Panthers 2011-2012 season.
- Litter Box Cats recap of moment #6
Source(s): Florida Panthers, Litter Box Cats, NHL
Top 10 Moments Of The 2011-2012 Season: #7
The time has come for us to reveal the #7 most memorable moment on our countdown. The two moments previously shown on our top 10 list involved individual actions from GM Dale Tallon and Panthers forward Stephen Weiss, but today we will get back to discussing the team as a whole by looking at one of the greatest regular season comebacks by Florida in recent history.
#7 – Weiss scores short-handed as the comeback Cats beat New Jersey (November 21st, 2011)
After the first period in the game against New Jersey on November 21st, 2011 it seemed that the Panthers packed it in before the first puck was even dropped. The Devils outscored Florida 3-0 after just the first 12 minutes of play, leading many to believe that the Cats were returning to their old ways and setting themselves up for a long night with a loss at the end of it. Surprisingly that would not be the case as forward Kris Versteeg scored two goals in the second period to pull the Panthers within one. Then, around the 10 minute mark of the third, with the Cats still trailing by one goal and on the penalty kill, this happened:
With the game tied Florida continued to attack, outshooting the Devils 11 to 3 in the third period. Finally, with two minutes left to go in the game, Tomas Fleischmann scored a beautiful goal to seal the comeback win for the Panthers.
The “cherry on top” for this moment is the fact that this was Pete DeBoer’s first game back in Sunrise, FL after being fired over the previous summer by Tallon and the Panthers. Of course DeBoer and his Devils would get the last laugh this season, eliminating Florida in game seven of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, but that is a story best saved for another day, *hint* *hint*.
- Litter Box Cats recap of moment #7
We will reveal moment #6 from our top 10 list on Monday, so be sure to come back to Sunshine State Hockey and check it out.
Source(s): Florida Panthers, Litter Box Cats, NHL
