1995–96 Florida Panthers season
1995–96 Florida Panthers | |
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Eastern Conference champions | |
Division | 3rd Atlantic |
Conference | 4th Eastern |
1995–96 record | 41–31–10 |
Home record | 25–12–4 |
Road record | 16–19–6 |
Goals for | 254 |
Goals against | 234 |
Team information | |
General manager | Bryan Murray |
Coach | Doug MacLean |
Captain | Brian Skrudland |
Alternate captains | Scott Mellanby Gord Murphy |
Arena | Miami Arena |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Scott Mellanby (32) |
Assists | Robert Svehla (49) |
Points | Scott Mellanby (70) |
Penalty minutes | Paul Laus (236) |
Plus/minus | Bill Lindsay (+13) |
Wins | John Vanbiesbrouck (26) |
Goals against average | John Vanbiesbrouck (2.68) |
The 1995–96 Florida Panthers season was their most successful season ever. In only their third season in the National Hockey League, the Panthers qualified for the playoffs, and won three playoff series to become Eastern Conference champions. In the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in four games.
Offseason[]
NHL draft[]
Florida's draft picks at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta.
Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | College/junior/club team |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | Radek Dvorak (RW) | ![]() |
HC České Budějovice (Czech) |
2 | 36 | Aaron MacDonald (G) | ![]() |
Swift Current Broncos (WHL) |
3 | 62 | Mike O'Grady (D) | ![]() |
Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
4 | 80 | Dave Duerden (LW) | ![]() |
Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
4 | 88 | Daniel Tjarnqvist (D) | ![]() |
Rögle BK (Sweden) |
5 | 114 | Francois Cloutier (LW) | ![]() |
Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
7 | 166 | Peter Worrell (LW) | ![]() |
Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
8 | 192 | Filip Kuba (D) | ![]() |
HC Vítkovice (Czech Republic) |
9 | 218 | David Lemanowicz (G) | ![]() |
Spokane Chiefs (WHL) |
Irregular season[]
Year of the Rat[]
A very unusual goal celebration developed in Miami. On the night of the Panthers' 1995–96 home opener, a rat scurried across the Florida locker room. Panthers winger Scott Mellanby reacted by "one-timing" the rat against the wall, killing it [1]. That night he scored two goals, which goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck quipped was "a rat trick". Two nights later, as the story found its way into the world, a few fans threw rubber rats on the ice in celebration of a goal. The rubber rat count went from 16 for the third home game to over 2,000 during the playoffs. In an amusing coincidence, 1996 was also year of the Rat according to Chinese astrology.
In the 1996 playoffs, as the fourth seed, the Panthers defeated the Boston Bruins in five games, then upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six and the second-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Their opponents, the Colorado Avalanche, eliminated the Panthers in four games.
Final standings[]
No. | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | 282 | 208 | 103 |
2 | New York Rangers | 82 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 272 | 237 | 96 |
3 | Florida Panthers | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 254 | 234 | 92 |
4 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 234 | 204 | 89 |
5 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 38 | 32 | 12 | 238 | 248 | 88 |
6 | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 215 | 202 | 86 |
7 | New York Islanders | 82 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 229 | 315 | 54 |
R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia Flyers | ATL | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | 282 | 208 | 103 |
2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NE | 82 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 362 | 284 | 102 |
3 | New York Rangers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 272 | 237 | 96 |
4 | Florida Panthers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 254 | 234 | 92 |
5 | Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 282 | 269 | 91 |
6 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 265 | 248 | 90 |
7 | Washington Capitals | ATL | 82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 234 | 204 | 89 |
8 | Tampa Bay Lightning | ATL | 82 | 38 | 32 | 12 | 238 | 248 | 88 |
9 | New Jersey Devils | ATL | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 215 | 202 | 86 |
10 | Hartford Whalers | NE | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 237 | 259 | 77 |
11 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 247 | 262 | 73 |
12 | New York Islanders | ATL | 82 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 229 | 315 | 54 |
13 | Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 191 | 291 | 41 |
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Schedule and results[]
No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | L | October 7, 1995 | 0–4 | @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 0–1–0 |
2 | W | October 8, 1995 | 4–3 | Calgary Flames (1995–96) | 1–1–0 |
3 | W | October 11, 1995 | 6–1 | Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) | 2–1–0 |
4 | W | October 13, 1995 | 6–2 | Ottawa Senators (1995–96) | 3–1–0 |
5 | W | October 15, 1995 | 5–3 | New York Islanders (1995–96) | 4–1–0 |
6 | L | October 17, 1995 | 3–6 | Chicago Blackhawks (1995–96) | 4–2–0 |
7 | W | October 21, 1995 | 3–0 | Hartford Whalers (1995–96) | 5–2–0 |
8 | W | October 24, 1995 | 6–1 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1995–96) | 6–2–0 |
9 | L | October 25, 1995 | 2–7 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) | 6–3–0 |
10 | W | October 28, 1995 | 4–1 | @ Ottawa Senators (1995–96) | 7–3–0 |
11 | L | October 31, 1995 | 4–5 OT | New York Islanders (1995–96) | 7–4–0 |
12 | W | November 2, 1995 | 2–1 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) | 8–4–0 |
13 | W | November 3, 1995 | 3–2 | @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) | 9–4–0 |
14 | W | November 5, 1995 | 4–1 | Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 10–4–0 |
15 | W | November 7, 1995 | 4–2 | Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) | 11–4–0 |
16 | W | November 9, 1995 | 2–1 | Edmonton Oilers (1995–96) | 12–4–0 |
17 | W | November 11, 1995 | 4–1 | Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) | 13–4–0 |
18 | W | November 14, 1995 | 5–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1995–96) | 14–4–0 |
19 | T | November 16, 1995 | 2–2 OT | Vancouver Canucks (1995–96) | 14–4–1 |
20 | L | November 18, 1995 | 2–3 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1995–96) | 14–5–1 |
21 | W | November 19, 1995 | 4–3 | @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995–96) | 15–5–1 |
22 | W | November 21, 1995 | 4–3 | New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 16–5–1 |
23 | W | November 26, 1995 | 5–1 | Los Angeles Kings (1995–96) | 17–5–1 |
24 | L | November 29, 1995 | 1–2 OT | Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) | 17–6–1 |
25 | L | December 1, 1995 | 1–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) | 17–7–1 |
26 | W | December 2, 1995 | 5–3 | @ Hartford Whalers (1995–96) | 18–7–1 |
27 | W | December 5, 1995 | 4–3 | @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) | 19–7–1 |
28 | T | December 7, 1995 | 3–3 OT | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1995–96) | 19–7–2 |
29 | W | December 9, 1995 | 3–1 | Boston Bruins (1995–96) | 20–7–2 |
30 | W | December 11, 1995 | 2–1 | @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 21–7–2 |
31 | W | December 12, 1995 | 3–1 | @ New York Islanders (1995–96) | 22–7–2 |
32 | L | December 14, 1995 | 4–6 | @ Boston Bruins (1995–96) | 22–8–2 |
33 | W | December 16, 1995 | 7–2 | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 23–8–2 |
34 | W | December 21, 1995 | 6–1 | Winnipeg Jets (1995–96) | 24–8–2 |
35 | W | December 23, 1995 | 2–1 | New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 25–8–2 |
36 | L | December 28, 1995 | 4–5 | Washington Capitals (1995–96) | 25–9–2 |
37 | L | December 30, 1995 | 5–6 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) | 25–10–2 |
38 | L | January 3, 1996 | 2–7 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1995–96) | 25–11–2 |
39 | W | January 5, 1996 | 3–2 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1995–96) | 26–11–2 |
40 | L | January 6, 1996 | 0–2 | @ Calgary Flames (1995–96) | 26–12–2 |
41 | W | January 8, 1996 | 5–2 | @ San Jose Sharks (1995–96) | 27–12–2 |
42 | T | January 10, 1996 | 4–4 OT | @ Colorado Avalanche (1995–96) | 27–12–3 |
43 | T | January 12, 1996 | 6–6 OT | @ Dallas Stars (1995–96) | 27–12–4 |
44 | W | January 16, 1996 | 4–1 | San Jose Sharks (1995–96) | 28–12–4 |
45 | T | January 22, 1996 | 1–1 OT | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) | 28–12–5 |
46 | W | January 23, 1996 | 5–4 | @ Washington Capitals (1995–96) | 29–12–5 |
47 | L | January 25, 1996 | 2–6 | Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) | 29–13–5 |
48 | W | January 27, 1996 | 6–3 | Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) | 30–13–5 |
49 | W | January 29, 1996 | 2–1 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) | 31–13–5 |
50 | L | January 31, 1996 | 1–6 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) | 31–14–5 |
51 | T | February 1, 1996 | 2–2 OT | @ Boston Bruins (1995–96) | 31–14–6 |
52 | W | February 3, 1996 | 5–3 | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 32–14–6 |
53 | L | February 6, 1996 | 2–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1995–96) | 32–15–6 |
54 | W | February 8, 1996 | 3–1 | Detroit Red Wings (1995–96) | 33–15–6 |
55 | T | February 11, 1996 | 2–2 OT | St. Louis Blues (1995–96) | 33–15–7 |
56 | L | February 14, 1996 | 2–4 | Philadelphia Flyers (1995–96) | 33–16–7 |
57 | L | February 16, 1996 | 4–5 OT | Colorado Avalanche (1995–96) | 33–17–7 |
58 | W | February 18, 1996 | 6–4 | Dallas Stars (1995–96) | 34–17–7 |
59 | W | February 21, 1996 | 4–1 | @ New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 35–17–7 |
60 | L | February 24, 1996 | 0–4 | New York Rangers (1995–96) | 35–18–7 |
61 | L | February 25, 1996 | 1–6 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1995–96) | 35–19–7 |
62 | T | February 29, 1996 | 2–2 OT | Washington Capitals (1995–96) | 35–19–8 |
63 | L | March 2, 1996 | 1–7 | @ Hartford Whalers (1995–96) | 35–20–8 |
64 | L | March 5, 1996 | 0–2 | @ St. Louis Blues (1995–96) | 35–21–8 |
65 | L | March 7, 1996 | 3–5 | @ Winnipeg Jets (1995–96) | 35–22–8 |
66 | L | March 10, 1996 | 1–4 | Boston Bruins (1995–96) | 35–23–8 |
67 | L | March 11, 1996 | 4–8 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1995–96) | 35–24–8 |
68 | T | March 13, 1996 | 3–3 OT | @ New York Rangers (1995–96) | 35–24–9 |
69 | W | March 17, 1996 | 3–0 | New Jersey Devils (1995–96) | 36–24–9 |
70 | W | March 19, 1996 | 5–2 | Ottawa Senators (1995–96) | 37–24–9 |
71 | W | March 21, 1996 | 3–2 | New York Islanders (1995–96) | 38–24–9 |
72 | L | March 23, 1996 | 2–4 | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 38–25–9 |
73 | L | March 27, 1996 | 0–3 | @ New York Rangers (1995–96) | 38–26–9 |
74 | L | March 28, 1996 | 2–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96) | 38–27–9 |
75 | L | March 30, 1996 | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 38–28–9 |
76 | W | April 1, 1996 | 3–2 | Hartford Whalers (1995–96) | 39–28–9 |
77 | L | April 3, 1996 | 2–3 | @ Ottawa Senators (1995–96) | 39–29–9 |
78 | L | April 6, 1996 | 1–2 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1995–96) | 39–30–9 |
79 | W | April 8, 1996 | 5–3 | @ New York Rangers (1995–96) | 40–30–9 |
80 | L | April 10, 1996 | 1–2 | Tampa Bay Lightning (1995–96) | 40–31–9 |
81 | T | April 12, 1996 | 1–1 OT | @ New York Islanders (1995–96) | 40–31–10 |
82 | W | April 14, 1996 | 5–1 | New York Rangers (1995–96) | 41–31–10 |
Player statistics[]
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Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;
Trades[]
The Panthers acquired Ray Sheppard from the San Jose Sharks on the trade deadline in 1996.
Playoffs[]
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[]
The fifth-seeded Boston Bruins had one of the best offenses in the Eastern Conference, scoring 282 goals lead by Cam Neely (26 goals) and Adam Oates (25 goals, 67 assists). The Panthers won their first-ever playoff game 6-3 before a sold out Miami Arena,[3] and soon built a 3-0 lead despite being outshot by the Bruins on all games.[4] The Bruins stepped up to win Game 4 with a 6-2 blowout before the Boston crowd.[5] Game 5 was tied 3-3 when with 4:57 left, Bill Lindsay scored with a dive through the air goal while being tripped by star defenseman Ray Bourque, giving the Panthers their first-ever playoff series victory.[6] This was the last year in a record 29 consecutive seasons in the playoffs for the Bruins, as they missed the 1997 post-season.[7]
Eastern Conference Quarter-final vs. Boston (5) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game | Date | Venue | Score | OT | Attendance | Decision | Series | ||
1 | April 17 | Miami Arena | Florida 6 – 3 Boston | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 1–0 | |||
2 | April 22 | Miami Arena | Florida 6 – 2 Boston | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 2–0 | |||
3 | April 24 | Fleet Center | Florida 4 – 2 Boston | 14,922 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 3-0 | |||
4 | April 25 | Fleet Center | Boston 6 – 2 Florida | 14,810 | Ranford | Panthers lead 3–1 | |||
5 | April 27 | Miami Arena | Florida 4 – 3 Boston | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers win 4-1 |
Eastern Conference Semifinals[]
The Philadelphia Flyers finished atop the Eastern Conference in the regular season with 103 points, led by the high-scoring "Legion of Doom" and the strong goaltending of Garth Snow and Ron Hextall. Philadelphia had just eliminated the other Florida team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in 5 games a 2-1 series deficit.[8]
Vanbiesbrouck posted a 2–0 shutout in Game 1,[9] and it took until midway through Game 2 for the Flyers to get rolling offensively in a narrow 3–2 win.[10] Game 3 saw Flyers veterans Dan Quinn, Dale Hawerchuk, Eric Desjardins and Hextall set the tone in a 3–1 victory.[11] With young defenseman Ed Jovanovski tightly covering Flyers superstar Eric Lindros, the Panthers reversed the tide,[12] defeating the Flyers in overtime in Game 4 and double-overtime in Game 5, in what would turn out to be the last Flyers game at the Spectrum.[13] Lindros promised to win game 6 to return the series to Philadelphia, but the Panthers won with a 4-1 score. Florida became the third team to reach the conference finals in their third season – following fellow expansion team New York Islanders in 1975 and the Quebec Nordiques in 1982.[14]
Eastern Conference Semifinal vs. Philadelphia (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game | Date | Venue | Score | OT | Attendance | Decision | Series | ||
1 | May 2 | CoreStates Spectrum | Florida 2 – 0 Philadelphia | 17,380 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 1–0 | |||
2 | May 4 | CoreStates Spectrum | Philadelphia 2 – 0 Florida | 17,380 | Hextall | Tied 1–1 | |||
3 | May 7 | Miami Arena | Philadelphia 3 – 2 Florida | 14,703 | Hextall | Flyers lead 2-1 | |||
4 | May 9 | Miami Arena | Florida 4 – 3 Philadelphia | OT | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Tied 2–2 | ||
5 | May 12 | CoreStates Spectrum | Florida 2 – 1 Philadelphia | 2OT | 17,380 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 3–2 | ||
6 | May 14 | Miami Arena | Florida 4 – 1 Philadelphia | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers win 4-2 |
Eastern Conference Finals[]
The 2-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins were energized by the return of Mario Lemieux, who missed the entire 1994–95 season due to injury, and had the league's best offense, scoring 362 goals, and the most wins in the Eastern conference with 49, finishing just one point behind the Flyers. The Penguins advanced to the third round for the first time since 1992, defeating the Washington Capitals in six games and the New York Rangers in five games.
Despite being outshot 33–25 in game one the Panthers came out on top with an impressive 5–1 win, with 32 saves by Vanbiesbrouck and two goals by forward Tom Fitzgerald. The Penguins wanting to avoid going down two games to none against the Panthers came out with a better effort in game two and won the game 3–2 and evened the series at one game each. In game three the Panthers fired an incredible 61 shots on Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso and it paid off as the Panthers won 5–2 – two goals by Stu Barnes – to take a 2–1 series lead. The Penguins tied game four on Brad Lauer's goal with 11:03 remaining in regulation, and Bryan Smolinski scored with 3:31 to go to give the Penguins a 2–1 lead, tying the series. In game five the Penguins shut out the Panthers 3–0, with Barrasso stopping 28 shots.
Leading the series three games to two Pittsburgh looked to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in game six. The Penguins led 2–1 in the second period but the Panthers scored three of the next four goals and edged the Penguins 4–3 to tie the series at 3–3. In game seven Florida got a 1–0 lead on Mike Hough's goal at 13:13 of the first period. After a scoreless second period Pittsburgh tied the game on Petr Nedvěd's power-play goal at 1:23 of the third period. The Panthers regained the lead on Tom Fitzgerald's bizarre 58-foot slapshot at 6:18 and got an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlov at 17:23. Florida hung on to win the game 3–1, with a total of 39 saves by Vanbiesbrouck, and closed the series four games to three.[15]
By reaching the finals in only their third season, the Panthers became the fastest expansion team to do so until the Vegas Golden Knights did the same thing in their 2017-18 inaugural season.[16] Many Panthers players were managing their first trips to the finals after long careers, such as Vanbiesbrouck (13 years).
Eastern Conference Final vs. Pittsburgh (2) | |||||||||
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Game | Date | Venue | Score | OT | Attendance | Decision | Series | ||
1 | May 18 | Civic Arena | Florida 5 – 1 Pittsburgh | 17,355 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 1–0 | |||
2 | May 20 | Civic Arena | Pittsburgh 3 – 2 Florida | 17,181 | Barrasso | Tied 1–1 | |||
3 | May 24 | Miami Arena | Florida 5 – 2 Pittsburgh | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers lead 2-1 | |||
4 | May 26 | Miami Arena | Pittsburgh 2 – 1 Florida | 14,703 | Barrasso | Tied 2–2 | |||
5 | May 28 | Civic Arena | Pittsburgh 3 – 0 Florida | 17,355 | Barrasso | Penguins lead 3-2 | |||
6 | May 30 | Miami Arena | Florida 4 – 3 Pittsburgh | 14,703 | Vanbiesbrouck | Tied 3-3 | |||
7 | June 1 | Civic Arena | Florida 3 – 1 Pittsburgh | 17,355 | Vanbiesbrouck | Panthers win 4-3 |
Stanley Cup Finals[]
In the first Stanley Cup Finals where neither team had ever reached the decision before, the Panthers faced the Colorado Avalanche, who were in their inaugural season after relocating from Quebec City. Led by captain Joe Sakic, forward Peter Forsberg and defenceman Adam Foote, the Avalanche got even stronger once goaltender Patrick Roy joined the team on December 1995. The Avalanche finished the season with a 47–25–10 record for 104 points, won the Pacific Division and finished second in the Western Conference. On their way to the Western title, the Avs beat the Vancouver Canucks, the Chicago Blackhawks and Presidents' Trophy winners Detroit Red Wings, all in six games.[17]
The series started in Denver, and the Avs dominated the Panthers at the McNichols Sports Arena. On game 1, Vanbiesbrouck shut out Colorado for half the game, before three goals were scored in a stretch of 3:49 minutes in the second period, leading to a 3-1 victory. The following game was an 8–1 blowout, starting with three power play goals in the first period as Florida incurred in bad penalties that forced Vanbiesbrouck to be pulled out in favor of Mark Fitzpatrick. Returning to Miami, Game 3 was closer, with Florida scoring twice in the first period. But the Avs still came through, taking over the lead with a Joe Sakic goal early in the second period and holding on to a 3–2 victory.[18]
With their backs to the wall, the Panthers played a defensive game four. Vanbiesbrouck and Roy stood out, combining for 118 saves, and the two teams played a marathon game that took until the third overtime period. Uwe Krupp's unassisted goal at 4:31 ended 44 minutes and 31 seconds of overtime and gave the Avalanche a 1–0 win and a four-games-to-none series win. Goaltender Patrick Roy stopped all 63 shots he faced. Colorado outscored Florida 15–4 in the series, and Patrick Roy stopped 147 of 151 shots, for a save percentage of .974. Joe Sakic was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, having led all skaters in goals with 18, and points with 34. For both Patrick Roy and Claude Lemieux, it was their third Stanley Cup win in eleven years.
Stanley Cup Final vs. Colorado (2) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Game | Date | Venue | Score | OT | Attendance | Decision | Series | ||
1 | June 4 | McNichols Sports Arena | Colorado 3 – 1 Florida | 16,061 | Roy | Avalanche lead 1–0 | |||
2 | June 6 | McNichols Sports Arena | Colorado 8 – 1 Florida | 16,061 | Roy | Avalanche lead 2-0 | |||
3 | June 8 | Miami Arena | Colorado 3 – 2 Florida | 14,703 | Roy | Avalanche lead 3-0 | |||
4 | June 10 | Miami Arena | Colorado 1 – 0 Florida | 3OT | 14,703 | Roy | Avalanche win 4-0 |
Awards and records[]
- Prince of Wales Trophy
- Ed Jovanovski, defense, NHL All-Rookie Team
- Bryan Murray, NHL Executive of the Year
References[]
- ^ "1995–1996 Conference Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ "1995-96 Florida Panthers Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ History: 1996 Playoffs
- ^ 1996 N.H.L. PLAYOFFS;Panthers Put Bruins TO Wall
- ^ Bruins 6, Panthers 2
- ^ N.H.L. PLAYOFFS;Panthers Eliminate Bruins
- ^ From Bruins to Ruins
- ^ Flyers Will Face Panthers Next, And Expect A Battle The Best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal Series Will Begin Thursday At The Spectrum
- ^ "HOCKEY;Vanbiesbrouck Blanks Flyers as Panthers Jump on Top". The New York Times. 3 May 1996.
- ^ "Top South Florida News, Sports, Weather and Entertainment - South Florida Sun-Sentinel".
- ^ http://articles.philly.com/1996-05-08/sports/25624967_1_john-leclair-flyers-coach-terry-murray-klatt
- ^ Looking back at the Florida Panthers’ 1996 playoff run
- ^ "Remembering the Spectrum: Flyers say goodbye after 29 years". Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ^ NHL PLAYOFFS;Surprising Panthers Eliminate the Flyers
- ^ "Florida Panthers' 1996 rat pack celebration a well-deserved honor | Miami Herald". Archived from the original on 2016-03-15.
- ^ "Panthers hope to go one step further than 1996 Stanley Cup finalist predecessors".
- ^ WITH BRILLIANT TRADES AND BLENDED TALENT, THE AVALANCHE CAPTURED THE STANLEY CUP, GIVING COLORADO ITS FIRST MAJOR PRO CHAMPIONSHIP
- ^ SHOW STOPPERS COLORADO, A DYNASTY IN THE MAKING, SWEPT FLORIDA TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP
- 1995–96 NHL season by team
- 1995–96 in American ice hockey by team
- Florida Panthers seasons
- Eastern Conference (NHL) championship seasons
- 1996 Stanley Cup
- 1995 in sports in Florida
- 1996 in sports in Florida