SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers certainly took a more businesslike way of celebrating their second straight trip to the NHL Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night. First, the team stayed away from the Prince of Wales Trophy. Second, while there was cheering, some whooping it up in the room — and, yes, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ — the Panthers certainly did not treat Saturday’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers like a frat house kegger. The Panthers have a week before they play again and they will get some rest. Rest assured, they will also get some work in. Just not today. We have Sasha Barkov an ..read more

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year after beating the New York Rangers on Saturday night. The Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Final — and become the first NHL team to lose in the Final and get back the following season since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. This is the fifth straight year a team from Florida — Tampa Bay did it from 2020-22 — has represented the Eastern Conference in the Final. Florida will play the winner of the Western Conference final — Edmonton holds a 3-2 lead on Dallas — with Game 1 nex ..read more

FORT LAUDERDALE — Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer are the best of friends, so, a day after DeBoer dropped an F-bomb in his postgame press conference, Maurice was asked about it. “I would never use such language,’’ Maurice said, tongue firmly planted in cheek. Maurice, of course, would use such language and has not only out of earshot from the media but during televised press conferences. Mostly, his is in good humor. DeBoer was not in a joking mood. During his postgame press conference following a 3-1 loss to Edmonton in Game 5 of the Western Conference f ..read more

FORT LAUDERDALE — Although the Florida Panthers will ice the same lineup for the third straight game tonight, the New York Rangers will make a ‘big’ change with Matt Rempe apparently scratched after being handcuffed to the bench in Game 5. The Rangers are expected to throw everything at Florida tonight as the Panthers can move on to the Stanley Cup Final with a win in Sunrise. Florida has played a lot of close-out games over the years  — and look to move on tonight. Saturday’s Game 6 against New York would mark Florida’s ninth game with the chance to clinch a series in the past two y ..read more

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers were in good spirits Saturday morning, and why not? The sun was out, the humidity was not overwhelming — and the Panthers are a win away from the Stanley Cup Final. As the famous saying goes, ‘there are no greater words in sports than Game 6 in Sunrise.’ Ain’t that the truth? Florida comes into this Game 6 a betting favorite (more on that later) as coach Paul Maurice will keep his lineup together for the third straight game. Maurice spoke before everyone broke for home — as did Brandon Montour and Kevin Stenlund. Good stuff here. The pregame is on the FH ..read more

The Florida Panthers have not won anything, yet. Yes, the Prince of Wales Trophy will be in the house tonight when the Panthers play host to the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final. Getting to that shiny silver trophy is going to take some doing. The Panthers know this quite well. “We’re not done,’’ Gus Forsling said Friday before the Panthers left New York to come home. “We’re taking it one game at a time and are focused on winning the next game. That’s it.’’ Yes, the Panthers know all too well that a win tonight will take them to the Stanley Cup Final for the second st ..read more

On Thursday night, the Panthers and Rangers played yet another one-goal game.  It has been the story of this Eastern Conference final — and is likely to continue. That’s four straight tight ones for Florida and the Rangers; Five if you count the Game 1 empty-netter and the Rangers scoring on themselves. The scores could not be any closer, although Florida continues to outplay the Rangers statistically.  In Game 5, Florida again outshot the Rangers, this time by a 37-27 margin.  For the series, the Panthers hold a 168-127 lead. The only real negative aspect of Thursday ..read more

The Florida Panthers are a win away from making a trip to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. Just don’t tell anyone in the locker room that. They do not want to hear it. After a 3-2 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final gave them a 3-2 led in the Eastern Conference final, the Panthers are not focused on the Final. They’re focused on taking down the New York Rangers in Game 6 on Saturday night in Sunrise. “I don’t think we’ve thought about it at all,” Sam Bennett said. “We’ve got business to take care of still. We’ve got Game 6 at home and our entire focus is on that ..read more

Sam Bennett, the Sam Bennett everyone knows and loves in the playoffs, was back in full force Thursday night to help lift his Florida Panthers to a crucial win against the New York Rangers. Bennett has been slowed by a hand injury sustained in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but on Thursday, he played like a man possessed. Not only did he end up getting the game-winning goal in Florida’s 3-2 win over the Rangers, but he set up Gus Forsling’s game-tying goal in the second period with a no-look pass through the slot. “I was seeing into the middle and they kind of backed off a little bit ..read more

The Florida Panthers will not fly home until Friday, but they will be leaving New York with a 3-2 series lead over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference final. On Thursday night, the Panthers played another terrific road game and pulled out yet another 1-goal win. Florida had a 3-1 lead before New York scored in the game’s final minute, but Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers’ tough defense kept it at 3-2. Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett played a huge role in Thursday’s win with goals and both spoke following the game. Florida is a win away from going back to the Stanley Cup Final, but based on t ..read more