Are the Panthers too good to fail?

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
May 22, 2025, 09:00 EDT
Are the Panthers too good to fail?
Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

If there’s any team that embodies why many view playoff experience to be very important in hockey, it’s the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Game 1 despite getting outshot 33-20. It was a rare off night for Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, who entered the series with the best stats in the playoffs. The Hurricanes might have had more shots, but they weren’t the better team.

Florida dismantled the higher-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round before coming back to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven. Even though the analytics showed the Panthers played better than their results would show in the first two games of that series, they still found themselves trailing 0-2 headed back home – only to start Game 3 by allowing two early goals.

But their ability to bounce back from a loss, shut teams down and never let panic has proven to be absolutely lethal. This core knows what it takes to win – and lose – better than any other in the NHL right now.

Here’s the thing: there are so many facets to Florida’s team that make them so, so deep. For starters, their core group is as good as anyone’s. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, you name it. Every single one of them have been through the ringer over the past three years and knows what it takes to succeed.

It’s rare for a team to lose in the Cup final and then come back and win it the next year. But the lessons learned in 2023 helped them thrive in 2024. Even when many doubted them this year, Florida stood tall.

Tkachuk might be Florida’s most valuable player, but he’s not playing at his full force. Remember how violent he was during the 4 Nations Face-Off? An injury there meant he has not been 100% since, but he still has 10 points in 13 playoff games. Think about that for a second. He’s playing injured enough that has failed to register a shot in five of his past 10 games, but he’s still finding a way to have an impact.

The Panthers only have one point-per-game player: Eetu Luostarinen. The 26-year-old has 13 points in as many games, tying the number he had in 40 games over the past two years. Given he had just 24 points in the regular season, it’s kind of a wild number.

But that’s partly why the Panthers are so dangerous right now – their depth is incredible. Ten players have at least 10 points, while defenders Ekblad, Nate Schmidt and Seth Jones have combined for nine goals and 20 points.

You can’t win the Stanley Cup based on pure superstar talent alone. Look at the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have a ton of points as expected, but they only have eight goals between them. But nine players have at least three goals, and eight have at least seven points. Depth matters.

The fact that the line of Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand has been Florida’s best shows you how important getting depth is. Take Toronto, for example. So much was made about the big stars not showing up for a ninth straight year. But unlike the Panthers, who got key goals from fourth-liners like Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich, the Maple Leafs didn’t get the support they needed.

Also, isn’t it crazy that the team got both Jones and Marchand at the trade deadline? It could go down as one of the best deadlines any team has ever had. The Panthers capitalized on Jones having a so-so track record defensively and Marchand being injured and converted them into two major pieces of this team’s run.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Panthers allow an average of 24.23 shots against-per-60 at 5-on-5. That sounds good, but it’s actually the second most of the four teams still remaining. But they’ve only allowed 30 or more shots four times in 30 games and have a 3-1 record in those games. They’ve also allowed 23 or fewer shots in eight outings – at this time of year, that’s massive. The Panthers can be a bit free-flowing at points, but they have shown time and time again that they can absolutely shut teams down and force them to shoot from the perimeter better than just about any team in the league.

You might think you’ve got the Panthers figured out, but then they’ll suffocate you.

Oh, and Sergei Bobrovsky has found his form, too. After starting as one of the worst goalies in the first round, his 3.36 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 over the past four games is the best of any of the goaltenders remaining. Sure, he can be streaky at points. But when he’s on his game, he’s as good as it gets.

The Panthers haven’t had many bad nights in this playoff run. They’re running at full steam with no players currently missing time due to injury. They spent the second half of the year dealing with ailments and a 20-game suspension to Ekblad. But that didn’t slow them down, and it only made them stronger. They used their playoff experience to grind to the death.

Great offensive depth. A stout blueline. A future Hockey Hall of Famer in net. The Panthers have a bit of everything. Their proven track record of winning games no matter what makes them terrifying – don’t bet against them.

SPONSORED BY bet365

Recent Articles from Steven Ellis

Keep scrolling for more content!