Over the past several seasons, the Florida Panthers have provided some pretty magical playoff moments during the postseason months of April, May and June.
While the Cats may not be participating in the playoffs this year, they should be back competing for the Stanley Cup in short order.
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Still, it can sting a little knowing what a healthy Panthers squad is capable of.
In hopes of taking some of the edge off of that sting, THN Florida is going to provide some fun ‘On this day’ memories as the Panther-less postseason chugs along.
Today, we’re looking back at a big game in Boston that occurred on April 26, 2023.
Florida was on the brink of elimination that day, entering the playoffs as the eighth seed and facing the historically-good Boston Bruins, who set a record for most points during the regular season that year.
Down 3-1 in the series and playing inside the TD Garden in Boston, Florida came up with an incredible effort that sparked arguably the best playoff run in franchise history.
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After dropping back-to-back games on home ice and heading back to Boston with their backs against the wall, the Panthers were locked in for Game 5.
Florida never trailed, leading 1-0 after the first period on a goal by Anthony Duclair and then taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission when Sam Bennett scored to answer a tally by Brad Marchand earlier in the middle frame.
A Sam Reinhart power play goal came less than a minute after Patrice Bergeron tied the game early in the third period, but Taylor Hall tied the game at three and that’s how the score would remain until overtime.
Many of you probably remember that the game nearly didn’t reach overtime after Marchand was unleashed on a breakaway against Sergei Bobrovsky quite literally as time expired.
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Marchand’s potential series-winning shot was stopped by a Bobrovsky kick save, keeping Florida’s season alive and pushing the game past regulation.
The overtime session didn’t last very long though.
A turnover by Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark behind the net led to the puck on the stick of Matthew Tkachuk at the top of the crease, and his backhand shot found the back of the yawning cage, sending the series back to South Florida.
You can check out the full game highlights in the video below:
After claiming victory in Game 5, the Panthers went on to win 10 of their next 11 games, steamrolling their way through the Eastern Conference and into the Stanley Cup Final.
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Little did we know, this was just the beginning of what has proven to be a hell of a run by Florida, winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025.
Considering the Cats’ championship roster will remain intact for the next several seasons, with opportunities to add impact players thanks to Florida’s players signing team-friendly deals and a rising salary cap, there may be a few more banners hanging above the ice at Amerant Bank Arena when all is said and done.
What are some of your favorite memories from that 2023 first round series against Boston? Let us know in the comments below!
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Photo caption: Apr 26, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts after scoring the winning goal during overtime in game five of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
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