The 1994–95

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

season was the Panthers'

second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

. For the second straight year, they missed the playoffs by just one point. While the team tied for 6th in the league in goaltending behind the solid tandem of

John Vanbiesbrouck John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963), nicknamed "the Beezer" and "JVB", is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. As a goaltender, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Vanbiesbrouc ...

and

Mark Fitzpatrick Mark Fitzpatrick (born November 13, 1968) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He moved to Kitimat, British Columbia, where he started minor hockey, when he was ten years old. He won the Memorial Cup twice as a mem ...

and finished first in most shutouts (6), it finished last in the league in scoring with 115 goals and was shut out 5 times. The Panthers tied the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators for fewest shorthanded goals scored (1). The Panthers were one of only three teams in 1994–95 to have a better regular-season record on the road then at home (the other two teams were the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

and the Los Angeles Kings).

Offseason

General manager Bob Clarke left the team to return to the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

, being named president and general manager of the Flyers on June 15. Since Clarke had to be released from his existing contract, the Panthers received the Flyers' 1994 second-round pick and cash, believed to be around $500,000, as compensation. Bryan Murray was named the team's new general manager on August 1.

Regular season

January

The Panthers began the lockout shortened 1994–95 season on January 21, 1995, losing on the road to the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

by a 2–1 score, as Zigmund Palffy scored two goals in just over a two-minute span in the middle of the third period. The Panthers lost their next two games, including their home opener to the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

by a 6–5 score, and on the road to their state rivals, the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

3–2, before earning their first win, defeating the Lightning in the second game of a home and home series by a 4–2 score. Florida closed out the month with two wins in their last three games. The team had a record of 3–4–0 in January, earning six points, which placed them in third place in the Atlantic Division, and seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

February

Florida began February rather slowly, as after a 1–1 tie against the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

on February 2, the club lost their next two games to extend their overall winless streak to four games. The Panthers snapped out of their slump though, as

stopped all 26 shots that the

fired at him, in a 3–0 victory on February 9. The club then had a seven-game homestand, beginning on February 11 with a solid 4–3 win over the Hartford Whalers, however, their two-game winning streak ended the following night, losing 4–2 to the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

. The Panthers shut out the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

2–0 in their next game to return to the win column, however, the team lost their last four games on the home stand, going a disappointing 2–5–0 on it. Back on the road on February 25, the Panthers snapped their losing skid, defeating the

4–1, before ending the month with a 0–0 tie against the defending

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

champions, the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

. At the end of February, the Panthers had an overall record of 7–11–2, earning 16 points, as the club struggled on home ice, posting a 3–7–1 record in their first 11 home games. Florida was in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, and 12th in the Eastern Conference.

March

Florida opened March with two road games, as they tied the

2–2 on March 2, followed by a 6–1 loss at the hands of the

. On March 8, the club ended their three-game winless streak, defeating the

3–2, before heading out on the road again for two games, in which the Panthers shut out the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

2–0, followed by a 4–1 win over the Hartford Whalers to extend their winning streak to three games. The team returned home for a three-game home stand, where they remained hot, tying the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

1–1, soundly defeating the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...

5–1 to extend their overall unbeaten streak to five games, before losing in overtime to the

4–3 on March 18. Florida then embarked on a three-game road trip, where they began with a 5–4 overtime loss to the Quebec Nordiques, before defeating the

3–2 to get a much needed victory. The Panthers finished the trip with a 3–0 loss to the

, and were starting to fall out of the playoff race. Florida ended March with a brief two game home stand, in which they shut out the high scoring

2–0, with

making 24 saves for the shut out, followed by a 4–4 tie against the Hartford Whalers. The Panthers had an overall record of 13–16–4 at the end of March, earning 30 points, in which placed them fourth in the Atlantic Division, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, only one point behind the Hartford Whalers for the eighth and final playoff spot.

April/May

The Panthers began April with a solid 4–1 road victory over the

on April 2, which moved the club into eighth place, however, Florida found themselves out of a playoff spot after being blown out by the

by a 5–0 score on home ice on April 5, as the club fell into tenth spot, behind the

and Hartford Whalers by a single point for the last post-season spot. The Panthers continued to struggle over their next three games, going 0–2–1, falling five points behind the eighth place

. The club tried to claw their way back race, going 4–1–0 in their next five games, however, Florida still remained two points out of the playoffs. Florida finished April on a three-game winless streak, posting a 0–2–1 record, which eliminated the club from post-season contention. The team finished the season with two wins, defeating the

and

on the road. The club finished the 1994–95 season with a 20–22–6 record, earning 46 points, which placed them fifth in the Atlantic Division, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the

for the final playoff spot.

Final standings

Schedule and results

, - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 1, , L, , January 21, 1995, , 1–2 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 0–1–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2, , L, , January 23, 1995, , 5–6 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 0–2–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 3, , L, , January 25, 1995, , 2–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 0–3–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 4, , W, , January 26, 1995, , 4–2 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 1–3–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 5, , W, , January 28, 1995, , 2–1 , , align="left", @ Hartford Whalers ( 1994–95) , , 2–3–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 6, , W, , January 30, 1995, , 2–1 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 3–3–0 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 7, , L, , January 31, 1995, , 1–5 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 3–4–0 , , , - , - align="center" , 8, , T, , February 2, 1995, , 1–1 OT, , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 3–4–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 9, , L, , February 4, 1995, , 2–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 3–5–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 10, , L, , February 7, 1995, , 3–7 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 3–6–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 11, , W, , February 9, 1995, , 3–0 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 4–6–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 12, , W, , February 11, 1995, , 4–3 , , align="left", Hartford Whalers ( 1994–95) , , 5–6–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 13, , L, , February 12, 1995, , 2–4 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 5–7–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 14, , W, , February 15, 1995, , 2–0 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 6–7–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 15, , L, , February 17, 1995, , 4–5 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 6–8–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 16, , L, , February 19, 1995, , 1–4 , , align="left", Quebec Nordiques ( 1994–95) , , 6–9–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 17, , L, , February 21, 1995, , 3–5 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 6–10–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 18, , L, , February 23, 1995, , 2–5 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 6–11–1 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 19, , W, , February 25, 1995, , 4–1 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 7–11–1 , , , - align="center" , 20, , T, , February 28, 1995, , 0–0 OT, , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 7–11–2 , , , - , - align="center" , 21, , T, , March 2, 1995, , 2–2 OT, , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 7–11–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 22, , L, , March 4, 1995, , 1–6 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 7–12–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 23, , W, , March 8, 1995, , 3–2 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 8–12–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 24, , W, , March 11, 1995, , 2–0 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 9–12–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 25, , W, , March 12, 1995, , 4–1 , , align="left", @ Hartford Whalers ( 1994–95) , , 10–12–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 26, , L, , March 14, 1995, , 1–2 OT, , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 10–13–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 27, , W, , March 16, 1995, , 5–1 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 11–13–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 28, , L, , March 18, 1995, , 3–4 OT, , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 11–14–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 29, , L, , March 20, 1995, , 4–5 OT, , align="left", @ Quebec Nordiques ( 1994–95) , , 11–15–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 30, , W, , March 22, 1995, , 3–2 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 12–15–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 31, , L, , March 24, 1995, , 0–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 12–16–3 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 32, , W, , March 26, 1995, , 2–0 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 13–16–3 , , , - align="center" , 33, , T, , March 29, 1995, , 4–4 OT, , align="left", Hartford Whalers ( 1994–95) , , 13–16–4 , , , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 34, , W, , April 2, 1995, , 4–1 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 14–16–4 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 35, , L, , April 5, 1995, , 0–5 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 14–17–4 , , , - align="center" , 36, , T, , April 8, 1995, , 2–2 OT, , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 14–17–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 37, , L, , April 12, 1995, , 1–3 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 14–18–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 38, , L, , April 14, 1995, , 0–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 14–19–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 39, , W, , April 16, 1995, , 4–1 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 15–19–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 40, , L, , April 18, 1995, , 1–3 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 15–20–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 41, , W, , April 20, 1995, , 1–0 , , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 16–20–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 42, , W, , April 22, 1995, , 4–2 , , align="left", Quebec Nordiques ( 1994–95) , , 17–20–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 43, , W, , April 24, 1995, , 5–1 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 18–20–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 44, , L, , April 26, 1995, , 0–5 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 18–21–5 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 45, , L, , April 28, 1995, , 1–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 18–22–5 , , , - align="center" , 46, , T, , April 30, 1995, , 2–2 OT, , align="left",

( 1994–95) , , 18–22–6 , , , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 47, , W, , May 2, 1995, , 4–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 19–22–6 , , , - align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 48, , W, , May 3, 1995, , 4–3 , , align="left", @

( 1994–95) , , 20–22–6 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':

Player statistics

Scoring

* ''Position abbreviations: C = Center; D =

Defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

; G =

Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

; LW =

Left Wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

; RW = Right Wing'' * '' = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.'' * '' = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Panthers only.''

Goaltending

Draft picks

Florida's draft picks at the

1994 NHL Entry Draft The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was the 32nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994. The last active players in the NHL from this draft class were Patrik Elias and Eric Boulton, who both played their last NHL g ...

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:1994-95 Florida Panthers season F F Florida Panthers seasons