Florida Panthers win first playoff series since 1996

For the first time since 1996, the Florida Panthers have won a playoff series, and will be moving on to the second round.

The Panthers did so with a 4-3 overtime win against the Washington Capitals to take the series in six games. It was a back-and-forth affair, including a late tying goal from the Capitals to stay alive, but an OT goal from Carter Verhaeghe would win the game – and the series – for the Panthers. Verhaeghe finishes the series with six goals and 12 points in six games.

It’s the first time the Panthers have won a playoff series since 1996, when they made a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals only to be swept by the Colorado Avalanche. They then made the playoffs just seven times in that 24 season span, including a 10 season playoff drought that would last from 2001 to 2011, which was tied for the longest all-time playoff drought until the Buffalo Sabres surpassed that this season.

With that, the longest active playoff series win drought belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, with six chances in between. They will have their seventh chance on Saturday night in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On top of that, the winner of that game will move on to play the Panthers in the second round.