1994–95 Florida Panthers season

The 1994–95 Florida Panthers season was the Panthers' second season. 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 and Mark Fitzpatrick 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).[1]

1994–95 Florida Panthers
Division5th Atlantic
Conference9th Eastern
1994–95 record20–22–6
Home record9–12–3
Road record11–10–3
Goals for115
Goals against127
Team information
General managerBryan Murray
CoachRoger Neilson
CaptainBrian Skrudland
Alternate captainsScott Mellanby
Gord Murphy
ArenaMiami Arena
Average attendance14,192
Minor league affiliate(s)Cincinnati Cyclones
Birmingham Bulls
Team leaders
GoalsJesse Belanger (15)
AssistsStu Barnes (19)
PointsJesse Belanger (29)
Penalty minutesPaul Laus (138)
Plus/minusJesse Belanger (+7)
WinsJohn Vanbiesbrouck (14)
Goals against averageJohn Vanbiesbrouck (2.47)

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 and the Los Angeles Kings).

Offseason

General manager Bob Clarke left the team to return to the Philadelphia Flyers, being named president and general manager of the Flyers on June 15.[2] 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.[2][3] Bryan Murray was named the team's new general manager on August 1.[4]

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 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 by a 6–5 score, and on the road to their state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning 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 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 John Vanbiesbrouck stopped all 26 shots that the Philadelphia Flyers 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 Panthers shut out the Ottawa Senators 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 Ottawa Senators 4–1, before ending the month with a 0–0 tie against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the New York Rangers.

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 Philadelphia Flyers 2–2 on March 2, followed by a 6–1 loss at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. On March 8, the club ended their three-game winless streak, defeating the Ottawa Senators 3–2, before heading out on the road again for two games, in which the Panthers shut out the Boston Bruins 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 1–1, soundly defeating the Washington Capitals 5–1 to extend their overall unbeaten streak to five games, before losing in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers 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 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 to get a much needed victory. The Panthers finished the trip with a 3–0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, 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 Pittsburgh Penguins 2–0, with John Vanbiesbrouck 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 Tampa Bay Lightning 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 New York Rangers by a 5–0 score on home ice on April 5, as the club fell into tenth spot, behind the New York Rangers 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 Buffalo Sabres. 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 New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins 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 New York Rangers for the final playoff spot.

Final standings
Atlantic Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
12Philadelphia Flyers482816415013260
25New Jersey Devils482218813612152
36Washington Capitals482218813612052
48New York Rangers482223313913447
59Florida Panthers482022611512746
612Tampa Bay Lightning481728312014437
713New York Islanders481528512615835

[5]

Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Eastern Conference[6]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1Quebec NordiquesNE483013518513465
2Philadelphia FlyersAT482816415013260
3Pittsburgh PenguinsNE482916318115861
4Boston BruinsNE482718315012757
5New Jersey DevilsAT482218813612152
6Washington CapitalsAT482218813612052
7Buffalo SabresNE482219713011951
8New York RangersAT482223313913447
9Florida PanthersAT482022611512746
10Hartford WhalersNE481924512714143
11Montreal CanadiensNE481823712514843
12Tampa Bay LightningAT481728312014437
13New York IslandersAT481528512615835
14Ottawa SenatorsNE48934511717423

Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs

Schedule and results
1994–95 regular season[7]
January: 3–4–0 (home: 1–2–0; road: 2–2–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
1LJanuary 21, 19951–2@ New York Islanders (1994–95)0–1–0Recap
2LJanuary 23, 19955–6Pittsburgh Penguins (1994–95)0–2–0Recap
3LJanuary 25, 19952–3@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1994–95)0–3–0Recap
4WJanuary 26, 19954–2Tampa Bay Lightning (1994–95)1–3–0Recap
5WJanuary 28, 19952–1@ Hartford Whalers (1994–95)2–3–0Recap
6WJanuary 30, 19952–1@ Boston Bruins (1994–95)3–3–0Recap
7LJanuary 31, 19951–5New York Islanders (1994–95)3–4–0Recap
February: 4–7–2 (home: 2–5–1; road: 2–2–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
8TFebruary 2, 19951–1 OTMontreal Canadiens (1994–95)3–4–1Recap
9LFebruary 4, 19952–3@ Washington Capitals (1994–95)3–5–1Recap
10LFebruary 7, 19953–7@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1994–95)3–6–1Recap
11WFebruary 9, 19953–0@ Philadelphia Flyers (1994–95)4–6–1Recap
12WFebruary 11, 19954–3Hartford Whalers (1994–95)5–6–1Recap
13LFebruary 12, 19952–4New Jersey Devils (1994–95)5–7–1Recap
14WFebruary 15, 19952–0Ottawa Senators (1994–95)6–7–1Recap
15LFebruary 17, 19954–5Boston Bruins (1994–95)6–8–1Recap
16LFebruary 19, 19951–4Quebec Nordiques (1994–95)6–9–1Recap
17LFebruary 21, 19953–5New York Rangers (1994–95)6–10–1Recap
18LFebruary 23, 19952–5Montreal Canadiens (1994–95)6–11–1Recap
19WFebruary 25, 19954–1@ Ottawa Senators (1994–95)7–11–1Recap
20TFebruary 28, 19950–0 OT@ New York Rangers (1994–95)7–11–2Recap
March: 6–5–2 (home: 3–2–1; road: 3–3–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
21TMarch 2, 19952–2 OT@ Philadelphia Flyers (1994–95)7–11–3Recap
22LMarch 4, 19951–6@ New Jersey Devils (1994–95)7–12–3Recap
23WMarch 8, 19953–2Ottawa Senators (1994–95)8–12–3Recap
24WMarch 11, 19952–0@ Boston Bruins (1994–95)9–12–3Recap
25WMarch 12, 19954–1@ Hartford Whalers (1994–95)10–12–3Recap
26LMarch 14, 19951–2 OTBuffalo Sabres (1994–95)10–13–3Recap
27WMarch 16, 19955–1Washington Capitals (1994–95)11–13–3Recap
28LMarch 18, 19953–4 OTPhiladelphia Flyers (1994–95)11–14–3Recap
29LMarch 20, 19954–5 OT@ Quebec Nordiques (1994–95)11–15–3Recap
30WMarch 22, 19953–2@ Montreal Canadiens (1994–95)12–15–3Recap
31LMarch 24, 19950–3@ Buffalo Sabres (1994–95)12–16–3Recap
32WMarch 26, 19952–0Pittsburgh Penguins (1994–95)13–16–3Recap
33TMarch 29, 19954–4 OTHartford Whalers (1994–95)13–16–4Recap
April: 5–6–2 (home: 3–3–1; road: 2–3–1)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
34WApril 2, 19954–1@ Tampa Bay Lightning (1994–95)14–16–4Recap
35LApril 5, 19950–5New York Rangers (1994–95)14–17–4Recap
36TApril 8, 19952–2 OT@ New York Islanders (1994–95)14–17–5Recap
37LApril 12, 19951–3New York Islanders (1994–95)14–18–5Recap
38LApril 14, 19950–3@ Washington Capitals (1994–95)14–19–5Recap
39WApril 16, 19954–1Tampa Bay Lightning (1994–95)15–19–5Recap
40LApril 18, 19951–3Philadelphia Flyers (1994–95)15–20–5Recap
41WApril 20, 19951–0New Jersey Devils (1994–95)16–20–5Recap
42WApril 22, 19954–2Quebec Nordiques (1994–95)17–20–5Recap
43WApril 24, 19955–1@ Ottawa Senators (1994–95)18–20–5Recap
44LApril 26, 19950–5@ Buffalo Sabres (1994–95)18–21–5Recap
45LApril 28, 19951–3@ New Jersey Devils (1994–95)18–22–5Recap
46TApril 30, 19952–2 OTWashington Capitals (1994–95)18–22–6Recap
May: 2–0–0 (home: 0–0–0; road: 2–0–0)
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecordRecap
47WMay 2, 19954–3@ New York Rangers (1994–95)19–22–6Recap
48WMay 3, 19954–3@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1994–95)20–22–6Recap
Legend:

  Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Player statistics

Scoring
  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; 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.
Regular season
No. Player Pos GP G A Pts +/- PIM
26Jesse BelangerC47151429−518
14Stu BarnesC4110192978
27Scott MellanbyRW48131225−1690
5Gord MurphyD4661622−1424
10Dave LowryLW45101020−325
12Jody HullRW4611819−18
11Bill LindsayLW4810919146
21Tom FitzgeraldRW4831316−331
20Brian SkrudlandC475914088
18Mike HoughLW486713138
6Jason Woolley†D344913−118
29Johan Garpenlov†RW27391240
44Rob NiedermayerC484610−1336
22Bob KudelskiRW2663922
7Brian BenningD24178−618
28Magnus SvenssonD19257510
19Andrei LomakinLW31167−56
3Paul LausD3707712138
25Geoff SmithD47246−522
15Gaetan Duchesne†LW1312332
16Randy MollerD17033−516
24Brent Severyn‡D9112−337
24Robert SvehlaD511230
2Joe CirellaD20011−721
8Dallas EakinsD17011235
34John VanbiesbrouckG370116
4Keith BrownD1300012
23Jeff DanielsLW300000
30Mark FitzpatrickG150000
42Jamie LindenRW4000−117
38Stephane RicherD100002
17Dave TomlinsonC5000−20

Goaltending
Regular season
No. Player GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
34John Vanbiesbrouck37141541000862.47.91442087
30Mark Fitzpatrick15672361362.64.9002819

Draft picks

Florida's draft picks at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.[8]

Round Pick Player Nationality College/junior/club team
11Ed Jovanovski (D) CanadaWindsor Spitfires (OHL)
227Rhett Warrener (D) CanadaSaskatoon Blades (WHL)
231Jason Podollan (RW) CanadaSpokane Chiefs (WHL)
236Ryan Johnson (C) CanadaThunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
484David Nemirovsky (RW) CanadaOttawa 67's (OHL)
5105David Geris (D) CanadaWindsor Spitfires (OHL)
7157Matt O'Dette (RW) CanadaKitchener Rangers (OHL)
8183Jason Boudrias (C) CanadaLaval Titan (QMJHL)
10235Tero Lehtera (LW) FinlandKiekko-Espoo (Finland)
11261Per Gustafsson (D) SwedenHV71 (Sweden)
S1Sean McCann (D) CanadaHarvard University (ECAC)

References
  • "Florida Panthers 1994-95 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  • "1994-95 Florida Panthers Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  1. "1994-95 NHL Summary".
  2. Miles, Gary (June 16, 1994). "Clarke Waves Off Trading As A Goal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D2.
  3. "SPORTS PEOPLE: HOCKEY; Compensation for Clarke". The New York Times. June 16, 1994. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  4. "SPORTS PEOPLE: HOCKEY; Bryan Murray Named Panthers' G.M." The New York Times. August 2, 1994. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. Standings: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al. (eds.). THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
  6. "1994-1995 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
  7. "1994-95 Florida Panthers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  8. "1994 NHL Entry Draft". hockeydb.com.
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