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2011–12 Florida Panthers
Southeast Division champions
Division1st Southeast
Conference3rd Eastern
2011–12 record38–26–18
Home record21–9–11
Road record17–17–7
Goals for202
Goals against222
Team information
General manager Dale Tallon
Coach Kevin Dineen
CaptainVacant
Alternate captains Brian Campbell
Ed Jovanovski
Tomas Kopecky
Stephen Weiss
Arena BankAtlantic Center
Average attendance16,628 (86.3%)

Total: 681,763
Team leaders
Goals Tomas Fleischmann (27)
Assists Brian Campbell (49)
PointsTomas Fleischmann (61)
Penalty minutes Krystofer Barch (91)
Plus/minus Jason Garrison (+6)
Wins Jose Theodore (22)
Goals against average Jose Theodore (2.46)
←  2010–11
2012–13 →

The 2011–12 Florida Panthers season was the 18th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 14, 1993. [1]

The Panthers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 12 years after their previous playoff appearance in 2000, and also won their division for the first time. However, the Panthers could not further their progress, losing in the opening round to the New Jersey Devils, who would go on to be the Stanley Cup runner-up. The Panthers had a 3–2 lead in the series before losing Games 6 and 7 to be eliminated from the playoffs.

Off-season

On June 1, 2011, the Panthers introduced their new head coach, former NHL player Kevin Dineen. [2] Dineen had spent the previous six seasons coaching the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Regular season

See the game log below for detailed game-by-game season information.

The Panthers had their first quality season in over a decade in 2011–12, having never finished above third place in the Southeast Division since 1999–2000. Despite losing more games than they won, competition for the Panthers within the Division was not fierce, and the team was in third place in the Eastern Conference as the Southeast Division leader throughout much of the season. Although the Panthers amassed more losses than wins, 18 of these losses were in overtime or a shootout (the highest number of any team in the NHL for the 2011–12 season), meaning Florida often gained a point even when they failed to win.

Playoffs

The Panthers clinched a playoff berth on April 5, 2012, securing the return of playoff hockey to South Florida for the first time in 12 years. The third-seeded Panthers had home ice advantage by virtue of winning their division, despite the sixth-seeded New Jersey Devils besting them in regular season point totals (102 to 94). The Devils won the first game of the series, but the Panthers bounced back with a win in Game 2 to even the series as it headed to New Jersey. The Panthers would return the favor by winning Game 3, 4–3, but the Devils recorded a shutout in Game 4, 4–0. The Panthers returned home to play Game 5 and were one win away from winning their first post-season series since 1996 after notching a shutout of their own, 3–0. The series went back to New Jersey for the final time of the series, with the home team tying the series after winning Game 6 in overtime, the first extra period of the series. The seventh and deciding game went even longer than Game 6 after the Panthers managed to score two power-play goals in the third period to force overtime. The game—and series—was still even after the completion of one extra period. Less than four minutes into the second overtime, the first shot on goal by either team was recorded by Devils rookie center Adam Henrique and notched his second goal of the game and deciding goal of the series, eliminating the Panthers from the playoffs, 3–2.

Standings

Southeast Division
Pos Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Florida Panthers 82 38 26 18 32 203 227 −24 94
2 x – Washington Capitals 82 42 32 8 38 222 230 −8 92
3 Tampa Bay Lightning 82 38 36 8 35 235 281 −46 84
4 Winnipeg Jets 82 37 35 10 33 225 246 −21 84
5 Carolina Hurricanes 82 33 33 16 32 213 243 −30 82
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division
Eastern Conference
Pos Div Team GP W L OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts
1 AT z – New York Rangers 82 51 24 7 47 226 187 +39 109
2 NE y – Boston Bruins 82 49 29 4 40 269 202 +67 102
3 SE y – Florida Panthers 82 38 26 18 32 203 227 −24 94
4 AT x – Pittsburgh Penguins 82 51 25 6 42 282 221 +61 108
5 AT x – Philadelphia Flyers 82 47 26 9 43 264 232 +32 103
6 AT x – New Jersey Devils 82 48 28 6 36 228 209 +19 102
7 SE x – Washington Capitals 82 42 32 8 38 222 230 −8 92
8 NE x – Ottawa Senators 82 41 31 10 35 249 240 +9 92
9 NE Buffalo Sabres 82 39 32 11 32 218 230 −12 89
10 SE Tampa Bay Lightning 82 38 36 8 35 235 281 −46 84
11 SE Winnipeg Jets 82 37 35 10 33 225 246 −21 84
12 SE Carolina Hurricanes 82 33 33 16 32 213 243 −30 82
13 NE Toronto Maple Leafs 82 35 37 10 31 231 264 −33 80
14 AT New York Islanders 82 34 37 11 27 203 255 −52 79
15 NE Montreal Canadiens 82 31 35 16 26 212 226 −14 78
Source: National Hockey League
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division; z – Clinched conference

Schedule and results

Pre-season

Regular season

Legend
Panthers Win Panthers Regulation Loss Panthers OT/Shootout Loss ASG
Boldface text denotes a Panthers goalie
2011–12 Game Log

Playoffs

Legend
Panthers Win Panthers Loss
Boldface text denotes a Panthers goalie
2011–12 Playoff Game Log

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals ; GAA= Goals against average; SA= Shots against; SV= Saves; Sv% = Save percentage; SO= Shutouts

Regular season
Player GP TOI W L OT GA GAA SA Sv% SO G A PIM
Jose Theodore 53 3049 22 16 11 125 2.46 1502 .917 3 0 0 2
Scott Clemmensen 30 1566 14 6 6 67 2.57 773 .913 1 0 1 0
Jacob Markstrom 7 383 2 4 1 17 2.66 222 .923 0 0 0 0
Brian Foster 1 5 0 0 0 0 0.00 1 1.000 0 0 0 0
Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L GA GAA SA Sv% SO G A PIM
Jose Theodore 5 268 2 2 11 2.46 135 .919 1 0 0 0
Scott Clemmensen 3 179 1 2 7 2.35 88 .920 0 0 1 0

Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Panthers. Stats reflect time with Panthers only.
Traded mid-season
Bold/italics denotes franchise record

Awards and records

Awards

Regular Season
Player Award Awarded

Records

Milestones

Regular Season
Player Milestone Reached
Erik Gudbranson 1st Career NHL Game October 8, 2011
Bracken Kearns 1st Career NHL Game October 20, 2011
Jacob Markstrom 1st Career NHL Win October 22, 2011
Jack Skille 100th Career NHL Game October 24, 2011
Tomas Kopecky 100th Career NHL Point October 29, 2011
Marcel Goc 400th Career NHL Game October 31, 2011
Marco Sturm 900th Career NHL Game October 31, 2011
Tomas Fleischmann 100th Career NHL Assist November 10, 2011
Erik Gudbranson 1st Career NHL Assist
1st Career NHL Point
December 1, 2011
Tim Kennedy 100th Career NHL Game December 1, 2011
Jose Theodore 600th Career NHL Game December 8, 2011
Erik Gudbranson 1st Career NHL Goal December 11, 2011
Kris Versteeg 100th Career NHL Assist December 11, 2011
Greg Rallo 1st Career NHL Game December 18, 2011
Stephen Weiss 600th Career NHL Game January 18, 2012
Brian Foster 1st Career NHL Game February 4, 2012
Kris Versteeg 300th Career NHL Game February 7, 2012
Keaton Ellerby 100th Career NHL Game February 9, 2012
Tomas Fleischmann 200th Career NHL Point February 12, 2012
Colby Robak 1st Career NHL Game February 12, 2012
Tyson Strachan 1st Career NHL Goal February 12, 2012
Tomas Kopecky 400th Career NHL Game March 3, 2012
Krys Barch 300th Career NHL Game March 13, 2012
Brian Campbell 300th Career NHL Assist March 15, 2012
Brian Campbell 700th Career NHL Game March 23, 2012
Shawn Matthias 200th Career NHL Game March 27, 2012
Mike Weaver 500th Career NHL Game April 1, 2012
Kris Versteeg 200th Career NHL Point April 3, 2012

Transactions

The Panthers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011–12 season.