Former Panthers In The Second Round Of NHL Playoffs

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is complete, and although the Florida Panthers did not participate, several former Panthers players have moved on.

The first round featured several thrilling series, as well as sweeps.

Today, we’ll look at how each former Panthers player fared in the first round and what comes next for them in the second round.

The Philadelphia Flyers pulled off a slight upset over the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the series in six games. The Flyers made a late run into the playoffs and carried that momentum into the playoffs.

Former first-round pick of the Panthers, Owen Tippett, was a force for the Flyers. The 27-year-old only scored one goal and two points, but his speed was a handful for the Penguins to deal with. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury against the Penguins and was held out of the lineup for Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Noah Juulsen played just four games with the Panthers, but he’s become a serviceable third-pairing defender. Juulsen played in four games against the Penguins, failing to record a point and averaging 10:51 of ice time.

Former Panthers Goaltender Signs Extension With Hurricanes

Former Panthers Goaltender Signs Extension With Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes have signed former Florida Panthers goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year, $5.7 million contract extension.

Brandon Bussi and Mike Reilly, Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are rolling. They swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round and started their series against the Flyers with a dominant 3-0 win.

While Brandon Bussi hasn’t played, Frederik Andersen has been the starting netminder for the Hurricanes. He was great for the Hurricanes during the regular season. Bussi was signed to a two-way deal by the Panthers in the off-season, but was claimed off waivers by the Hurricanes in pre-season.

As for Mike Reilly, he played just two games with the Panthers, but he has been an effective defenseman throughout his career. Reilly did not play in the first round, but the 32-year-old notched two assists in Game 1 against the Flyers.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round in Game 7 just last night. Montembeault didn’t dress for any game, as he has been demoted to the third-string netminder.

The 29-year-old was a third-round pick of the Panthers in 2015, but played just 25 games with the organization.

Mike Matheson played 299 games with the Panthers, the most of any team in his career, although it will be the Canadiens with whom he’s played the most soon. The 32-year-old has posted some strong offensive seasons in his career, but now he’s used more as a solid second-pairing two-way defender.

The Canadiens are set for a challenging second-round matchup against the Buffalo Sabres.

Alex Lyon has posted a .955 save percentage and 1.14 goals-against average in the playoffs so far. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Alex Lyon, Buffalo Sabres

Alex Lyon is a Panthers hero, and now he’s becoming a Sabres icon. Lyon helped the Panthers make a late push to the playoffs in 2023, and now he’s stepped into the crease in place of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and has dominated.

The 33-year-old guided the Sabres to three wins, allowing just one goal in each win. He allowed just two goals in his only loss in the playoffs so far.

Radko Gudas and Frank Vatrano haven’t been a factor in the Anaheim Ducks’ success. If anything, Gudas did the opposite.

In Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, Gudas fell over his feet while Mattias Ekholm skated towards him, allowing a clean shot on goal before the Oilers scored on the rebound. Gudas then exited the lineup with an injury and has not returned. The Ducks went on to win four of the next five games.

As for Vatrano, he’s been a healthy scratch for the Ducks. He played five seasons in Florida, but the same issues that plagued him before continue: inconsistency.

Could The Panthers Take Advantage Of The Goaltending Situation In Minnesota? If the Florida Panthers are in the market for a goaltender this off-season, could they look to take advantage of the situation with the Minnesota Wild?

The Minnesota Wild may have been handed the toughest hand in the first round, but they didn’t complain. Rather, they defeated the Dallas Stars in six games and looked more in control than the Stars did.

Vladimir Tarasenko was a bit quiet, but he remains a solid offensive player now in his mid-thirties. Tarasenko wasn’t an incredible producer for the Panthers when they won the Stanley Cup in 2024, but he pitched in when needed.

As for Petry, he was an off-season signing whom the Panthers traded away at the deadline. The veteran has skated in just one playoff game for the Wild so far.

The Wild will be in tough against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, as Game 1 finished 9-6 in a loss for the Wild.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Read the full article here