On their home ice, the Florida Panthers have the chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final tonight with a win against the New York Rangers. If the Rangers can pull off the road upset in Game 6, they can go back to Madison Square Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7. Before we get into the action, let’s take a look at some stats, facts, and notes for this one.
Related: Projected Lineups for Rangers vs Panthers — Game 6
With at least two games remaining in the Conference Final and an entire Stanley Cup Final left to go, the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs can reach 40 comeback wins with one tonight. Only 1987, 1991, 1999, 2010, and 2020 have ever had 40 overall — none have had 50 or more.
In these playoffs, the road team has been victorious 44 out of the 79 total games, good for a 56 percent rate — this series has had three of them. Through 79 contests, no postseason has had more road winners. As for an entire postseason, the record for the most is 47, set in 2012 and later matched in 2023.
In the history of the Conference Final, teams that have a 3-2 series lead in a best-of-seven showdown have won 72 of 88 series. Interestingly, 52 of those 72 wins have come in Game 6, while 20 of them have come in Game 7. The home teams in Game 6, which the Panthers are, hold an all-time record of 32-12 when leading 3-2.
In the history of Florida’s franchise that goes back to 1993-94, they are 2-0 when they have a chance to move on to the Stanley Cup Final with a win. They won Game 7 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. The latter of the two was in Florida’s very own Amerant Bank Arena.
The odds seem to be stacked against the Rangers, seeing as teams that trail a best-of-seven Conference Final entering Game 6 have a record of 36-52. On the road, that record decreases to 12-32 — the last team to win in the Rangers’ situation was the Penguins in 2016, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning. That Pittsburgh team took Game 7, too, and eventually won the Stanley Cup.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Finals Hub
The last time the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, which was in 1994, they trailed their series 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final in a road Game 6 versus the New Jersey Devils. Just like in 2024, they won the Presidents’ Trophy.
The Rangers have forced a Game 7 when trailing in the Conference Final 3-2 five times over the course of their history. They lost in Game 7 four times, while they, of course, won that sole do-or-die contest once against the Devils back in 1994.
Seven out of the last eight teams to win a Game 7 after trailing 3-2 in the Conference Final have ended up winning the Stanley Cup. The teams to go the distance were the 2018 Washington Capitals, 2016 Penguins, 2015 Chicago Blackhawks, 2002 Detroit Red Wings, 2000 Devils, 1999 Dallas Stars, and the 1994 Rangers. The 1996 Panthers broke this trend, losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final.