2008–09 Florida Panthers season National Hockey League team season
The 2008–09 Florida Panthers season was the 15th season for the franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). The 2008–09 season was also the eighth consecutive season in which the Panthers did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs , finishing level on points with the qualifying Montreal Canadiens , but suffering from an inferior head-to-head record (1–3), the decisive tiebreaker.
On June 14, 2008, the Panthers named Peter DeBoer head coach and signed him to a multi-year contract.[ 1] Former head coach Jacques Martin had resigned from the position but retained his position as general manager.
Preseason
The Florida Panthers played seven preseason exhibition games before the start of the regular season. The team went on a road trip across North America to play six games on six consecutive nights, winning only the first two games. The trip included the first-ever NHL game played on Prince Edward Island , against the New York Islanders . After one final preseason game at home, the Panthers finished the preseason with a 3–2–2 record.
Regular season
Divisional standings
Conference standings
bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)
AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division
Schedule and results
2008–09 Game Log
October: 4–5–0 (Home: 3–2–0; Road: 1–3–0)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
1
October 10
Florida
4 - 6
Carolina
Vokoun
18,680
0-1-0
0
2
October 11
Atlanta
2 - 3
Florida
OT
Vokoun
18,401
1-1-0
2
3
October 16
Minnesota
6 - 2
Florida
Vokoun
12,106
1-2-0
2
4
October 18
NY Islanders
0 - 2
Florida
Vokoun
16,087
2-2-0
4
5
October 20
Florida
1 - 3
Montreal
Vokoun
21,273
2-3-0
4
6
October 22
Florida
3 - 1
Ottawa
Anderson
18,952
3-3-0
6
7
October 24
San Jose
3 - 4
Florida
Vokoun
15,232
4-3-0
8
8
October 25
Florida
0 - 4
St. Louis
Anderson
19,150
4-4-0
8
9
October 30
Ottawa
2 - 1
Florida
Vokoun
13,567
4-5-0
8
November: 5–6–3 (Home: 2–1–2; Road: 3–5–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
10
November 1
Florida
2 - 3
Nashville
SO
Anderson
14,909
4-5-1
9
11
November 2
Florida
3 - 5
Atlanta
Vokoun
10,584
4-6-1
9
12
November 6
Florida
2 - 3
Los Angeles
Vokoun
11,267
4-7-1
9
13
November 8
Florida
1 - 4
Phoenix
Vokoun
14,807
4-8-1
9
14
November 9
Florida
3 - 1
Anaheim
Anderson
16,951
5-8-1
11
15
November 12
Tampa Bay
0 - 4
Florida
Anderson
12,104
6-8-1
13
16
November 14
Detroit
3 - 2
Florida
Vokoun
18,637
6-9-1
13
17
November 18
Florida
4 - 3
Tampa Bay
SO
Vokoun
16,176
7-9-1
15
18
November 20
Florida
1 - 3
New Jersey
Vokoun
14,291
7-10-1
15
19
November 21
Florida
2 - 4
Boston
Vokoun
16,878
7-11-1
15
20
November 24
Carolina
2 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
11,117
8-11-1
17
21
November 26
New Jersey
3 - 2
Florida
OT
Anderson
14,932
8-11-2
18
22
November 28
NY Rangers
4 - 3
Florida
SO
Anderson
18,106
8-11-3
19
23
November 30
Florida
4 - 0
NY Rangers
Anderson
18,200
9-11-3
21
December: 7–5–2 (Home: 3–2–1; Road: 4–3–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
24
December 2
Florida
5 - 3
Washington
Anderson
16,792
10-11-3
23
25
December 4
Buffalo
1 - 2
Florida
Anderson
13,123
11-11-3
25
26
December 6
Boston
4 - 0
Florida
Anderson
16,213
11-12-3
25
27
December 8
Florida
4 - 3
Ottawa
OT
Anderson
17,947
12-12-3
27
28
December 11
Florida
2 - 0
Edmonton
Anderson
16,839
13-12-3
29
29
December 12
Florida
3 - 2
Calgary
SO
Vokoun
19,289
14-12-3
31
30
December 14
Florida
3 - 5
Vancouver
Anderson
18,630
14-13-3
31
31
December 18
Florida
1 - 2
Carolina
OT
Vokoun
14,533
14-13-4
32
32
December 21
Colorado
0 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
16,132
15-13-4
34
33
December 23
Nashville
0 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
14,703
16-13-4
36
34
December 26
Tampa Bay
4 - 3
Florida
SO
Vokoun
16,961
16-13-5
37
35
December 27
Florida
4 - 6
Tampa Bay
Vokoun
18,226
16-14-5
37
36
December 29
Montreal
5 - 2
Florida
Anderson
20,741
16-15-5
37
37
December 31
Florida
2 - 4
NY Islanders
Vokoun
12,211
16-16-5
37
January: 7–2–3 (Home: 4–1–2; Road: 3–1–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
38
January 3
Florida
6 - 1
Pittsburgh
Anderson
17,042
17-16-5
39
39
January 4
Florida
5 - 6
Montreal
SO
Anderson
21,273
17-16-6
40
40
January 6
Florida
4 - 2
Toronto
Vokoun
19,197
18-16-6
42
41
January 8
Carolina
2 - 4
Florida
Vokoun
10,323
19-16-6
44
42
January 10
Atlanta
4 - 8
Florida
Vokoun
14,323
20-16-6
46
43
January 16
Philadelphia
3 - 2
Florida
SO
Vokoun
17,827
20-16-7
47
44
January 17
Florida
4 - 3
Tampa Bay
Vokoun
17,217
21-16-7
49
45
January 19
Buffalo
3 - 2
Florida
SO
Vokoun
12,480
21-16-8
50
46
January 21
Dallas
4 - 1
Florida
Vokoun
11,200
21-17-8
50
47
January 27
Philadelphia
2 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
13,904
22-17-8
52
48
January 29
Montreal
1 - 5
Florida
Vokoun
16,334
23-17-8
54
49
January 31
Florida
1 - 3
NY Islanders
Vokoun
13,336
23-18-8
54
February: 8–5–0 (Home: 5–2–0; Road: 3–3–0)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
50
February 3
Florida
4 - 3
Toronto
OT
Anderson
19,095
24-18-8
56
51
February 5
NY Islanders
2 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
14,206
25-18-8
58
52
February 7
Florida
1 - 3
Washington
Vokoun
18,277
25-19-8
58
53
February 10
Toronto
4 - 5
Florida
OT
Vokoun
13,764
26-19-8
60
54
February 12
Florida
5 - 0
Carolina
Vokoun
18,680
27-19-8
62
55
February 13
NY Rangers
1 - 2
Florida
SO
Vokoun
17,042
28-19-8
64
56
February 15
Washington
4 - 2
Florida
Vokoun
17,279
28-20-8
64
57
February 17
New Jersey
0 - 4
Florida
Vokoun
14,514
29-20-8
66
58
February 19
Chicago
4 - 0
Florida
Vokoun
16,133
29-21-8
66
59
February 21
Boston
0 - 2
Florida
Vokoun
19,343
30-21-8
68
60
February 24
Florida
1 - 6
Boston
Anderson
16,781
30-22-8
68
61
February 26
Florida
2 - 1
NY Rangers
Anderson
18,200
31-22-8
70
62
February 28
Florida
2 - 7
New Jersey
Anderson
16,256
31-23-8
70
March: 7–5–3 (Home: 3–3–2; Road: 4–2–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
63
March 1
Florida
6 - 2
Washington
Anderson
18,277
32-23-8
72
64
March 3
Florida
4 - 3
Atlanta
Vokoun
10,329
33-23-8
74
65
March 5
Pittsburgh
4 - 1
Florida
Vokoun
18,933
33-24-8
74
66
March 7
St. Louis
3 - 5
Florida
Vokoun
17,591
34-24-8
76
67
March 10
Florida
3 - 4
Pittsburgh
SO
Vokoun
17,132
34-24-9
77
68
March 12
Florida
1 - 3
Buffalo
Vokoun
18,690
34-25-9
77
69
March 14
Tampa Bay
4 - 3
Florida
SO
Vokoun
17,734
34-25-10
78
70
March 17
Washington
3 - 0
Florida
Vokoun
14,650
34-26-10
78
71
March 19
Toronto
1 - 3
Florida
Vokoun
15,467
35-26-10
80
72
March 21
Columbus
3 - 1
Florida
Vokoun
17,032
35-27-10
80
73
March 23
Carolina
3 - 2
Florida
OT
Vokoun
14,304
35-27-11
81
74
March 25
Florida
3 - 5
Buffalo
Vokoun
18,690
35-28-11
81
75
March 26
Florida
4 - 2
Philadelphia
Anderson
19,631
36-28-11
83
76
March 28
Florida
6 - 3
Dallas
Anderson
18,532
37-28-11
85
77
March 31
Ottawa
2 - 5
Florida
Anderson
15,247
38-28-11
87
April: 3–2–0 (Home: 2–1–0; Road: 1–1–0)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Decision
Attendance
Record
Pts
78
April 3
Atlanta
3 - 1
Florida
Anderson
15,945
38-29-11
87
79
April 5
Pittsburgh
2 - 4
Florida
Vokoun
18,232
39-29-11
89
80
April 7
Florida
1 - 2
Philadelphia
Vokoun
19,637
39-30-11
89
81
April 9
Florida
3 - 2
Atlanta
Vokoun
15,738
40-30-11
91
82
April 11
Washington
4 - 7
Florida
Vokoun
18,527
41-30-11
93
Legend : Win (2 points)
Loss (0 points)
Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)
Playoffs
The Panthers failed to make the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. They last made the playoffs in 2000 .
Player statistics
Skaters
Goaltenders
Regular season
Player
GP
Min
W
L
OT
GA
GAA
SA
SV
Sv%
SO
Tomas Vokoun
59
3324
26
23
6
138
2.49
1855
1717
.926
6
Craig Anderson
31
1635
15
7
5
74
2.71
977
903
.924
3
† 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
Records
Milestones
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Player
Former team
Contract Terms
Claimed from waivers
Player
Former team
Date claimed off waivers
Draft picks
Florida's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa • Ontario .
See also
Farm teams
The Florida Panthers maintain affiliations with two minor league teams, the Rochester Americans and the Florida Everblades .
References
Franchise History Personnel Arenas Rivalries Affiliates Media Culture and lore