2011 – 12 Florida Panthers season The 2011 – 12 Florida Panthers season was the 19th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 14 , 1993 . The Panthers qualified for the playoffs , 12 years after their previous playoff appearance in the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs , 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 . The Panthers had a 3 – 2 lead in the series before dropping 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 . Dineen had spent the previous six seasons coaching the Portland Pirates of the AHL . Regular season . The Panthers had their first quality season in over a decade in 2011 – 12 , having never finished above 3rd 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 3rd 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 come out on top . 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 . Player stats . 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 " Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Panthers . Stats reflect time with Panthers only . Traded mid - season Bold / italics denotes franchise record Final roster . < br > Transactions . The Panthers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011 – 12 season . Draft picks . Florida ' s picks at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St . Paul , Minnesota .