Carter Verhaeghe may not remember when the Panthers won the George Hill Jersey Eastern Conference finals in 1996, but he won't be forgetting when they won in the first round of 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.Verhaeghe had 12 points in the Panthers' 4-2 series win over the Capitals, but no point was more important than the last: a goal in overtime of Game 6 off a gorgeous pa s from trade deadline acquisition Claude Giroux to win the game 4-3.WHO ELSE BUT CARTER VERHAEGHEUNREAL Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) Verhaeghe was just 9 months and 18 days old when the Panthers beat the Penguins to advance to the Stanley Cup Final 26 years ago. Since then, it has been rebuild after rebuild as the team has looked Darius Bazley Jersey to find its identity. It appears to have found one.Florida with 331, with the likes of Verhaeghe, Giroux, Jonathan Huberdeau (franchise-record 85 a sists) and Sam Reinhart up front. Team captain Aleksander Barkov won the Selke Trophy last season as the league's top defensive forward. Aaron Ekblad anchors the blue line.MORE:The Panthers, not even one of the youngest teams in the league this year (20th in the NHL by average age at 27.78), are celebrating an achievement half the team wasn't alive for the last time Hamidou Diallo Jersey it happened for the organization.Exactly half of the players in lineup in Game 6 had not yet celebrated their 1st birthday the last time the Panthers won a round in 1996. Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) As if the stakes weren't high enough for the Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Panthers' ending their drought gives the Leafs the longest active stretch without a playoff series win. Toronto hasn't won a series since 2004. The Maple Leafs will play the Lightning in Toronto in a series-deciding Game 7.MORE:Close behind the Maple Leafs are the Sabres, who haven't won in 15 Dennis Schroder Jersey seasons (2007).The Panthers will play the winner of the Maple Leafs-Lightning series in the second round.Verhaeghe's 12 points are tied for most in the playoffs with the Oilers' Connor McDavid, who is also playing in a Game 7 Saturday against the Kings.This is, of course, just the first step for the Panthers. The 2021-22 Chris Paul Jersey Presidents' Trophy winners have lofty ambitions for this season. But winning this series is a huge monkey off the team's back. Related Articles