Cole Reinhardt Is Scoring at Will and the Panthers Refuse to Quit Even Though Their Dynasty Is Done

The Florida Panthers' reign as back-to-back Stanley Cup champs officially ends Wednesday night. They're hosting the Detroit Red Wings in a season finale between two teams already watching from the sidelines, but don't tell the Panthers they're supposed to roll over. With most of their stars sidelined and 14 players on the injured list, Florida is somehow riding a two-game win streak and playing like they've got something to prove.

Reinhardt Is on Fire and Tarasov Won't Let This Thing Die

Cole Reinhardt has become the feel-good story nobody saw coming. Placed on waivers by Vegas back in March, the 27-year-old forward has scored four goals in his last three games with the Panthers. On Monday, he posted the first two-goal game of his NHL career in a 3-2 win over the Rangers. "It's a new chapter in my career," Reinhardt said. "There's a little success happening, and I'm trying to run with it."

Behind the bench, backup goalie Daniil Tarasov has been the unsung hero keeping this ship afloat. The 27-year-old is 12-15-3 with a 3.12 goals-against average and .893 save percentage, and that career-high 12 wins include this modest win streak. "We cannot give up," Tarasov said. "We need to finish strong at home. We cannot be soft in our building." It's a far cry from Sergei Bobrovsky's season, where the starter sits at 27-23-1 with a 3.07 GAA. For context, Bobrovsky averaged 34.5 wins per season over the previous two years and carries a career 2.61 GAA.

Detroit's Decade of Pain Continues, But Kane Gives Them Pride

The Red Wings are heading into this finale with a brutal footnote attached: this is their 10th straight season out of the playoffs. It's the longest drought in Detroit franchise history, and that's a 100-year-old organization we're talking about. They're coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay, where they battled back from down 3-1 just to force extra time.

Patrick Kane, 37, notched an assist Monday night that sent him to 1,400 career points. He's the 24th player ever to reach that milestone and one of just four active players in that club alongside Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin. Kane said he'll play again next season and praised his team's fight against Tampa. "We showed up," Kane said. "We could've packed it in. But to come back and force overtime, I'm proud of this group for sure." He's got 16 goals and 41 assists this year.

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan echoed that sentiment about effort mattering. Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with a career-high-tying 41 goals and 84 points, while Lucas Raymond has 51 assists, just two short of his career best.

Wednesday's Finale: Two Teams Playing Out the String

When the Panthers and Red Wings face off Wednesday night in Sunrise, Florida, it won't be for playoff positioning or pride. It'll be two non-playoff teams closing the book on their seasons. The Panthers are 39-38-4. The Red Wings are 41-30-10. But Florida is making noise with their backs against the wall, and you can't help but respect the fight.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.