Schedule and 2011-12 Results
Regular Season Records: Florida 38-26-18=94pts, New Jersey 48-28-6=102pts
Game 1 on Friday, 13 April: New Jersey wins at Florida, 3-goals-2
Game 2 on Sunday, 15 April: New Jersey loses at Florida, 4-goals-2
Game 3 on Tuesday, 17 April: Florida wins at New Jersey, 4-goals-3
Game 4 on Thursday, 19 April: Florida loses at New Jersey, 4-goals-nil
Game 5 on Saturday, 21 April: New Jersey loses at Florida, 3-goals-nil
Game 6 on Tuesday, 24 April: Florida loses at New Jersey, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 7 on Thursday, 26 April: New Jersey wins at Florida, 3-goals-2 (2OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Scoring 3:47 into the second overtime period, the New Jersey Devils visited and defeated the Florida Panthers 3-goals-2 for a 4-games-3 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157 victory. With the series 1157 win, the New Jersey Devils improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 23-17 overall and 10-11 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1157 loss, the Florida Panthers see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 3-4 overall (with an active four-series losing streak) and 1-3 in the Preliminary round (with an active three-series losing streak). The win order for the victorious New Jersey Devils in series 1157 was WLLWLWW: Series 1157 thus becomes the first NHL Preliminary round series, the fifth NHL series (all rounds), the tenth MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds), and the first best-of-7 playoff series since series 951 (in which the Detroit Pistons defeated the Miami Heat in the 2005 NBA Semifinals) to follow this win order to completion. Series 1157 Game 7 becomes the tenth best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 7 to go into double overtime, and the fourth to be won by the road team once into double overtime. The last best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 7 to go into double overtime was series 708 Game 7 in the 1996 NHL Quarterfinals, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting and defeating the St. Louis Blues 1-goal-nil on a tally 1:15 into the second overtime period. The last best-of-7 NHL playoff Game 7 to go into double overtime and be won by the road team was series 678 Game 7 in the 1995 NHL Preliminary round, with the San Jose Sharks defeating the Flames in Calgary 5-goals-4 on a tally 1:54 into the second overtime period.

After Game 6: The New Jersey Devils hosted and, with a goal 5:39 into the first overtime period, defeated the Florida Panthers 3-goals-2 to even MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157 at 3-games-all. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the New Jersey Devils have an overall Game 7 record of 6-7 and a road Game 7 record of 3-5. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Florida Panthers have an overall Game 7 record of 1-0 (in series 710, over the Penguins in Pittsburgh in the 1996 NHL Semifinals) and a home Game 7 record of 0-0.

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157 back in south Florida for Game 5, the host Panthers shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-goals-nil for a 3-games-2 series 1157 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Florida Panthers have a 1-0 series record and a 1-0 Game 6 record (both occurring in series 706, against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1996 NHL Quarterfinals). When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the New Jersey Devils have a 2-5 series record and a 4-3 Game 6 record.

After Game 4: The New Jersey Devils hosted and shut out the Florida Panthers 4-goals-nil to even MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the New Jersey Devils have a 9-9 series record and a 13-5 Game 5 record with an active three-Game 5 winning streak, while the Florida Panthers have a 2-0 series record and a 1-1 Game 5 record. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2011, inclusive, teams such as New Jersey which win Game 4 by shutout to tie the series 2-games-all have a 10-12 series record overall, but a 6-1 series record in the last seven such series.

After Game 3: Winning their first playoff road game since MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 710 Game 7 over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1996 NHL Semifinals round, the Florida Panthers defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-goals-3 to take a series 1157 lead of 2-games-1. New Jersey opened the scoring only 33 seconds into the game and had a 3-goals-nil lead as late as 16:10 into the game. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2011, inclusive, road teams such as the Florida Panthers which trailed by three goals as late as 16:10 into the first period had a game record of only 2-63 (.031). When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 4 record of 0-1. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the New Jersey Devils have a series record of 3-12 (with an active three-series losing streak) and a Game 4 record of 8-7 (with an active three-Game 4 losing streak).

After Game 2: Winning their first playoff game (and playoff home game) since MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 726 Game 1 over the New York Rangers in the 1997 NHL Preliminary round, the Florida Panthers defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-goals-2 to tie series 1157 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the New Jersey Devils have an 11-12 series record (with an active three-series losing streak) with a 12-11 Game 3 record, while the Florida Panthers have a 2-1 series record and a 1-2 Game 3 record.

After Game 1: The New Jersey Devils visited and defeated the Florida Panthers 3-goals-2 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the New Jersey Devils have a series record of 14-5 and a Game 2 record of 10-9. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Florida Panthers have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 2 record of 0-2; both of those series losses were four-game sweeps (in series 712 to the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 NHL Finals; in series 801 to the New Jersey Devils in the 2000 NHL Preliminary round).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011-12 regular season, Florida finished eight points behind New Jersey. From 1939 through 2011, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by eight regular-season points, they have posted a 15-6 (.714) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1157 is the 40th best-of-7 playoff series for New Jersey, and the seventh for Florida. In best-of-7 playoff series, New Jersey has a 22-17 series record, a 9-11 Preliminary-round series record, and a 19-20 Game 1 record, while Florida has a 3-3 series record, a 1-2 Preliminary-round series record, and a 4-2 Game 1 record. Series 1157 is the second best-of-7 meeting between New Jersey and Florida - New Jersey swept the previous series (series 801, in the 2000 NHL Preliminary round ... the last best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Floriday Panthers prior to this one).