How did the FLA Panthers make the 1996 SCF?

[TheDevilMadeMe]

In the past few years there has been some tendency by teams to emulate the latest cup winner (or at least there has been a big deal made about it in the media). After the Anaheim victory with lots of toughness, or the Wings with their puck possession, or the Pens with their 1-2-3 punch down the middle.

Which makes me believe that the Devils were more influential to the more defensive style of hockey seen for the next decade. Sure the Panthers showed a less talented team could win some upset victories but the Avs that year showed the more talented teams win in the end. How often do GM's try to emulate the loser?

The Panthers were clearly emulating the Devils, but overall scoring was up in 95-96, not down.

The Devils showed how to win with the trap... if you had an talented roster.

The Panthers showed that less talented teams could compete and often win using the trap, and by 96-97, the majority of low budget teams were using the style and scoring plummeted.