Instead of being on the incorrect facet of historical past, the Florida Panthers have captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise historical past after defeating the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, in an exciting Game 7 on Monday evening.
The Panthers had an opportunity to get that first title final season, however fell in 5 video games to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers fought with all their may, battling again from 3-0 to change into the primary staff since 1945 to pressure a Game 7 after being on the point of defeat.
But Florida fought off the Oilers’ desperation efforts to come back out with the Stanley Cup of their possession.
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The first objective of the sport got here on an inauspicious heave to the web by Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues, who was merely in search of somebody to doubtlessly deflect it towards internet.
Well, that’s precisely what Carter Verhaeghe was there for, as his hand-eye coordination was on level along with his blade redirecting the puck completely between Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner’s legs.
The house crowd in Sunrise, Florida, went ballistic within the stands, because the Panthers, wanting desperately to get momentum going early, took the lead. It was Verhaeghe’s eleventh objective of those Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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But an issue for Florida within the final three video games have been breakaway possibilities that Edmonton had capitalized on, and Mattias Janmark discovered himself with one later within the first interval when Cody Ceci launched a lovely go down ice to his stick.
Janmark made a fast transfer and flipped the puck simply over Sergei Bobrovsky, who has had hassle with these possibilities for the Oilers of late. Janmark dropped down to at least one knee, as his Edmonton teammates celebrated his fourth objective of the playoffs.
The second interval noticed extra possibilities on each ends of the ice, and the Oilers have been those that just about received the lead with free pucks in Bobrovsky’s crease in some way not being pushed over the road.
Then, Florida discovered themselves with a rush down ice, as Sam Reinhart took the puck up the appropriate facet. Instead of a defender shifting as much as Reinhart, the protection was apprehensive about these becoming a member of the frenzy, however Reinhart had his eyes set on the web.
He ripped a shot at Skinner, and Skinner couldn’t glove it because it discovered the again of the web as a substitute.
In the tip, that was the decisive objective, although the Oilers definitely gave Bobrovsky and the Panthers some scares within the third interval.
Their greatest probability got here on a stable forecheck, the place Evan Bouchard slapped a go to Connor McDavid within the entrance of the web. McDavid, whose back-to-back four-point performances in Games 4 and 5 assist Edmonton get thus far within the sequence, appeared like he was going to beat Bobrovsky, who couldn’t get his poke examine to knock the puck away.
However, Gustav Forsling had maybe essentially the most well timed stick of this complete sequence, as he shortly dropped it to impede McDavid’s shot. The shot bounced round, however the play was whistled lifeless with a number of gamers attempting to stuff the puck within the Panthers’ internet.
Anton Lundell #15 and Carter Verhaeghe #23 of the Florida Panthers have a good time after Verhaeghe’s objective through the first interval of Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final towards the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The Oilers had many possibilities in Florida’s finish, however Bobrovksy and the Panthers’ protection stopped all makes an attempt for effectively over 5 minutes.
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It wasn’t simple, however this journey to the Stanley Cup did not finish with a second-place end for the Panthers, who’ve their names etched within the treasured steel perpetually.
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