The Florida Panthers made history on Saturday night in front of more than 19,000 fans at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 to win their first Stanley Cup.
As expected, Game 7 was a hard-fought contest with both teams going at it throughout the game.
Panthers Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves.
Wilfredo Lee / AP
This time, he’s on the right side of history – after avoiding what would have been a historic collapse. The Panthers won the first three games of the series, then lost the next three and needed a win Monday to avoid joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings as the only teams to lose in the finals after taking a 3-0 lead in the title round.
It is not easy. Not even close. But it’s over. It took until the end for the Panthers to deny Connor McDavid his first title, and Edmonton would go for its first Cup since 2006.
CBS News Miami cameras captured images of fans at viewing parties throughout South Florida cheering and screaming for every goal scored.
This year marks the third time the Panthers have played in the Stanley Cup. In 2023, the Cats fell to the Golden Knights and in 1996, the Year of the Ratto the Avalanche.
Panthers fans had to wait three long decades to reach this moment. It took 30 seasons, 457 different players, 18 different coaches, nearly two decades of no contact, rumors of contractions, rumors of relocation, and who knows how many bad nights to date.
The Cats and fans suffered in this series, but in the end, they won the Cup through sheer effort in the building.
Mattias Janmark had a goal for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots for the Oilers. The Oilers also could not snap Canada’s title drought; it has been 1993 and counting since the team based in Canada won the Cup.
Montreal was the last to do so, 30 seasons ago. Since then, there have been seven attempts by teams from Canadian cities – Vancouver in 1994 and 2011, Calgary in 2004, the Oilers in 2006, Ottawa in 2007 and Canada in 2021 – to win the title, and all in vain.
South Florida now has one of them all when it comes to the titles of the four major pro sports leagues in the U.S. The Miami Dolphins were the second champion, then-Florida Marlins became the second champion, the Miami Heat had three titles and now the Panthers have joined. party.
Welcome, Stanley. The Panthers are waiting. Maurice lifted the Cup on the bench, closed his eyes to control his emotions and shouted. General manager Bill Zito was not bothered and even tried not to shout out. And in the stands, the family of Matthew Tkachuk – his father, Keith, never won the Cup – reveled in the moment, knowing the name that will soon be Lord Stanley.
“This is for them,” Tkachuk said.
Bobrovsky is cool, even in the biggest moments. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard had a good look from the right circle with about 14 seconds left in the second period; Bobrovsky blocked the shot, and the puck bounced and went into the air.
No problem. Bobrovsky picked up his stick and showered the puck again, more like he was playing pickleball in the morning in the park than in the biggest game of his life – literally, the last line of defense against the Oilers, and against a piece of history that the Panthers. desperately struggling to avoid it.
Florida was an NHL-best 44-0-3 entering Friday when leading after two periods this season. An NHL-best 85-2-6 in that situation in two seasons under coach Maurice as well.
They slammed the door, the last one. And the Cup is the reward.
“That was the best moment of my life so far,” Panthers veteran defensive end Aaron Ekblad said. “There is nothing beyond that.”
