THE DROUGHT IS FINALLY OVER.
The Florida Panthers have finally etched themselves in the annals of NHL history after a promising performance in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final – a series that should have been over a few weeks ago if the team didn’t choke a 3-0 lead to start the battle against the Edmonton Oilers. After losing three straight games, the Panthers seemed to gather their wits as they narrowly defeated the Oilers in a 2-1 battle in Game 7.
It was a story of massive performances from both teams, and it proved to be a classic battle that many fans remembered, especially when the Panthers found their way to the top when the odds already counted them out after those three straight losses. Instead of blowing that 3-0 lead for good, the Panthers now have won their first Stanley Cup championship.
The crisis has been averted, and what could have been one of the biggest laughs in NHL and even in sports history ended up being a fantastic story of achieving big stories, which says a lot about how the Panthers have really turned up their game in the right place and the right time.
Hero Performances All Around for Florida
Game 7 never fell short of expectations for the NHL fans who have waited a long time to see a massive seven-game series like this. Carter Verhaeghe – who has not scored a goal since Game 1, was the one who drilled the first goal of the game to give Florida a 1-0 lead in the first period. Of course, the Oilers didn’t let this one go without a fight, and Mattias Janmark suddenly found himself open in the first period as he clapped back with a wrist shot with 6:44 on the clock.
Tied at 1-1, the deadlock was seemingly expected to last all the way to the third period. That was until Sam Reinhart played the hero game – the biggest of his career, when he drilled a wrist shot of his own 15 minutes into the second period to give Florida a 2-1 lead, which would actually end up as the game-winner that would bring the Panthers up top.
All while Edmonton tried to come up with massive comebacks, it was Sergei Bobrovsky’s huge performance on the defensive end that allowed the Panthers to relax and ease on the final frame. The goalie ended up with a total of 23 saves – he had five in the first, nine in the second, and nine more in the third, showing his superb performance on the big stage.
The Silver Lining for the Edmonton Oilers
Despite the loss, Oilers’ Connor McDavid was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Final. It is rare for players on the losing teams to be named for the said award, but it does seem that McDavid has made a strong case for the said award. He is now the first player from the Oilers to be named MVP since Bill Ranford won the same award in 1990.
McDavid showed up for the whole playoffs, and led the league with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 games, the fourth-most in a single postseason. The legendary Wayne Gretzky still holds the record of 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 18 games for Edmonton in 1985.
The loss to the Panthers was a tough ending for the Oilers, but it cannot be denied that they have learned a lot about each other this time. Learning who has what it takes to step up on the big stage, and who can they rely on to pull off the impossible at times.
