Far from being on the wrong side of history, the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in a thrilling Game 7 on Monday night to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Panthers had a chance to win their first title last season but lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers fought back to come back from a 3-0 deficit to become the first team since 1945 to force a Game 7 victory after coming from the brink of defeat.
But Florida held off a desperate effort from the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
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Florida Panthers player Sam Reinhart (No. 13) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The first goal of the game came when Panthers winger Evan Rodriguez fired an ominous heavy ball toward the net, looking for someone to deflect it toward the net.
That’s what Carter Verhaeghe was there for, his hand-eye coordination flawless as he guided the puck perfectly with his blade between the legs of Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.
With the hometown crowd in Sunrise, Florida, roaring in the stands, the Panthers desperately tried to gain momentum early and jump out to a lead. It was Verhaeghe’s 11th goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Oilers join the rare breed of teams that have forced a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final after losing 3-0
But the problem for Florida in the past three games has been the breakaway opportunities that Edmonton capitalized on, and Mattias Janmark got one late in the first period when Cody Ceci fired a beautiful pass down the ice towards his stick.
Janmark made a quick move to tip the puck over the head of Sergei Bobrovsky, who had struggled to convert chances recently with the Oilers, before dropping to one knee and his Edmonton teammates celebrating his fourth playoff goal.
The second period saw more chances on both ends of the ice, with the Oilers being the team that nearly took the lead when a loose puck in front of Bobrovsky’s goal somehow didn’t cross the line.
Florida then made a charge up the ice with Sam Reinhart carrying the puck on the right wing, and instead of the defense moving towards Reinhart, worried about a player joining the charge, Reinhart had his sights set on the goal net.
He fired a shot at Skinner, who couldn’t get his glove on the ball and it flew into the back of the net.
In the end, that turned out to be the winning goal, but the Oilers certainly threatened Bobrovsky and the Panthers in the third period.
Their best chance came on a solid forecheck when Evan Bouchard smashed a pass to Connor McDavid in front of the goal. McDavid, who had helped Edmonton reach this point in the series with consecutive four-point performances in Games 4 and 5, looked like he might get the better of Bobrovsky, but Bobrovsky couldn’t make the poke check to knock the puck away.
But Gustav Forsling made the most timely stick play of the entire series, dropping his stick quickly to block a McDavid shot that bounced off, but the play was ended by a whistle as multiple players tried to push the puck into the Panthers’ goal.
Florida Panthers players Anton Lundell (No. 15) and Carter Verhaeghe (No. 23) celebrate after Verhaeghe’s goal during the first period of Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The Oilers had numerous chances in front of the Florida goal, but Bobrovsky and the Panthers defense thwarted every attack for over five minutes.
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It wasn’t easy, but this journey to the Stanley Cup didn’t end with a second-place finish for the Panthers, whose names will forever be engraved in precious metal.
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