The Florida Panthers became the Stanley Cup champions for the first time in history.
Florida won a thrilling 2-1 Game 7 over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday to take a 4-3 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. The win capped a historic collapse when the Oilers came back from a 3-0 series deficit to tie the series 3-3.
After giving up 18 consecutive goals in Games 4-6, Florida's defense returned to form on Monday night thanks to a stellar performance from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky stopped 23 of Edmonton's 24 shots, including the Oilers' last shot that tied the game.
Connor McDavid wins despite loss at Conn Smythe
Edmonton's Connor McDavid earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the entire Stanley Cup playoffs despite his team's loss. He is the sixth player in NHL history to win the award from a losing team and the first since Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2003. He is the second skater to win in a losing effort, second only to Reggie Leach of the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers.
McDavid led the playoffs with 42 points and tied an NHL record previously held by Wayne Gretzky with 34 playoff assists. But the Panthers stifled McDavid and the rest of the Oilers defense in Monday's decisive Game 7.
The Florida home crowd booed Conn Smythe's announcement, but they had plenty of reason to celebrate when Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov raised the Stanley Cup for the first time in his 11 seasons with the franchise.
The first period on Monday started with a bang. The Panthers got the first power play of the game on a high-sticking penalty by Warren Foegele with less than three minutes left. It didn't convert directly into a power-play goal, but Florida's Carter Verhaeghe broke the scoreless tie just seconds after the match ended.
As Edmonton came back up to full strength, Florida's Evan Rodrigues hit a slapshot off the left wall that missed the far right side of the net. But Verhaeghe plucked the puck out of the air with his stick and put it past Stuart Skinner to give Florida a 1-0 lead.
The goal with 15:33 minutes left in the period gave Florida its first lead of the series since it ended up winning Game 3, 4-3. That lead was short-lived.
Oilers respond
Just 2:17 later, Edmonton's Mattias Janmark tied the game with a brilliant goal off a Cody Cecily assist.
After a Florida turnover, Ceci corralled the puck behind the Edmonton goal line and then slid it up the ice between three Florida defenders. Janmark received a pass beyond the Florida blue line and attacked the net with no defenders in his path. He dodged Bobrovsky and fired a wrist shot into the left side of the net.
The goal tied the game at 1-1 and continued a trend that troubled the Panthers, as the Oilers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to even the series. The goal was Edmonton's fifth consecutive goal on breakaway opportunities in the series. It proved to be its last goal.
Florida's defense takes charge, sets up the series winner
Edmonton's chances dried up as the game went into the second period tied at 1-1. The Oilers controlled the puck in the second period, but struggled to convert that control into scoring chances. Then just over 15 minutes into the period, the Panthers turned the Oilers' scoring opportunity into one of their own.
Foegele threatened to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead with a shot from the right goal line into a crowded net. But Florida's Dmitry Kulikov pushed the puck away and the Panthers secured it and began attacking. Center Sam Reinhart capitalized on the opportunity on the other end with a slapshot from the right wing that went into the back of the net to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead, sending Florida's eager home crowd into a frenzy.
The second period ended goalless, and the Panthers entered the third period with history on their side. Teams leading in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals had won 13 of the 14 previous times. The Panthers had won 25 consecutive games when leading after two.
Bobrovsky pushes back Oilers' offensive
Bobrovsky and Florida's defense made sure the Panthers wouldn't break the trend. A unit that had defined the series on its way to a 3-0 lead was once again in control. The Panthers limited opportunities for McDavid and continued to keep All-Star Leon Draisaitl (zero goals in the Stanley Cup Final) in check throughout the third period.
McDavid then had the best scoring chance with 7:05 left in the game. But he lost control of the puck right in front of the net and the Oilers failed to clear Bobrovsky.
Edmonton increased the pressure on Bobrovsky in the final minutes of the match but despite several chances, they were unable to convert.
The Oilers pulled Skinner out in the final moments of the game, but to no avail. Florida celebrated the Stanley Cup championship on home ice. The win robbed the Oilers of a chance to win Canada's first title since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1993.
Florida was the more physical team in Game 7, hitting 30 to Edmonton's 19. The Panthers also held a 17-13 edge in blocked shots and a 12-7 edge in takeaways. It was a fitting finale for a Panthers team that allowed the fewest goals in the league during the regular season.
Panthers achieve success after 30 seasons
The win is the Panthers' first of three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals since their debut in 1993-94. They first played for the Cup in 1996, their third year in the NHL, but were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. They came back last season, the first under head coach Paul Maurice, but lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
The Panthers faced no trouble this season after a long-term playoff berth in 2023. They improved to 10 wins and 18 points to win the Atlantic Division title and finish third in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
This championship is the first championship for head coach Paul Maurice in his 26 seasons as a head coach in the NHL.
In the playoffs, the Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games and the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in six games to reach the Cup Finals against the Oilers. They are now the first-time Stanley Cup champions.
2024 Stanley Cup Finals (XX wins series 4–3)
Game 1: Panthers 3, Oilers 0
Game 2: Panthers 4, Oilers 1
Game 3, Panthers 4, Oilers 3
Game 4, Oilers 8, Panthers 1
Game 5: Oilers 5, Panthers 3
Game 6, Oilers 5, Panthers 1
Game 7: Panthers 2, Oilers 1
stay37 updates