Florida Panthers win first Stanley Cup, avoid historic collapse
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Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov hoists the Stanley Cup after Florida's 2-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. Photo: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images
The Florida Panthers are NHL champions after beating the Edmonton Oilers in a back-and-forth Stanley Cup Final — narrowly avoiding a historic collapse in the process.
Why it matters: Monday night's nail-biter 2-1 win secured the Panthers' first championship in franchise history.
Honorary Floridian: After looking lost in the prior three games, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky bounced back along with the Cats' defense in Game 7.
- Bobrovsky ended the game with 22 saves, holding strong as the Oilers threw everything they could at him in the waning minutes.
On offense, Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe opened scoring four minutes into the game. The Oilers evened the score quickly, but Florida's Sam Reinhart fired the decisive goal in the second period.
In the stands: Amerant Bank Arena was raucous throughout the game, roaring to life with each Florida goal and opportunity.
- The crowd erupted as time expired and the celebration began.
Catch up quick: The Panthers cruised to the final, ousting the Lightning, Bruins and Rangers 4-1, 4-2 and 4-2, respectively.
- The final began similarly, with the Cats claiming the first three games, including a hard-fought 4-3 victory in Edmonton on June 13.
- Then it almost slipped away: Three straight defeats — including two blowouts — nearly put the Panthers on the wrong side of history.
Flashback: Had the Oilers won, they'd have been only the second team to pull off a reverse sweep in Stanley Cup Final history. The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled it off in April 1942, at the height of World War II.
- With Monday night's victory, the Panthers avoided joining that year's losing Detroit Red Wings team in hockey infamy.
Fun fact: The Panthers were the first team to lose in the final and return the following season since the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins.
- Last year, the Cats lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
- This was only the team's third trip to the Stanley Cup Final, including a 1996 defeat against the Colorado Avalanche.
What's next: Details of the team's first-ever championship parade are expected in the coming days.