7/1/2023 0 Comments Patrick roy stanley cups![]() ![]() The Golden Knights were the only team to limit their first-round series to five games. In the first round, Vegas dispatched the Winnipeg Jets in five games, winning four straight after dropping Game 1. The Panthers have won 11 of their last 12 games and have gotten insanely clutch performances from Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky, who is playing the best hockey of his career. Two of the four games went to overtime – including Game 1, which reached quadruple overtime – and Tkachuk scored three game-winning goals in the series, including the series clincher with under five seconds remaining in the third period of Game 4. In the third round, the Panthers truly hit their stride, sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in dominant fashion. Florida jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, lost a close 2-1 game in Game 4 but then took care of business with an overtime win in Game 5. The Panthers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NHL history when they fought back from a 3-1 deficit and eliminated the Cup-favorite Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round.Īfter watching the videos of Toronto fans chanting "we want Florida," the Panthers took out the Maple Leafs in five games. The only thing standing in their way is each other. These are two teams that have gone on impressive runs and that have every intention of finishing the job. 8 seed will be much more competitive than the rankings indicate. This is the first time these teams have met in the postseason.Īt the end of the day, the series between the West's No. The Golden Knights, who will have home-ice advantage for the fourth round in a row, are 6-3-1 against Florida in the all-time matchup. Both teams have players who have won it before and players who have never been this far. Both teams have yet to win a Stanley Cup in franchise history. Both teams are getting spectacular goaltending. Both teams have won multiple games in overtime. Both teams are getting contributions from throughout the lineup. Both teams have not trailed in a series since the first round. Either way, the 19 points between the two in the regular season are meaningless now.īut both teams are under the guidance of a first-year head coach who has found great success. The Golden Knights (51-22-9) finished first in the Western Conference, while the Panthers (42-32-8) had to fight to the end just to get in as the second wildcard team. These two clubs have been on quite a run throughout the playoffs despite taking very different paths to reach the second season. Of course, there are plenty of differences, too many to enumerate.īut when comparing the two teams left standing in 2023, things get interesting. Plus, the Panthers are coming off a disappointing finish as the 2021-22 Presidents' Trophy winners and have exceeded expectations in their follow-up campaign by reaching the Final, just like the Capitals in 2018. 1 netminder.īoth clubs relied on the clutch play and emotional leadership of a high-scoring winger, with Alex Ovechkin leading the way for the Capitals and Matthew Tkachuk proving he was worth every penny of his $76 million offseason splurge. Like the Capitals, the Panthers were hot and cold during the regular season but are playing their best hockey when it matters most.įlorida also is riding the stellar play of a goaltender that did not start the postseason as the team's No. Interestingly, there are several similarities between the 2023 Panthers and the 2018 Washington Capitals, Vegas' dance partner in Year 1. ![]() This is the Panthers' first Stanley Cup appearance since 1996, when they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. ![]() They will have to go through a Florida Panthers club that is in the middle of a Cinderella run of its own. The Golden Knights are four wins away from fulfilling that prophecy. Owner Bill Foley predicted that the Golden Knights would carve their names on the greatest trophy in sports by the time the franchise turned six years old. The Vegas Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since the franchise's magical inaugural run that ended three wins shy of the organization's ultimate goal. ![]()
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