SUNRISE, FLA. - The Cats came back, the very next year.
The Florida Panthers are now back-to-back Stanley Cup champions thanks to a tour-de-force performance in Game 6, where they ground the Edmonton Oilers into the ice with a 5-1 final score.
Florida's top line of captain Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe was also the best line on either team in the game, while Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - who were put on the same line together early - struggled to break Florida's contain.
The Panthers may not have been a high seed in the post-season, but their experience and style of play made them obvious contenders, especially since a number of key players were healing from late-season injuries. There was also, of course, the masterful trades by GM Bill Zito that gave coach Paul Maurice Seth Jones and Brad Marchand before the trade deadline.
"Once you become part of a group and get into these environments - you create such an incredible bond," Marchand said. "They already had an unbelievable culture that us new guys could come into and buy in, to embrace it. It made it very easy. It was definitely weird coming in initially, but they made it easy."
Pending UFA Sam Bennett, who scored the most goals in the playoffs, is this year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP after McDavid won it last year.
"The depth of this team is remarkable," Bennett said. "It truly could have went to anyone. And I couldn't have done it without my teammates. Their reactions - it meant the world to me."
This was a team that played like a team, that trusted each other and covered for each other. They were loose in the room and fierce on the ice. It would not be a surprise if we saw them vying for the Cup again next year.
Surprisingly, the Panthers got off to a bit of an uneven start in Game 6. The first great chance of the contest came off a Florida turnover, giving Evander Kane a chance in the slot that was repelled by Sergei Bobrovsky. Edmonton's third line, led by Jeff Skinner, put on some great offensive pressure three minutes in, and the Cats couldn't clear for a while.
But an incredible individual effort by Reinhart changed all those opening jitters. The all-world defensive forward swiped a puck at the offensive blueline, cut between the Oilers defense and put a shot over Stuart Skinner's shoulder as Reinhart was falling to the ice. Florida had the first lead of the game.
With less than a minute left in the first, Matthew Tkachuk doubled the fun for the Panthers when he let one rip past Skinner. The set-up was truly the thing on that goal, with Eetu Luostarinen exhibiting tremendous puck patience before sending the biscuit over to Tkachuk.
Edmonton had chances in the second, including a prime one just three minutes in. McDavid came in on a 2-on-1 and dished to Corey Perry, but the veteran winger sent his shot just wide of the cage. Midway through the frame, Jeff Skinner got a great chance himself in tight off a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins pass. Bobrovsky had to make another tough stop soon after on a point shot, with Vasily Podkolzin all up in his business.
Not to be outdone, Stuart Skinner made some nice saves on Florida screenshots to keep things close, while at the other end, Tkachuk made a crucial shot block on a great chance for Oilers defenseman Jake Walman. The second period ended in Florida's favor when Aleksander Barkov and his line cycled the puck for an extended period of time - one of their best strengths - leading to a shot that Stuart Skinner basically directed right to Barkov, who found Reinhart on the doorstep for his second goal of the evening.
Edmonton tried to generate in the third and a huge shift by McDavid's line with Bouchard on defense held zone time for eons, but couldn't get the right shot on net.
Florida then made a push, with Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand coming in with back-to-back Grade 'A' chances, but neither could convert. Nonetheless, a '"We Want the Cup" chant broke out around seven minutes in as the fans at Amerant Bank Arena could sense glory.
With nothing left to lose, Edmonton pulled Skinner for the extra attacker with seven minutes to go. They did lose, however, as shortly thereafter Reinhart was set up by Barkov for his hat-trick goal on the empty net. He added a fourth (also empty-net), before Vasily Podkolzin broke Bobrovsky's shutout bid with four minutes to go. But the deal was done.
"If you're Sam Reinhart, look at your story," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "You score the game-winner in Game 7 last year, then you bang in four (this year). That's a pretty good story."
The Panthers got the job done, and the celebration is underway.
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