Jets Enter Game 5 The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions, as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday evening. After seeing Florida pull out ahead 3-0 in the series, the Oilers stormed back for three-straight wins, knotting things up at threes, and doing the near-impossible, forcing a decisive seventh game. In Florida, the 2023-24 season came to a close, and it ended in dramatic fashion. The two teams exchanged early first period goals, before the hosts pulled ahead 2-1 on a second period tally by Sam Reinhart. Somehow the goal stood the test of time as the remainder of the second and the full third period wore out, with time ticking down until zeros filled the clock. And after nearly 30 years, Paul Maurice has won his first Stanley Cup. "It's brilliant. I've never hugged so many sweaty men in my entire life," he said moments after winning the Cup. "I'm not sure I'm going to do it again, but I'm going to do it tonight. It's not what I thought it would be but it's so much better. But it's the hugs, man." After thanking his family, the former Jets coach went on to drop an absolute bomb: "If I could have one thing more, it would be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the next Stanley Cup." With a full 365 days until the next trophy presentation, the Jets certainly have some work to do. ____ With the 32-team league having been weeded down to just two remaining clubs, Jets fans did have a number of familiar faces to pick between when choosing allegiances in advance of the final game. The Oilers helped feed Winnipeg's narrative of rooting for (or against) some players formerly near and dear the organization. On offence, the Oilers had all-time Jets villain and former local celebrity-turned-whipping boy Evander Kane. Also up front was the Jets' 2022-23 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee Sam Gagner. In goal was Stuart Skinner, but his backup - who helped the Oilers win a pivotal Game 6 in the second round against Vancouver - Cal Pickard spent his developmental years in Manitoba's capital, serving as the lone Winnipegger left in play. For the Panthers, head coach Paul Maurice and former Jets assistant Jamie Kompon and players Kevin Stenlund and Dmitri Kulikov got the job done, earning Stanley Cup glory with Florida. Full list of Winnipeg connections that played in the Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton: Forwards Sam Gagner, Evander Kane Goaltender Cal Pickard Assistant coach Mark Stuart Florida: Forward Kevin Stenlund Defenceman Dmitri Kulikov Head coach Paul Maurice, assistant coach Jamie Kompon
