Canada must wait no less than one other 12 months earlier than a membership north of the border can hoist the Stanley Cup.
Sam Reinhart’s late second-period purpose lifted the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers in Recreation 7 of the NHL finals on Monday, serving to the house staff win its first title and denying Canadian hockey followers the prized trophy’s long-awaited return north.
Reinhart’s purpose got here moments after Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov cleared a puck that was behind goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and was precariously sliding within the crease.
That desperation clearance launched a Panthers rush, culminating in Reinhart’s low wrister from the circle that beat Oilers goaltender and Edmonton native Stuart Skinner.
Panthers ahead Matthew Tkachuk, the son of American hockey nice Keith Tkachuk, recalled strolling out of his home Monday afternoon along with his dad and brother Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators wishing him properly.
“All I needed to do was to win it, not just for everyone out right here, however I actually needed to win it for these two particularly,” an emotional Matthew Tkachuk informed ABC/ESPN.
As his gamers paraded with the Stanley Cup, veteran Panthers coach Paul Maurice stated he was interested by family members in and round Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who supported him over time.
“Hey dad, your identify’s going up [on the Stanley Cup] along with your heroes, [Jean] Béliveau, [Maurice] Richard, [Gordie] Howe, [Ted] Lindsay, Maurice,” Maurice informed Canadian broadcaster Sportsnet.
Earlier than going to South Florida, Maurice spent components of 9 seasons behind the Winnipeg Jets bench. Whilst he loved the view from professional hockey’s mountain prime, Maurice shouted out his previous co-workers in Manitoba.
“I’m simply fortunate,” he stated. “If I may have one factor extra it’d be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the subsequent Stanley Cup.”
How the Stanley Cup was gained
- For the reason that Montreal Canadiens gained all of it in 1993, the Stanley Cup has been gained 4 instances by Florida groups: The Panthers on Monday and Tampa Bay Lightning 3 times (2004, 2020, 2021).
- Florida’s win put a bow on the teaching legacy of Panthers boss Paul Maurice, whose profession behind the bench started in 1995-96 with the Hartford Whalers.
- Oilers star Connor McDavid gained the Conn Smythe Trophy as excellent participant all through the playoffs.
- Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky shook off three straight losses to cease 21 of twenty-two pictures Monday. He stood tall towards a barrage of Oilers pictures late within the third.
- Matthew Tkachuk hoisted the Stanley Cup every week after his Chaminade Faculty Preparatory College classmate Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics gained the NBA title.
Edmonton had been looking for to change into solely the fifth staff in NHL historical past to rally from a 3-0 sequence deficit after they took the ice at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn, Florida.
Simply 1 1/2 weeks in the past, the Panthers appeared invincible, following their 4-3 victory at Edmonton in Recreation 3, giving them a 3-0 sequence lead.
The high-power Oilers, who scored the fourth-most objectives in hockey this previous common season, had solely put 4 pucks previous Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in these first three video games.
However these first three contests regarded nothing like Video games 4, 5 and 6 as Edmonton ran roughshod over Florida, scoring 18 to drive Monday evening’s decisive sport.
4 groups had rallied from a 3-0 gap to win a best-of-7 playoff sequence in NHL historical past: The Toronto Maple Leafs (1942), New York Islanders (1975), Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and Los Angeles Kings (2014). The Leafs’ feat got here in that 12 months’s Stanley Cup finals
However because the Panthers confirmed on Monday, any momentum gained from wins in Video games 4-6 typically ends when the puck drops in Recreation 7. Whereas 4 groups have come again from a 3-0 deficit, 5 different 0-3 squads had compelled a Recreation 7 solely to lose the winner-take-all contest.
Edmonton is now the sixth staff to make such a valiant effort that fell simply brief.
The Detroit Crimson Wings (2011, 1945), Chicago Blackhawks (2011), the Islanders (1975) and New York Rangers (1939) all gallantly fought again earlier than dropping a Recreation 7. The 1975 Islanders pulled the 3-0 miracle in a quarterfinal sequence towards the Pittsburgh Penguins and almost pulled off the identical feat within the semifinals towards the Philadelphia Flyers earlier than falling in Recreation 7.
The Panthers win additionally saved alive a three-decade-long string of Canadian groups failing to win the Stanley Cup, a feat final completed in 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens gained all of it.
A Canadian staff has now made the Stanley Cup last seven instances because the 1993 Habs, solely to fall brief towards a U.S.-based membership.
Earlier than hoisting the cup on Monday, Florida got here near lifting Lord Stanley’s famed chalice final 12 months when the Vegas Golden Knights gained all of it and in 1996 when the Panthers fell to the Colorado Avalanche.
Reinhart, a local of British Columbia and son of former NHL defenseman Paul Reinhart, effusively praised the Oilers and stated he did not thoughts having to endure the near-humiliation of blowing a 3-0 lead.
“The extent of expertise they’ve on that staff, to be up 3-0, they made it tough on us,” Sam Reinhart informed the NHL Community. “That’s the best way it was all the time going to be.”