#QUICKSLIDE SPORT STANLEY SERIES#

Jesper Fast seemed like he might have saved the season for Carolina, getting a tying goal with 3:22 left in regulation. But the rats were picked up, the goal was deemed good, and 27 years of waiting was officially over 4.9 seconds later. Toy rats - the Panthers' tradition, a nod to the unwanted locker room guests from Florida's old arena in 1996 - sailed down from the stands, and the goal needed to survive an official review. But you know, at the end of the day, we have our eyes on something different.” “Eastern Conference champions,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. Jordan Staal - his brothers Eric and Marc play for the Panthers - took a tripping penalty with 57 seconds left in regulation, setting up the power-play that Tkachuk finished off after getting into the slot and beating Frederik Andersen to set off a wild celebration.

#QUICKSLIDE SPORT STANLEY SERIES#

Ryan Lomberg and Anthony Duclair had the other goals for Florida, which swept a series for the first time in franchise history. It hasn't been easy and nobody said it's going to be easy.”Īdded Tkachuk: “We earned that thing, and definitely didn't do it the easy way.

Everything just happened so quick,” Barkov said. A few of the Panthers did, but Barkov didn’t pass it around. After some photos, Aleksander Barkov - the captain who had two assists, one of them on the game-winner - grabbed it, and skated it away. NHL Senior Vice President Brian Jennings was the one tasked with presenting the Prince of Wales Trophy. and we’re lucky to have Chucky on our side. Tkachuk arrived last summer saying he wanted to bring Florida a Cup. 8 seed, the last team in, the longest of long shots - which is consistent with their history, after not winning a single playoff series in 26 years, a drought that ended last season.Īnd now, beasts of the East. The Panthers scored 10 goals in the series, and Bobrovsky ensured those were all they needed. The first two wins were in overtime, and this one may as well have been. 966 save percentage after stopping 174 of the 180 shots he faced. “This was pure joy,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.īobrovsky stopped 36 shots to cap his stellar series - four games, four one-goal wins, three of them basically in sudden death, a. The Panthers will play either Vegas or Dallas for the Stanley Cup starting sometime next week Vegas currently leads the Western Conference title series 3-0. Tkachuk got his second goal of the game with 4.9 seconds left, lifting the Panthers past the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 and into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996 after sweeping the Eastern Conference final. The wait is over: After 27 years, the Florida Panthers - a hockey punchline no more - are again going to play for the game’s grandest prize. Matthew Tkachuk delivered for Florida, again. NHL, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes Tkachuk sends Panthers to Stanley Cup Final, after topping Hurricanes 4-3 for sweep

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