Current:Home > NewsFlorida Panthers return to Stanley Cup Final with Game 6 win against New York Rangers -×
Florida Panthers return to Stanley Cup Final with Game 6 win against New York Rangers
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:58:42
The Florida Panthers are returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row after beating the No. 1 overall New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.
And they might be in better shape than last year's team as they seek their first Stanley Cup title.
They're scoring more goals, giving up fewer and have better special teams than last year's team, which pulled off three consecutive upsets before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Panthers are also healthier and deeper.
"The right pieces were added, some great pieces added, and just one mindset of doing whatever it took to get back to it," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I think the guys who were here last year did an unbelievable job coming back for the start of camp with this on their mind."
They're riding their system to perfection, with an aggressive forecheck making it difficult for opponents to get up the ice. And if they do get through, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is there to shut them down.
He made 23 saves on Saturday and has allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of his last 11 games.
The Panthers held New York's Mika Zibanejad without a goal and limited Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin (who scored in the final minutes of Game 6) to one goal. NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov had no goals for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak had one in the second round.
The Panthers outplayed the Rangers throughout most of the conference final and only goalie Igor Shesterkin's brilliance (32 saves on Saturday) extended the series to six games. Florida allowed only one Rangers power-play goal.
Sam Bennett gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with 50 seconds left in the first period on a give-and-go with Evan Rodrigues. He ripped a shot over Shesterkin's glove.
Trade deadline acquisition Vladimir Tarasenko added to the score with a goal in the third period, ending an eight-game goal drought. The Panthers have a 24-11 edge in scoring in the third period in these playoffs.
The Panthers are the first team since the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins to return to the Final the year after losing in the championship round. That Penguins team beat the Detroit Red Wings for the title.
Florida players this year didn't touch the Prince of Wales Trophy, awarded to the Eastern Conference champions, after touching it last year.
"I think we needed to do something different and that's what we did," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov told reporters.
What's next for the Florida Panthers?
They'll head to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row and third time overall. They are 1-8 in their two appearances. They'll face either the Dallas Stars or Edmonton Oilers in the championship round. Edmonton has a 3-2 series lead and can clinch the Western Conference final Sunday night at home. Florida went 2-0 against each team in the regular season and will have home-ice advantage if the Oilers advance.
The Panthers were expected to drop off because of early absences of defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad (offseason shoulder surgery). But they signed defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulkov and Niko Mikkola to help them cope, plus forward Rodrigues. Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo were added at the trade deadline.
"We are not done yet," Tkachuk said. "We're very happy with the way this playoffs has gone for us, winning the first three, but it's a different feeling this year, for sure. I'm very proud of the effort from everybody."
What's next for the New York Rangers?
They went after big names at the 2023 trade deadline, including Tarasenko, and plugged gaps at this year's deadline. In both cases, they fell short of their goal and became the latest Presidents' Trophy winner to miss out on winning the Cup.
The Rangers should be able to come back with most of their players. Offseason acquisitions Blake Wheeler and Erik Gustafsson are unrestricted free agents as are trade deadline acquisitions Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg and Chad Ruhwedel. Kaapo Kakko is their top restricted free agent. Shesterkin and Alexis Lafreniere are entering the final years of their contracts and are eligible for an extension after July 1.
veryGood! (55)
Related
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- A man who crashed a snowmobile into a parked Black Hawk helicopter is suing the government for $9.5M
- Mark Cuban vows to back Joe Biden over Donald Trump, even if Biden 'was being given last rites'
- France enshrines women's constitutional right to an abortion in a global first
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Michael Strahan’s Daughter Isabella Undergoes Emergency Surgery After Hospitalization Amid Cancer Battle
- Voters remember Trump's economy as being better than Biden's. Here's what the data shows.
- Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Illegally imported goose intestines hidden under rattlesnakes, federal authorities say
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Fed Chair Powell’s testimony to be watched for any hint on rate-cut timing
- Massachusetts art museum workers strike over wages
- Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Gets Pre-Cancerous Spots Removed Amid Health Scare
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Inside Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Extravagant Family Wedding Party With Rihanna and Mark Zuckerberg
- Owners of Christian boys boarding school in Missouri arrested, charged with kidnapping
- Two major U.S. chain restaurants could combine and share dining spaces
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Drake Bell to discuss alleged sexual abuse while on Nickelodeon, new docuseries says
Liberty University will pay $14 million fine for student safety violations
Could the Arctic be ice-free within a decade? What the latest science says
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Women guitarists are increasing in popularity on social media and changing the face of music
Sydney Sweeney Proves Her Fashion Rules Are Unwritten With Hair Transformation and Underwear Look
Man released from prison after judge throws out conviction in 1976 slaying after key witness recants