The Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, saving us all from several miserable alternatives.
The Panthers finished the job Tuesday night, and it wasn’t really ever close, as their optimal-team approach continued to frustrate the star-led Oilers on the way to a 5-1 (2EN) Game 6 win to secure their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Impressive team, and the salary cap is rising just in time for them to potentially keep their core group together even as a few guys reach unrestricted free agency and peak market value (Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett, for example).
Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart continued his outstanding playoffs with four goals in the clincher (okay, two were ENG but still…they don’t discriminate when they look back, other than separating regular season and playoff tallies).
Just like Lindros back in the day, the Isles drafted the better Reinhart, right? (At least we eventually got Barzal from the exchange, from which team I forget…)
NHL News
- Denis Potvin on how the playoff beard tradition was born. Pretty criminal that the Isles and Kings played five games in four days coast to coast. Of course, Stan Fischler’s chronicles may have played a role [Athletic]
- Matt Carkner has left Orlando for another “AHL opportunity.” Is he Bridgeport-bound? [THN]
- The Oilers went back to Stuart Skinner in goal…it didn’t matter. [NHL]
- Random morning skate-controversy involving Carter Verhaeghe who…oh, yeah, the Isles once had him, too. [TSN]
- Didn’t have to update this much from last year: How the Cup-winning Panthers were built. [NHL]