NHL: Children’s dreams have passed, Florida Panthers talks about dynasty
Sunrise. The fans were clear, the last minute of the hall almost exploded. Ice players celebrated even though it was not over. That was no interest to anyone.
Ten seconds before the end of the duel, gloves and sticks were already flying through the air. The score of the score in the sixth match of the final showed 5: 1 for Florida. The team around Captain Aleksander Barkov managed to defend the title.
After Pittsburgh (2016 and 2017) and Tampe (2020 and 2021), they became only the third team in the era of the NHL salary ceiling, who succeeded. In a league full of balance, this is rarely happened.
In the finals after a year they overcame Edmonton, this time 4: 2 for matches.
The same hero as last year
From the point of view, rats – a symbol of the club – arrived on the ice. When the announcer in the Amertant Bank Arena said that « Florida became the winner of the Stanley Cup », confetti fell under the roof.
Players and coaches hugged and enjoyed. Together they won the second title in history for the organization. This was followed by the hands of both teams, in the same hall as last year, only one meeting earlier.
Video: Florida has won the Stanley Cup
Without pathos, we can write that this final series was one of the best in history. « I watch the best playoffs hockey in my life, » said Wayne Gretzky after the fourth match.
The balance lasted until Florida said it was over. In the fifth finals she won the Oilers 5: 2 on ice, she collected a goal less in the sixth at home.
The star of the last duel of the season was the home striker Sam Reinhart – he scored four out of five goals.
He became only the second player in the history of the NHL with four goals to win the Stanley Cup. Four goals in the final scored only five other hockey players in history.
« We learned, » Reinhart recalled last year’s finals in which Florida led 3-0 for matches, but decided to win in the seventh match.
« We were enough to have a foot on the accelerator.
Three finals, two glasses
While the Florida hockey players were talking last year about fulfilling children’s dreams, the word was declining this year Dynasty.
« This team is exceptional. I am very lucky to be in this club with this group of guys, » said Matthew Tkachuk, one of the most prominent Panthers characters.
« Now we have to be a dynasty, » he added, adding that Florida was in the final for the third time in three years and takes two cups of them.
Brad Marchand was also moved directly on the ice. He started the season as the captain of Boston, but shortly before the transfer closure was replaced to Florida.
« It’s incredible. It’s a feeling that can’t be described. Everything has to fit perfectly. My situation is an example. I didn’t have to be here, but it worked out and I enjoy it extremely.
Seeing the family and all up there, everyone who supported me and helped me get to me here… Words can’t express how great it feels, ”said Marchand.
For a 37-year-old veteran this is the second triumph in the league. He enjoyed the first time in 2011, as a Bruins player led by Captain Zden Char.
Florida in the playoffs gradually eliminated Tampu (4: 1), Toronto Maple Leafs (4: 3) and in the Carolina Hurricanes conference finals 4: 1 for matches.
« Everybody depreciated us, everyone beat us in every round. We knew we had something special. It’s incredible, it’s amazing to be part of this group right now, » Marchand repeated.
Panthers Sam Bennett striker won the best playoff player. In the knockout he scored 22 points and with 15 goals was the best scorer. Remarkably, 13 of them shot on the opponents’ pitches.
« It’s hard to describe, » Bennett said. « It is much harder to defend the title than I thought. We put so much work in it. I am very proud of all the guys, » said the winner Conn Smythe Trophy.
Video: Bennett takes over the trophy for the best playoff player
But it wasn’t Bennett, which made Panthers such scary in this playoffs. It was the width of the cadre. The attacker « to » the third formation Brad Marchand finished second in the team with 10 goals.
Up to nine Panthers scored at least 15 points. Six of them scored at least 20 points, equalizing the 1983 and 1985 Islanders.
First captain, then « newcomers »
Together with the Stanley Cup, the head of the NHL Gary Bettman came on the ice. « This is the most iconic trophy in the world, » he said. « It is very challenging to win it once, but winning it twice is almost impossible, » the Commissioner added, and the Stanley Cup gave Barkov.
The Finnish striker became the first European captain to bring the team to win two Stanley Cups. He was the first to get a cup from Bark’s defender Nate Schmidt, who came to Florida as a free player.
Video: Barks picked up the Stanley Cup over the head
« It was amazing. I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.
Coach Paul Maurice, who won eleven playoffs series in a row, also held the cup for the second time in a row.
After winning, he tried to explain why the team managed to repeat success. « I don’t know how we got to this mountain, » he told TNT.
« At the beginning of the year we all stood down and it looked high enough. We had a lot of twists and surprises. We walked a lot of kilometers, we had injuries, but these boys like it. It’s true and it is the way they treat each other. They care about themselves and that’s their energy source.
Two Czech winners
While Slovakia was not represented in the final, the Czech Republic has two winners. Tomáš Nosek was a negative hero of the first final duel. After his exclusion, Draisaitl scored the winning goal of the match for the ejection of the puck from the defense zone.
Asked what Noska said after the Panthers loss, coach Paul Maurice replied, « Without Tomas we wouldn’t be here today. It’s a loser moment. »
Two weeks later, he spent the last minute of the sixth final on the ice, during the greatest celebrations. He was the fourth player of the captain who lifted the Stanley Cup over his head. As a reward for the fourth formation, without which Panthers wouldn’t go so far.
Nosek got to the finals in 2018, but at that time he and Vegas had to bow to Washington. The story of the Czech striker is inspiring, in the NHL he started as a wingman Detroit, but then the coaches transferred him to the position of the center. The reward for the lack of work came after 10 years in the profile.
From the hands of Noseka then directed the cup to the second Czech menu – Vítek Vaněček. The Czech goalkeeper came to Florida during the season from the worst team of the regular season of San Jose.
He was two Bobrovsky, his back covered him seven times in the regular season, in the playoffs he did not catch a single duel. However, the teammates appreciated his diligence and approach.
Nosek and Vaněček are 30. And 31. Czechs who won the Stanley Cup.
