Playoff tested Florida Panthers primed to capture first Stanley Cup, CBS Miami's Steve Goldstein
SUNRISE - The wait has been long and the Florida Panthers are chomping at the bit.
A week after eliminating the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive season the Panthers are ready to host Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in team history. They are back in the Cup final for a second consecutive season, just the second NHL team in the last 40 years to reach the final after losing the year before.
They have won seven playoff series over the last three years. The Panthers are confident this time they will finish the job.
Match-up
Edmonton comes to town as the West champ with two of the best players in the world. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the Oilers top two centers. McDavid is already an all-time great and has so far been unstoppable in the playoffs. The Panthers are the best defensive and forechecking team in hockey and play a heavy game. They will need all of it to neutralize Edmonton's top two.
Wild Amerant Bank
South Florida has gotten used to experiencing playoff hockey for a few years now. The arena has been jammed with nearly 20,000 fans every night and for the second straight year get a taste of Stanley Cup hockey. It is the first time in franchise history that the Final starts at home and the fans will be fueled up for Saturday night.
Barkov vs McDavid
It doesn't get any better than this. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is the best defensive forward in hockey. Oilers captain Connor McDavid is the best offensive player in hockey. They will be head-to-head for much of the series. There is a good chance whoever wins this matchup wins the Stanley Cup for the first time in their career. Barkov would be the first Finn to captain a Cup winner.
Intensity ahead
Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk are linemates and play a tough, hard style of hockey. They are also former Calgary Flames who have a heated rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers. Tkachuk has never hidden the fact that he doesn't like the Oilers. They likely will match up with Draisaitl and the tough Evander Kane. Add in what's at stake and the number of other players that will play heavy hockey, and the sparks should be flying Saturday night in Sunrise.
Bob brings it home
Sergei Bobrovsky has been solid and hasn't had to be spectacular due to his team in front of him. Bobrovsky has allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of the last 11 games. He's consistently been quiet in net without much movement and has had excellent positioning. Bobrovsky is rested and ready for Edmonton's top shooters and pick up where he left off against the Rangers.
Skinner shines
Stuart Skinner is on a roll in Edmonton's net. He is a big goaltender, and the Panthers will try to get him moving in net. He's allowed 2 goals or fewer in 7 of the last 8 games and was solid in the west final elimination game vs Dallas. But Skinner hasn't faced an offense like the Panthers who are deep, get to the dirty areas around the crease, and make life tough on opposing goalies. Tkachuk, Bennett, and Carter Verhaeghe could pose problems for the Edmonton native in net.
Final call
After picking the Panthers in 6 games against Tampa (they won in five), 6 games vs Boston (we got it right), and 7 games over the Rangers (Panthers won in 6), the call here is a Stanley Cup in South Florida. The Panthers' experience of a year ago has fueled them over the last nine months since they arrived at training camp. This team has been solid and steady all year long and is a miserable bunch for opponents to play against. They dominated and frustrated the President's Trophy-winning Rangers, allowing just one five-on-five goal over the last three games. The Panthers have won three consecutive games in each of their series.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl present a challenge along with 50-plus goal scorer Zach Hyman, defenseman Evan Bouchard and a structured Edmonton team. But Tampa Bay with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Braden Point, Andrei Vasilevsky, and Victor Hedman was a challenge. So, were the heavy, hard-hitting Bruins with Jeremy Swayman, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. New York had red-hot special teams, the best goalie in the playoffs, and superstars like Artemi Panarin. The Panthers put them all down, controlling most of the play.
Teams can beat the Panthers a few times but all things being equal, once again, beating the Panthers four out of seven games is a tall task. Plan the parade. Florida in 6 for the first Cup in franchise history.