The Florida Panthers are handling their journey to the Stanley Cup Final as another business trip. The team's stars are trying to keep all of their success in perspective after winning the Eastern Conference Final over the New York Rangers.
“The buy-in from everybody is so big. We expected to be back here,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said, per the Athletic. Obviously, nothing’s guaranteed, but we were expecting this the way we’ve been working, the way we’ve been dialed in and detailed. We’re very happy to be back, but the job’s not finished.”
The Panthers move on after defeating the Rangers in a six game series. Florida defeated New York on Saturday, in a 2-1 game. The Panthers will play either Edmonton or Dallas in the NHL final.
How the Panthers clawed New York
Florida skated their way to the Stanley Cup on the backs of their defense. The Panthers gave up more than two goals in only one game of the six-game series to New York. The tone of the series was set in Game 1, when the Panthers blanked the Rangers 3-0. The Rangers just never seemed comfortable on the ice when facing Florida's stellar defense.
“We have a very deep team,” Tkachuk added. “I mean, there’s guys that are not even able to be in the lineup right now that are huge parts of our team and have been huge parts of our season and in playoffs. So it’s just a different feeling. This year, we’re getting contributions from everybody. It doesn’t matter who it is on any given night — like somebody’s gonna step up.”
Florida has also found a way to win without being at full strength. Injuries have impacted the team, as Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins have missed games. The Panthers and Rangers played three overtime games in the series, but that didn't seem to rattle Florida. The Panthers took two of those three contests. The club is working well together because everyone understands their roles, Panthers center Sam Bennett said.
“It starts with training camp and the belief in this group that we weren’t going to be satisfied just making it to the Stanley Cup Final,” Bennett added, per the Athletic. “We put in a lot of hard work to get back here, and it took a lot. But again, we’re not satisfied yet. We still have a job to do.”
What comes next for Florida
The Panthers now move on to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. The team lost last season to Vegas, and has revenge on their mind. The franchise has never won the cup.
To win the Stanley Cup, the Panthers may have to find a way to score more goals on offense. Florida held New York to few goals, but didn't score all that much either. The Panthers scored three goals or less in five of the six Eastern Conference Final games.
The Western Conference Final is still going on, with the Oilers and Stars taking the ice on Sunday. The Oilers lead the series 3-2, and need just one more win to clinch the other Stanley Cup Final spot.
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