Following last year’s Finals loss, the Florida Panthers are back for another chance to win the Stanley Cup.
The Vegas Golden Knights were celebrating their victory in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, while a devastated group of Florida Panthers were hanging up their skates for the last time that season.
Aaron Ekblad stood in the locker room and made a promise at that very moment.
“Next year, we’ll figure out a way to return,” the seasoned defenseman stated.
Look, it’s not unheard of for the team that gets a crack at the championship but loses to say anything along those lines. However, these Panthers fulfilled their promise—a rare occurrence in hockey. Being the only team in the past 40 years to lose in the first round of the NHL championship, Florida is back in the Stanley Cup Final.
On Saturday night, the Panthers captured their second straight Eastern Conference championship after defeating the New York Rangers 2-1 to win the six-game series. Pittsburgh, captained by Sidney Crosby, lost to Detroit in 2008 then defeated the Red Wings in 2009. They were the most recent club to lose the Cup final one season and return the next. Prior to that, in 1983 and 1984, Edmonton defeated the New York Islanders in five games the next year to win Wayne Gretzky’s first Cup.
“Just a whole lot of drive, devotion, and passion,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk remarked. The appropriate parts were included. A few excellent pieces were added. Just one way of thinking: try your hardest to get back on track. Additionally
The Stanley Cup Final’s first game takes place on Saturday; the Panthers will host if Florida plays Edmonton, and the Stars will have home-ice advantage if Florida plays Dallas.
The Panthers still had all ten of Florida’s top scorers from the previous year, although significant changes were made following the team’s loss to Vegas. Dmitry Kulikov, a former player for the Panthers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Niko Mikkola, who all had significant roles throughout the season, were the three defenseman that Florida added. To strengthen the forward group, Kevin Stenlund was added, and in a late-season trade, Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko arrived in Florida. Against the Rangers, Tarasenko scored the game that sealed the series.
