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It was an emotional night for many fans of the Florida Panthers yesterday as they completed their thrilling sweep against the Carolina Hurricanes to the tune of “Rock You Like A Hurricane.” The Sunshine State is not what most think of when they want to talk about the best hockey in the NHL but the Panthers’ road to the cup has been nothing short of miraculous. Matthew Tkachuck, the lead scorer for the Panthers all playoffs scored yet another game winning goal in the final seconds of regulation capping the series on Game 4 with a 4-3 scoreline.
The road for the Panthers was far from easy. Upsetting the best regular season team in the history of the NHL in the Boston Bruins could have very well been written off as a fluke had the Panthers lost to the Maple Leafs in the second round. But the story did not end there and the Panthers overcame Toronto in 5 games, moving on to face the Carolina Hurricanes. All four games were won by a difference of one goal with the most significant being the first game, which went to quadruple overtime in what is now the 6th longest game in NHL history. Matthew Tkachuk scored the game winning goal in that game as well. But if any player deserves to be highlighted from the Panthers’ lineup, it is the stalwart wall prowling the net named Sergei Bobrovsky.
‘Bobby,’ has been all but perfect for the entirety of the Panthers’ breakneck blitz through the playoffs and it was particularly notable in their Game 3 win against the Hurricanes. Bobrovsky shuttered any hope of a Canes comeback in a 1-0 shutout, the first in his career during the playoffs. A combination of snap reactions and smart, aggressive defense on the part of the Panthers has rendered Bobrovsky and the net he protects an unassailable fortress. Despite the stellar performances of Tkachuck and Bobrovsky, however, making the Stanley Cup Finals is not a feat achieved by one or two players. It is the result of the Panthers playing hungry, aggressive hockey, unafraid to get physical and do whatever it takes to stop their opponents from getting pucks into the net.
Tkachuk and Bobrovsky can rely on a cast of equally hungry players like Gudas, whose contact heavy play earned him the nickname ‘the Butcher.’ Verhaeghe is another player joining Tkachuk in scoring with 6 goals in the playoffs to Tkachuck’s 8. Alexander Barkov put out a remarkable performance last night, scoring 2 of 4 goals against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was one shy of a hat trick but as the rats rained onto the rink after Tkachuk’s game winning goal, the all-important Panthers rat trick was complete.
As the Stanley Cup Finals approaches, many fans look on with hope for the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Even in the famous Year of the Rat in 1996, the Panthers were unable to win a single game. This time, the Panthers have a chance to make history, winning their first game in the finals and winning their first Stanley Cup.
