Florida won the first Stanley Cup in its history. The Panthers found the resources to beat Edmonton 2-1 in Act VII of the NHL playoff final, after seeing the Oilers win three games in a row to tie the game at 3-3.
Defeated in five games by the Vegas Golden Knights last year, the Panthers are just the third team in the last 40 years to win the cumbersome trophy a year after failing to make the final. For their coach Paul Maurice, it is also the first coronation in the Stanley Cup final.
The quest continues, however, for the Canadian franchises, deprived of a title since Montreal’s last coronation in 1993, and for Edmonton and its superstar Connor McDavid in particular. The Oilers, whose last appearance in the final was in 2006, have not lifted the Stanley Cup since 1990.
On Monday, they were able to equalize at 1-1 on a success from Mattias Janmark in the 7th minute, a little more than two minutes after Carter Verhaeghe had opened the scoring for Florida. But the Panthers’ second goal, signed Sam Reinhart in the 36th, proved decisive in a game where their goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves.
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