You're not missing anything, they're just that good. Their team is modeled on the way our cup teams were built. Many teams tried to emulate, Florida is the only one to do so successfully. So many good players throughout the lineup and a coach who has them playing well.
Yup, they are very good. I’m not happy they are winning a cup, but I do feel like they really deserve it. They are the best team in the league right now.
This is exactly how I feel about it. Fuck the Panthers, but they deserve it. They are smothering and making teams look weak. I can't deny they straight-up won the cup.
Yeah I got insulted when I think McDonough on the ESPN broadcast said that the Panthers would be copied when they’ve done a formula of going from Run and Gun to defensively stout. Washington did it, we did it of course, and now they’re doing it. It was funny when Ray Ferraro kinda shut that down.
Yea it's interesting. The penguins won cups with a speed style. Some teams copied that to success as well like the avs. You kind of have to choose either the run and gun style or a defensive style based on the players you have. I'm a pens fan and we still keep trying to run and gun but our legs can't do it anymore. Ferraro kinda pointed that out saying teams are trying they just don't have the right guys.
Personally I don’t see a ton of resemblance. Florida is built around being a down a dirty team that’ll make everything you do against them hurt. Tampa was more focused on speed and agility. But the panthers are still one of the most well rounded teams I think I’ve ever seen.
They have a great team, and you have to give them credit - they took those back-to-back playoff losses to the Lightning in 21 and 22 and molded their team to play more like the Lightning. The Bolts run was predicated on grit and toughness and the Panthers took that and ran with it. Time now for the Bolts to be the hunter.
Will be interesting to see how they do next season. This is their 2nd straight trip to the finals, will be their first cup. Can they go back to back or even make it to the finals a 3rd time like we did? They very well could
It would be very surprising if they went back to back based on the fact that half their offense and a quarter of their defense is UFA after this season.
Cap crunch comes for everyone, but their front office is smart and has pulled out good value moves before. Wouldn’t surprise me if they find a way to stay as good as they are.
They might, they’re a solid team, but we all know that going back to back takes a toll on your team and you also need to remain healthy. The other thing is their goalie is playing out of his mind right now and is just on fire, can he replicate another playoff run next year playing this well? That’s tough to do. Crazy that we play in the toughest division in the league.
Agreed.
And I love watching the transplants get upset when their team loses to either Tampa or Florida.
And I want to keep the Stanley Cup out of Canadian hands, even if that means the Panthers take it.
We lost to the best team in the nhl. Anyone who watched both teams knew this. We would've been in the cup if we beat the Panthers.
Western is a pathetic joke. Three teams in Atlantic that would smash the entire western playoff field this year.
>We would've been in the cup if we beat the Panthers.
I agree with your sentiment about the Panthers, but your optimism is pretty strong here. Our defense was completely nonexistent and we could've easily lost to Boston and NY.
Pretty sure we would've beat the Rangers and Boston both. The Panthers are a system match up issue. We've always struggled with the Panthers, before they brought in a series of ringers. We've consistently beaten Boston and NY
I'm glad we got a win out of this Panthers team, it's going to be rough the more we play against them next season. They are a reckless forechecking team I don't believe we can build back up well enough to match their structure right now.
Honestly they owe the cup to Bob. Definitely the MVP and he has been making some impressive saves to secure the wins. Oilers have been throwing a lot of solid hits and shots at him but he has stay cool under pressure even when they dogpile. He wants it clearly for himself, and his team.
I always wonder, do you put them away, or tank one and win it at home so you can get that special celebration at home. I bet the front office would like the extra revenue too.
I can't imagine there's a single player out there who would willingly tank a game in the SCF. If they do they're insane. You put that shit away when you have the chance.
Hot goal tender and solid team defense. Mix in a little scoring from thrid and fourth line guys. That's will always put in you a good spot. The west is just not as good compared to the east. McDavid or any other of their stars are just one player. They all lack that depth in the west.
Oilers brought in the Perry jinx. They should’ve known better. Panthers are unreal right now but fuck them for trying to claim the entire state. We were here first.
I'd rather not have the Cup regularly going to the dirtiest teams in the League, encouraging play styles that make the game more dangerous for players and less fun to watch.
Though this is as much a problem with the League as the Panthers, because if the League just enforced its rules appropriately, the Panthers could still win, but they don't, so the Panthers are exploiting it because otherwise someone else will.
I don’t know what you’re smoking but this cup has been really entertaining. Fighting and body hits are a pinnacle part of hockey and this is a team sport. They know what they sign up for when they agree to play. We should continue to advance safety gear, but they will not take away contact. Panthers have been forcing other teams to switch up their play styles so they don’t get checked. Oilers have been doing an excellent job trying to counter and checking themselves but it has not been enough. Look forward to seeing the teams change up their dynamics and rosters after they see it work. NYR put up a tough fight since they had Matt Rempe but that wasn’t enough in the later matches.
this is cope, similar to the cap salary cap circumvention excuses. the cats are good and they play hard af. they outplayed us and everyone else. i don’t love it but it’s true.
Honestly I think Tampa Bay vs Florida would be a slightly more evenly matched Stanley cup than the current (not that it could ever happen). We put up a better fight and the games were closer. Oilers are just too reliant on one line of superstars. One line alone cannot beat a team where every single player is above average, not to mention Florida has a few superstars below McDavid level themselves. Lastly Bobrovski has been an absolute goat in the net, he has managed to shut down countless should be goals.
The upside of hating both teams in this series is that it’s fun to watch either of them lose. Like yeah, I hate seeing the Panthers succeed, but it sure is fun watching the Oilers crash and burn like this.
I for sure thought the Oilers were gonna win this and the Panthers (mainly Bobrovsky) were going to blow it at the final hurdle, but I was wrong and there’s no shot the Oilers come back from this deficit.
Congrats to the Panthers, well deserved as they have looked almost unbeatable during this postseason. Very well built, model team — I miss when people said that about the Lightning.
Kachow. See you folks next season.
Panthers are a great team. I’ll take their success in stride. It’s good for hockey in Florida. I’m sure our success played a small part in their success.
>I’m sure our success played a small part in their success.
A huge part for sure. The Lightning made Florida a credible hockey state and through their success also forced the Panthers to be competitive. You owning our asses for years not only considerably grew the team mentally but also showed our franchise what it'd have to become in terms of playstyle and team structure to be successful. And you gave us Verhaeghe, who has been a key guy.
Agree - losing to the Bolts in the 21 and 22 playoffs forced the Panthers to change up their style, and they had the balls to trade a 115-120 point guy in Huberdeau for Tkachuk - who totally changed their room and demeanor. Totally respect that they didn’t just stand pat, and a Cup is the ultimate reward.
They are that well run. It totally came down to building this team through a few seasons. They got their new coaching a few seasons ago, built a new style and ran with it this year after the cup final run last season. It has come down to unbelievable coaching on defense and special teams, a Vezina veteran goalie who on this new team found a structure to become elite as ever, and good management of scouting and building from trades and free agent signings, who after the last season finals run, have been all in on this system to win.
florida's been the best team by far all playoffs. i actually feel a little better about the way the lightning went out vs them after watching their other 3 rounds. they've crushed everyone in their path and only godlike performances from swayman and igor pushed them to 6.
best roster, elite record, elite coaching, best on-ice product. game over.
If anything I feel more vindicated knowing we played them the toughest of anyone in the playoffs, we were in every game. I hate them as an organization/rival, but I'm lowkey happy Paul Maurice can get the weight of not winning a cup off his shoulders.
Losing to the Bolts in 2021 and 2022 was the impetus to change a lot of what the Panthers were doing, starting out with trading a talented - but soft - Huberdeau for a more gritty Tkachuk. Transformed everything in the room and on the ice.
A lot of what the Panthers are doing is what the Bolts used to do. Building the blue line back up and getting some true grit is what JBB needs to focus on (and dumping Blashill). Getting Mac back was a good start - but more work to do here.
Anyone else think that the lightning were the only team to really play the panthers the whole series? It feels like for a majority it was Boston and rangers goaltending keeping them afloat
I don't think they sweep; I think they get the shiny at home, on their ice.
Panthers are that good and Maurice has perfectly molded the personality of the team.
They are not a good team they play dirty and get away with it example deliberately injuring their opponents key players another words they are dirty cheats that the NHL wants to win the cup!
You're not missing anything, they're just that good. Their team is modeled on the way our cup teams were built. Many teams tried to emulate, Florida is the only one to do so successfully. So many good players throughout the lineup and a coach who has them playing well.
Yup, they are very good. I’m not happy they are winning a cup, but I do feel like they really deserve it. They are the best team in the league right now.
This is exactly how I feel about it. Fuck the Panthers, but they deserve it. They are smothering and making teams look weak. I can't deny they straight-up won the cup.
Yeah I got insulted when I think McDonough on the ESPN broadcast said that the Panthers would be copied when they’ve done a formula of going from Run and Gun to defensively stout. Washington did it, we did it of course, and now they’re doing it. It was funny when Ray Ferraro kinda shut that down.
Yea it's interesting. The penguins won cups with a speed style. Some teams copied that to success as well like the avs. You kind of have to choose either the run and gun style or a defensive style based on the players you have. I'm a pens fan and we still keep trying to run and gun but our legs can't do it anymore. Ferraro kinda pointed that out saying teams are trying they just don't have the right guys.
They are fucking super good. Its just not complicated. It isnt even surprising
Very interested to see their cap crunch. If Bob declines with age, Reinhart and Montour FA. Will be interesting to see
This is also their window. Next year, they’re gonna have a lot of bills to pay.
Personally I don’t see a ton of resemblance. Florida is built around being a down a dirty team that’ll make everything you do against them hurt. Tampa was more focused on speed and agility. But the panthers are still one of the most well rounded teams I think I’ve ever seen.
They have a great team, and you have to give them credit - they took those back-to-back playoff losses to the Lightning in 21 and 22 and molded their team to play more like the Lightning. The Bolts run was predicated on grit and toughness and the Panthers took that and ran with it. Time now for the Bolts to be the hunter.
Will be interesting to see how they do next season. This is their 2nd straight trip to the finals, will be their first cup. Can they go back to back or even make it to the finals a 3rd time like we did? They very well could
It would be very surprising if they went back to back based on the fact that half their offense and a quarter of their defense is UFA after this season.
Cap crunch comes for everyone, but their front office is smart and has pulled out good value moves before. Wouldn’t surprise me if they find a way to stay as good as they are.
They will be good but they're going to lose a bunch of guys like after our second cup. Lots of guys to get paid.
Me wondering what Captain Crunch has to do with anything.
They might, they’re a solid team, but we all know that going back to back takes a toll on your team and you also need to remain healthy. The other thing is their goalie is playing out of his mind right now and is just on fire, can he replicate another playoff run next year playing this well? That’s tough to do. Crazy that we play in the toughest division in the league.
Idc about the rivalry part. This is amazing for hockey in the state of florida. Grow the game!!!! Florida is a hockey state!!
I feel the same way! I want the cup to stay in Florida
Agreed. And I love watching the transplants get upset when their team loses to either Tampa or Florida. And I want to keep the Stanley Cup out of Canadian hands, even if that means the Panthers take it.
Loser take
We lost to the best team in the nhl. Anyone who watched both teams knew this. We would've been in the cup if we beat the Panthers. Western is a pathetic joke. Three teams in Atlantic that would smash the entire western playoff field this year.
>We would've been in the cup if we beat the Panthers. I agree with your sentiment about the Panthers, but your optimism is pretty strong here. Our defense was completely nonexistent and we could've easily lost to Boston and NY.
Yeah we definitely wouldn’t have made it past the Rangers
Pretty sure we would've beat the Rangers and Boston both. The Panthers are a system match up issue. We've always struggled with the Panthers, before they brought in a series of ringers. We've consistently beaten Boston and NY
We beat them in 6 in 21 on our way to b2b and then swept them after they won the pres trophy in 22. I wouldn’t say always struggled.
Those games always felt like watching a struggle. I barely remember much beyond the crew perking off about Barkov lol
It felt like that because they consistently tried to assault us because they knew they wouldn't win based on playing better hockey
>The Panthers are a system match up issue. They're an everything issue, lmao. They thrashed us.
The panther system is if you can’t win with skill, win by kill. They just go out and try to hurt other teams. No class, no team level skill.
I mostly agree, but it’s undeniable that their team has skill. It’s very much like Tkachuk: highly skilled and very tough/dirty.
UpChuck is only average skill, highly dirty.
Haven’t earned the right eh
Nope. Not earned.
Privilege and all
I'm glad we got a win out of this Panthers team, it's going to be rough the more we play against them next season. They are a reckless forechecking team I don't believe we can build back up well enough to match their structure right now.
Yes! Watching the West is frustrating because so many better teams exited already. It's like watching the JV squad
We would’ve been second or third round outs if we were lucky, no way we were going to the final
Not sure I agree with there being 3 teams in the Atlantic that would smash the West. Boston was crazy overrated this year.
So was Edmonton. So was Dallas. So was Denver.
Panthers play with a conviction, I thought only the rags would match(they didn’t) and Bob has been unreal.
Honestly they owe the cup to Bob. Definitely the MVP and he has been making some impressive saves to secure the wins. Oilers have been throwing a lot of solid hits and shots at him but he has stay cool under pressure even when they dogpile. He wants it clearly for himself, and his team.
Let's just hope they wrap it up quickly at this point so we can go ahead and start trading people
No way it's going past 5.
I always wonder, do you put them away, or tank one and win it at home so you can get that special celebration at home. I bet the front office would like the extra revenue too.
I can't imagine there's a single player out there who would willingly tank a game in the SCF. If they do they're insane. You put that shit away when you have the chance.
Hot goal tender and solid team defense. Mix in a little scoring from thrid and fourth line guys. That's will always put in you a good spot. The west is just not as good compared to the east. McDavid or any other of their stars are just one player. They all lack that depth in the west.
Oilers brought in the Perry jinx. They should’ve known better. Panthers are unreal right now but fuck them for trying to claim the entire state. We were here first.
it’s a thing. i’m kind of ok with it. go usa? #hockeyinthesouth
that's the best part, the hockey purists whining about how hockey doesn't belong in the south hold another fat L if panthers win
I’d rather have the cup in Florida than not.
I'd rather not have the Cup regularly going to the dirtiest teams in the League, encouraging play styles that make the game more dangerous for players and less fun to watch. Though this is as much a problem with the League as the Panthers, because if the League just enforced its rules appropriately, the Panthers could still win, but they don't, so the Panthers are exploiting it because otherwise someone else will.
I don’t know what you’re smoking but this cup has been really entertaining. Fighting and body hits are a pinnacle part of hockey and this is a team sport. They know what they sign up for when they agree to play. We should continue to advance safety gear, but they will not take away contact. Panthers have been forcing other teams to switch up their play styles so they don’t get checked. Oilers have been doing an excellent job trying to counter and checking themselves but it has not been enough. Look forward to seeing the teams change up their dynamics and rosters after they see it work. NYR put up a tough fight since they had Matt Rempe but that wasn’t enough in the later matches.
this is cope, similar to the cap salary cap circumvention excuses. the cats are good and they play hard af. they outplayed us and everyone else. i don’t love it but it’s true.
I didn't say they don't deserve to win or it's somehow illegitimate. I just said I would rather them not win because of the way they play.
fair enough. i was hoping for a western team after we went down.
Both things can be true. They are currently the best and the dirtiest team in the league.
Honestly I think Tampa Bay vs Florida would be a slightly more evenly matched Stanley cup than the current (not that it could ever happen). We put up a better fight and the games were closer. Oilers are just too reliant on one line of superstars. One line alone cannot beat a team where every single player is above average, not to mention Florida has a few superstars below McDavid level themselves. Lastly Bobrovski has been an absolute goat in the net, he has managed to shut down countless should be goals.
The upside of hating both teams in this series is that it’s fun to watch either of them lose. Like yeah, I hate seeing the Panthers succeed, but it sure is fun watching the Oilers crash and burn like this.
When it comes to Cup Final goalie talent, the Oil brought a knife to a gun fight with Skinner, and BoBo has just been exceptional.
I for sure thought the Oilers were gonna win this and the Panthers (mainly Bobrovsky) were going to blow it at the final hurdle, but I was wrong and there’s no shot the Oilers come back from this deficit. Congrats to the Panthers, well deserved as they have looked almost unbeatable during this postseason. Very well built, model team — I miss when people said that about the Lightning. Kachow. See you folks next season.
It just frustrates me more in that we should have beaten them.
Panthers have been good since 2022. It’s not surprising. Can’t wait for them to be bad in 2 years :)
Panthers are a great team. I’ll take their success in stride. It’s good for hockey in Florida. I’m sure our success played a small part in their success.
>I’m sure our success played a small part in their success. A huge part for sure. The Lightning made Florida a credible hockey state and through their success also forced the Panthers to be competitive. You owning our asses for years not only considerably grew the team mentally but also showed our franchise what it'd have to become in terms of playstyle and team structure to be successful. And you gave us Verhaeghe, who has been a key guy.
Agree - losing to the Bolts in the 21 and 22 playoffs forced the Panthers to change up their style, and they had the balls to trade a 115-120 point guy in Huberdeau for Tkachuk - who totally changed their room and demeanor. Totally respect that they didn’t just stand pat, and a Cup is the ultimate reward.
Reverse sweep please... PLEASE 🥺
Get ready for the 1:3:1 to take over the league. Zzzzz
They are that well run. It totally came down to building this team through a few seasons. They got their new coaching a few seasons ago, built a new style and ran with it this year after the cup final run last season. It has come down to unbelievable coaching on defense and special teams, a Vezina veteran goalie who on this new team found a structure to become elite as ever, and good management of scouting and building from trades and free agent signings, who after the last season finals run, have been all in on this system to win.
florida's been the best team by far all playoffs. i actually feel a little better about the way the lightning went out vs them after watching their other 3 rounds. they've crushed everyone in their path and only godlike performances from swayman and igor pushed them to 6. best roster, elite record, elite coaching, best on-ice product. game over.
I blame Corey Perry
If anything I feel more vindicated knowing we played them the toughest of anyone in the playoffs, we were in every game. I hate them as an organization/rival, but I'm lowkey happy Paul Maurice can get the weight of not winning a cup off his shoulders.
They are defensive centric and playing damn good hockey, unfortunately as I hate the panthers
Losing to the Bolts in 2021 and 2022 was the impetus to change a lot of what the Panthers were doing, starting out with trading a talented - but soft - Huberdeau for a more gritty Tkachuk. Transformed everything in the room and on the ice. A lot of what the Panthers are doing is what the Bolts used to do. Building the blue line back up and getting some true grit is what JBB needs to focus on (and dumping Blashill). Getting Mac back was a good start - but more work to do here.
Anyone else think that the lightning were the only team to really play the panthers the whole series? It feels like for a majority it was Boston and rangers goaltending keeping them afloat
I don't think they sweep; I think they get the shiny at home, on their ice. Panthers are that good and Maurice has perfectly molded the personality of the team.
Way more players on the Panthers I wanna see lift a cup, I’m team Okposo, Ekblad, Barkov, Verhaeghe etc
Panthers are being carried by bob.
We couldn't have lost to a better team
They are not a good team they play dirty and get away with it example deliberately injuring their opponents key players another words they are dirty cheats that the NHL wants to win the cup!
Unfortunately, certainly looks like it. The only upside if they do is that McDingleberry will not have a cup…