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Stanley Cup Resides in Florida

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SUNRISE – Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe scored one goal and assisted on another to pace the Panthers to a 2-1, Stanley Cup-clinching victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday in Game 7 in Florida. Verhaeghe’s teammate Sam Reinhart netted the Cup-winning goal for the Panthers, who saw a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series disappear before claiming the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history with the Game 7 victory.

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Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the Panthers, nine in the final frame. His biggest play was a diving stop on Zach Hyman during a scramble at his net with seven minutes remaining.

Mattias Janmark scored for Edmonton, while goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid was held without a point for the second consecutive game.

The Oilers, who were attempting to become only the second team in history and first since 1942 to win after falling behind 3-0 in the finals, lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final their last two trips. The also fell just short in 2006 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Reinhart provided Florida its second lead of the night at 15:11 of the second period. Seconds after the Oilers nearly scored during a flurry of action at both ends, Reinhart led a rush up ice and found the mark from just beyond the right faceoff dot for his 10th of the playoffs.

The Oilers dominated the third period, holding the Panthers to only four shots on goal in the frame and only two in the final 14:43. However, Edmonton could not find the equalizer in the entertaining affair despite a litany of action at the Florida net.

The clubs traded first-period goals just over two minutes apart. Verhaeghe’s first goal since he opened the scoring in Game 1 of the finals put the Panthers on the board first. He deflected Evan Rodrigues’ shot for his 11th of the playoffs at 4:27.

Janmark replied at 6:44 with his second of the series and fourth of the post-season by converting a breakaway chance with a top-shelf shot.

Instead of repeating history with a completed comeback, the Oilers are only the second team in history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in the finals before losing the deciding clash. The Detroit Red Wings pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to a Game 7 in that scenario in 1945, three years after the Maple Leafs rallied from three games down to top the Red Wings in the finals.

Edmonton’s defeat extends the string of years since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup to 31. The Montreal Canadiens last brought the cup north in 1993.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Trade Ullmark to Senators

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Bruins acquired forward Mark Kastelic, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and a 2024 first-round draft pick (25th overall) from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Linus Ullmark. Ottawa will retain 25% of Korpisalo’s salary.
Kastelic, 25, appeared in 63 games during the 2023-24 season, recording five points and five assists for 10 points. The 6-foot-4, 226-pound forward has skated in 144 career NHL games, all with the Senators, tallying 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points. Among Ottawa forwards in 2023-24, Kastelic ranked third in penalty minutes (63) and fourth in hits (126). The Phoenix, Arizona native was originally selected by Ottawa in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Korpisalo, 30, appeared in 55 games with Ottawa during the 2023-24 season, recording a record of 21-26-4 with a 3.27 goals against average and .890 save percentage.  The 6-foot-3, 189-pound goaltender has played in 276 career NHL games with Ottawa, Los Angeles and Columbus, compiling an overall record of 115-107-29 with a 3.06 goals against average and .901 save percentage. The Pori, Finland native was originally selected by Columbus in the third round (62nd overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Edmonton Eyes NHL Game 7 History

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SUNRISE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The thrill of victory and agony of defeat at stake in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final are next-level. The routes both the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have taken to reach the winner-take-all clash will take that emotion off the charts.

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The Panthers play host the Oilers on Monday night in Sunrise, Fla., on the heels of blowing a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series. Only once in finals history has a team failed to close out the series when up 3-0, the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, who lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Conversely, the Oilers are not only looking to cap an incredible comeback in the same manner as those Maple Leafs, but they also risk becoming the second team in NHL history to erase a three-game deficit only to lose the finals in Game 7. (Coincidentally, it was the 1945 Red Wings who took that path and ended up losing to Toronto, again.)

The pressure is huge. Or is it?

“Game 7, at home, how could you not be so jacked up?” Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “This is an absolutely incredible, incredible opportunity. So, yes, you want to recognize or remember some of the good things that helped you beat these guys earlier in the series, but I’m trying to forget all of it. Just go in there and win one game. This is what it comes down to.”

It sounds simple, but the Panthers have failed three consecutive times to close out a series they appeared to have complete control of, and have done so in stunning fashion. Starting with an 8-1 victory in Game 4, the Oilers have outscored the Panthers 18-5 in the past three outings. Florida has not held a lead in any of those defeats.

Suffering a reverse-sweep loss with a shot at winning the first Cup in franchise history would be a painful experience on its own, but doing it in such inglorious fashion would be crushing.

The key for the Panthers will be not allowing the negative thoughts to paralyze their game.

“Game 6, there are a lot of options in your mind. Game 7, it’s one game and you just have to prepare yourself,” Florida forward Vladimir Tarasenko said.

“We still have another chance to win a Cup. You have to fix what you have to fix and come in with a positive mindset and believe in the guy next to you. This maybe sounds pretty simple, but it is what it is.”

The home team boasts a 12-5 record all-time in Game 7 of the finals but the road team has won the last three games.

The Oilers are well aware they have the opportunity to make history by earning the franchise’s first Cup since 1990.

“We’re all human and we’re aware of what we’ve accomplished so far, but if you go past that, it comes down to one game,” forward Leon Draisaitl said. “We have to focus on winning one hockey game on the road and play our best. Everything else, all the stories, will take care of itself after.”

That said, Edmonton’s skaters must not get ahead of themselves by thinking they are a runaway train that cannot be stopped.

“You’ve got to prepare just like you always do,” captain Connor McDavid said. “It’s not your ordinary game, everybody understands that, but you’ve got to make it as ordinary as possible in your head, and part of that is just sticking to your routine. Our room has done a great job of being at our best in big moments and I would not expect anything different.”

–Field Level Media

Oilers: “Not Dead Yet”

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EDMONTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to help the Edmonton Oilers avoid elimination with an 8-1 win against the visiting Florida Panthers on Saturday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

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Game 5 is set for Tuesday in South Florida.

Dylan Holloway had two goals and an assist and Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. Adam Henrique, Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan McLeod also scored, while Stuart Skinner made 32 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped just 11 of 16 shots before he was replaced by Anthony Stolarz, who finished with 16 saves for Florida.

The Oilers never trailed, building a 3-1 lead in the first period.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 19

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Looks at World Hockey & NHL

Editorial Note: With a growing number of paid subscriptions to WWYI via Substack, only a very limited version of WWYI will be posted for free to Digital Sports Desk. Please consider a subscription to be sure the weekly column of Sunday Notes are delivered right to your inbox. You’ll also receive access to the full archive of past notes, just hours and hours of fun reading.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Ice hockey fans have much to anticipate in the month ahead. Even though fans of the Boston Bruins are disappointed in the Bs elimination from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the talented Florida Panthers. Let’s face facts. Florida was the better team, outplaying the Bruins and the Rangers outplayed a good Carolina Hurricanes club to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

The Floridians and the New York Rangers are sure to play an entertaining series for the right to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. That series faces-off May 22-24 at Madison Square Garden where the Rangers’ fans will make The Garden rock to ensure the Broadway Blues maintain valuable home-ice advantage.

Out West, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Knights were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Stars who just defeated a powerful Colorado Avalanche team. In doing so, the hopes of a Denver-based playoff finals party were dashed just as they were for the fans of Boston. The Nuggets and Celtics, respectively, remain active in the NBA while Dallas and New York hold on to hope for the two sport playoff party.

Of course, both Vancouver and Edmonton (Canucks lead 3-2 going into Saturday’s late night Game 6) can spoil the Dallas Stars’ chances. Regardless, it’s exciting times for the best in-person sporting event on the planet – the Stanley Cup Playoffs – especially if overtime is involved.

The Conference Finals will play-out by June 3 when there’s a Game 7 scheduled for Florida vs New York at The Garden, a game that will most likely be necessary considering the overall depth of the two teams and the hot goalkeeping of the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky and the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin. The two Russians are atop the league leaders with Bobrovsky amongst the three finalists for Vezina Trophy honors (along with Thatcher Demko of Vancouver and Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg which used to be Lose-a-Peg before Hellebuyck came along). The Stanley Cup Final will be played in the first two weeks of June.

That brings us to the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation’s Men’s World Championship, ongoing in the Czech Republic with the medal round scheduled for the wonderful city of Prague. The tournament is five games into the preliminary round now with the gold medal game scheduled for May 26.

Currently, Switzerland and Canada lead Group A while Sweden and Germany lead Group B. Two additional teams will join from each group to form the quarterfinals which are scheduled for May 23 in Prague and Ostrava.

You’d think the IIHF might take a look at the NHL schedule and shift their dates a bit, but that hasn’t been the case for decades. Some NHLers gradually join their national teams as their respective NHL clubs are eliminated but the scheduling system is flawed.

HERE NOW, “A” NOTE: Just when you think you’ve seen/heard everything in sports, there’s always something so bizarre that comes along that you just can’t believe it. This week’s PGA Championship falls into that category and it so sadly begins with the unthinkable.

A security guard, working the Valhalla Golf course grounds in his retirement, was struck by a shuttle bus and killed in the early morning hours before the second round of the PGA Championship in Louisville. The guard was identified as John Mills and the Mills family released a photo and statement that read, “he was enjoying his time at Valhalla while working security. He liked to stay busy in retirement. We love him and will miss him.”

With the Louisville Police on high alert and traffic backed up as the accident scene was being processed, Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 golfer, was driving to the course entrance in order to practice before his morning tee time. As has been widely reported (even the lead story on the Nightly News), Scheffler misunderstood traffic directions of an officer and drove past before being stopped by other officers. Scheffler then proceeded to move his vehicle, apparently catching the police off guard and allegedly coming in contact with another officer who was reportedly knocked to the ground.

An ESPN reporter happened to be on the scene and took video of Scheffler being arrested by officers and walked to an awaiting squad car, with one member of the local police warning the reporter to back-off, saying, “he’s going to jail now and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club. This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones,” noted the PGA of America in a statement.

“The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs,” wrote ESPN’s John Darlington with his eye witness account.

Scheffler was booked into Louisville Metro Corrections shortly before 7:30am, but later released. At around 9:50am, PGA officials released a statement from Scheffler, who said he never intended to disregard police instructions and called the situation a “big misunderstanding.” He also expressed condolences to the family of the man killed.

“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective,” read the statement.

Scheffler was charged with felony assault, along with criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic – all misdemeanor charges. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

After being released on his own recognizance and driven to the course, Scheffler easily made his 10:00am tee-time and carded a second round (66), three shots behind halfway lead Xander Schauffele.

There was some local criticism of the way the case was handled. “A man drags a cop with his vehicle and hospitalizes him. He’s arrested … charged with a felony … and then immediately released so he can make his tee time? Did I get that right?” said Ricky L. Jones, a University of Louisville professor of pan-African studies.

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Panthers Send Bruins to Early Summer

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BOSTON – Florida’s Gustav Forsling’s rebound goal with 1:33 left in regulation lifted the visiting Panthers to a 2-1, series-clinching win over the host Bruins in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday.

Anton Lundell had his initial shot stopped by Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman (26 saves), but from the left side Forsling slipped the loose puck inside the near post for the deciding goal.

Lundell finished with a goal and an assist after scoring the tying tally at 12:44 of the second, helping the Panthers to their sixth straight playoff win at TD Garden.

Pavel Zacha scored Boston’s lone goal.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for Florida, including nine in the third period.

Bruins captain Brad Marchand returned to the lineup following a two-game absence due to an upper-body injury.

After the Bruins were unable to clear a shot blocked by Jake DeBrusk, Lundell picked up a loose puck in the slot and unleashed a dart to beat Swayman and tie the game at 12:44 of the middle frame.

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A rollercoaster first period saw the Bruins post the first four shots on goal before a span of 14:11 without one, but Zacha buried the opening goal — the first of his 25-game playoff career — with 52.8 seconds left to make it 1-0.

DeBrusk continued his strong playmaking run with a dish off the neutral zone wall to spring Zacha for the breakaway, which he brought to his backhand and slipped under the crossbar.

Bobrovsky came up with several key saves in the second period that allowed his Panthers to tie the game, including denying Justin Brazeau’s one-timer on the same shift as Lundell’s goal.

Florida looked to take a 2-1 lead in the opening minute of the third. Brandon Montour took a slapper from the right point that Swayman initially thought beat him through the five-hole, but the Boston netminder had the puck behind his pads after it clanked off the post.

Bobrovsky made another important stop eight minutes into the final frame, holding both posts to keep out Charlie McAvoy’s driving attempt to the crease.

Neither team could cash in on a power-play attempt late in the third period, which included 22 overlapping seconds of 4-on-4.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Heading Home for Game 6

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SUNRISE – Boston’s Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist to help the Bruins stave off elimination with a 2-1 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night in Florida.

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The Panthers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading to Game 6 on Friday night in Boston.

Morgan Geekie also scored and Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves for the Bruins, who have never overturned a 3-1 series deficit in a best-of-seven set in 25 previous attempts.

Sam Reinhart scored and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Panthers, who had won three in a row to take command of the series.

Geekie gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 4:49 of the first period with his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Jake DeBrusk retrieved the puck behind the Florida net and passed it to Geekie driving toward the crease. Bobrovsky came off the goal line to attempt a save, but Geekie pulled the puck to his backhand and slid it into the net.

The Panthers were getting outshot 17-8 when Florida coach Paul Maurice gave his team a spirited pep talk during a timeout early in the second period.

Aleksander Barkov won the ensuing faceoff and the Panthers kept the puck in the Boston zone before Aaron Ekblad took a shot from the right point that hit Reinhart in the slot.

Swayman tried to poke the puck through the middle, but it went back to Reinhart, who banked his shot off the post and into the net to tie it 1-1 at 6:23.

McAvoy moved Boston back ahead 2-1 at 10:25 of the second.

Trent Frederic entered the Florida zone off a rush and passed the puck back to Charlie Coyle, who dropped it for McAvoy. The Boston defenseman had room to skate between the hashmarks and score with a wrist shot.

Boston forward Danton Heinen made contact with Bobrovsky just before McAvoy’s goal, prompting the Panthers to challenge for goalie interference, but the goal was upheld after a video review.

Bobrovsky kept it a one-goal deficit when he turned away DeBrusk on a breakaway with 5:35 left in the second period. He also stopped Pavel Zacha on a short-handed breakaway at 2:13 of the third.

Boston played its second straight game without team captain Brad Marchand, who was injured late in Game 3 on a hit to the head by the Panthers’ Sam Bennett. Marchand leads the Bruins in scoring during the postseason with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

–Field Level Media

Marchand Out for Game 4

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Bruins captain Brad Marchand has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second-round series versus the visiting Florida Panthers on Sunday with an upper-body injury.

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Marchand, a forward, received a hard check from Florida’s Sam Bennett in the first period of the Panthers’ 6-2 victory in Game 3 on Friday. Marchand logged 10:51 of ice time through two periods before sitting out the third for the Bruins, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Marchand, 36, did not participate in practice on Saturday. He has team-leading totals in assists (seven) and points (10) in 10 playoff games for Boston.

Bruins coach Jim Montgomery would not confirm or deny whether Marchand sustained a concussion on the hit.

“It can be (galvanizing); it has been and it should be tonight with who our captain is,” Montgomery said.

Marchand had 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 82 games this season. He has 929 points (401 goals, 528 assists) in 1,029 career games since being selected by the Bruins in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Fall into a Hole

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Florida Panthers built a four-goal lead and finished off a 6-2 win over the host Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday. Evan Rodrigues scored twice, Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist, while Vladimir Tarasenko, Carter Verhaeghe also scored for Florida, which took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

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Matthew Tkachuk had three assists, while Aleksander Barkov added two assists as the Panthers went 4-for-6 on the power play. Panthers’ goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky needed to make only 14 saves in Florida’s net in an impressive defensive effort, as Boston recorded half of its 16 shots in the third period.

After the Bruins accumulated only seven shots by the halfway mark of the game, Jakub Lauko and Jake DeBrusk each scored in a 3:30 span in the third period to break up Florida’s 10-0 scoring run in the series. DeBrusk added an assist.

Prior to Florida’s dominating run of goals, no team had scored more than seven straight in this postseason.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots for the Bruins.

Boston captain Brad Marchand did not return for the third period due to an upper-body injury.

Pavel Zacha’s blind backhand pass allowed Florida to maintain offensive-zone possession and score the opening goal 8:04 into the first period. Gustav Forsling took a shot from above the left circle that Rodrigues deflected over Swayman’s shoulder from the doorstep.

Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei’s double-minor penalty for high sticking in the second period proved costly, leading to two Florida goals in exactly a minute.

Tarasenko made it 2-0 when he snapped off a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Swayman upstairs at 16:14 of the middle period. A minute later, Verhaeghe redirected Matthew Tkachuk’s centering pass over Swayman’s blocker for a 3-0 lead.

After Lauko was called for a questionable goaltender interference penalty on a net drive early in the third, Montour took advantage on the ensuing power play and ripped a top-shelf shot from the center point at 3:09 for a 4-0 lead.

A delayed penalty helped Boston get on the board at 5:01, as Lauko tucked a wrister over Bobrovsky off a DeBrusk feed to the left circle.

Lohrei sent a pass to DeBrusk for a hard shot from the left dot that brought Boston back within 4-2 at 8:31.

Reinhart’s empty-netter with 1:24 left punctuated the Florida win, and Rodrigues added on with a power-play tally inside the final minute.

–Field Level Media

Panthers Knot Series at 1-All

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SUNRISE – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Florida team captain Aleksander Barkov collected two goals and two assists to fuel the Panthers to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

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Sam Reinhart notched four assists and defenseman Brandon Montour scored a goal and set up two others to help the Panthers even the best-of-seven series with the Bruins at one victory apiece. Game 3 is Friday in Boston.

Fourth-liner Steven Lorentz, Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Gustav Forsling also scored for Florida, which recorded six consecutive goals in a playoff game for the first time in franchise history. Sergei Bobrovsky made 14 saves in the win.

Jeremy Swayman, who turned aside 19 of 23 shots, yielded more than two goals for the first time in eight games this postseason. Linus Ullmark made eight saves in relief and Charlie Coyle scored a goal in the first period for the Bruins.

An unmarked Lorentz deftly deflected Montour’s shot from the point past Swayman to forge a 1-1 tie at 1:56 of the second period. The goal was the second of the playoffs for Lorentz, who had one tally in 38 games during the regular season.

Barkov gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead just under eight minutes later after gaining inside position on Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy and cleaning up a rebound off a shot from Reinhart.

Forsling doubled the advantage after he dropped to a knee while blasting a shot past Swayman with two seconds remaining in the second period.

A turnover deep in Boston’s zone allowed Barkov to feed Luostarinen at the back post for an easy conversion and a 4-1 lead for the Panthers at 1:28 of the third period.

Barkov forced a turnover at the blue line and beat Ullmark at 10:52 of the third before feeding Montour at the doorstep just 66 seconds later. Barkov has four goals in his past three games.

Boston’s swarming forecheck resulted in Florida committing a turnover in its defensive end, leading to the game’s first goal with 7:48 remaining in the first period. Pavel Zacha executed a give-and-go with captain Brad Marchand before the latter backhanded a goal-mouth feed that Coyle converted for his first goal of the postseason.

–Field Level Media