That was the chant reverberating from fans inside Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Saturday night after the Florida Panthers sealed a series-winning 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, locking up a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year.
The Panthers now await the outcome of the Western Conference Finals, where the Edmonton Oilers lead the Dallas Stars 3-2.“We want the cup!” a full Amerant Bank Arena chants as the team is presented the Prince of Wales Trophy pic.twitter.com/U70jzdkl6I
— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) June 2, 2024
The Panthers have made it all the way to the championship series twice before, though they have yet to hoist the Stanley Cup. They fell short last season in a five-game series against the Las Vegas Golden Knights and in a 1996 sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
The Panthers never trailed in Game 6 on Saturday night and struck first with a laser-shot goal from Sam Bennett, beating Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin's glove with just 50 seconds left in the first period.SAM BENNETT SCORES THE FIRST GOAL WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT IN THE FIRST PERIOD 🔥🔥
— Playbook Sports (@PlaybookSN) June 2, 2024
X FACTOR!!! pic.twitter.com/bJbFdgSKJg
The Panthers extended their lead in the third period with a goal from Vladimir Tarasenko at the 9:08 mark. Assisted by Anton Lundell, Tarasenko's goal put the Panthers up 2-0 and officially got the champagne and Bud Light wheeled into the locker room as the team could smell a second-straight Stanley Cup appearance.
But no win in the playoffs comes easy, and the Rangers were not ready to go quietly into the offseason. With just under two minutes remaining in the game, New York cut the deficit to one. Following the Rangers' timeout and decision to pull their goalie, the Panthers fought through the final minutes to stall the puck and end the series.Vladimir Tarasenko’s first goal of the Eastern Conference Final is a massive one! @FlaPanthers | #TimeToHunt | #StanleyCup
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 2, 2024
pic.twitter.com/5lScLHbibG
Four games to two. Panthers win. On to the next one.
The Panthers' return to the Stanley Cup Finals follows the heartbreak of their 2023 campaign, in which they lost their second-ever appearance after a longshot playoff run marked by Matthew Tkachuk's last-moment buzzer-beating heroics.SHE’S HEADING BACK TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL pic.twitter.com/iavSlPX6gm
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 2, 2024
Following that series, the Panthers made numerous offseason changes, tweaks to their style of play, and free agent acquisitions, including forward Evan Rodrigues and veteran defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, a Panthers first-round draft pick of yesteryear. The team now has a chance at redemption as they await the winner of the Western Conference duel.
Championship hockey returns to Sunrise next week. The only question is whether the Panthers will need their passports to travel to Canada or if they'll play Dallas.
¡Vamos, Gatos de Hielo!
