Stanley Cup

3 Storylines to Watch for Panthers Vs. Golden Knights Stanley Cup Finals

Florida and Vegas enter the Stanley Cup Finals riding a wave of momentum

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The stage is set.

Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers will battle Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals after both squads won their respective conference finals matchups. The Panthers swept the Hurricanes, while the Golden Knights defeated the Stars 4-2.

Here are three storylines to watch for the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals:

Who wins their first Stanley Cup?

This isn’t your typical Stanley Cup Finals matchup. Rather than historic, Original Six teams, the Panthers and Golden Knights have brief histories in the NHL.

Florida played its inaugural season in 1993, the 77th season in NHL history. Over the last 29 years, the Panthers have made the postseason nine times. They appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals just once in 1996, getting swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

Vegas is in just its sixth season after being added as an expansion team in 2017. The franchise was a contender immediately, making the Stanley Cup Finals in its inaugural season before losing 4-1 to the Washington Capitals. The Golden Knights have made the playoffs in five of their six seasons, but, like the Panthers, are still seeking their first Stanley Cup win.

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Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky chasing history for Florida

It’s been a dream run for the Panthers, largely thanks to their star winger Matthew Tkachuk and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Tkachuck, 25, was acquired in a trade last July. He has a team-leading 21 points with nine goals and 12 assists – plus four game-winning goals – in 16 postseason games. The 34-year-old Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina winner, but his finest work has come in this playoff run. He’s 11-2 with a 2.21 GAA in 13 starts.

While the Panthers weren’t technically a No. 8 seed based on the NHL’s playoff seeding rules, they were the lowest wild card team and had the fewest points of any postseason participant with 92. The only No. 8 seed to ever win the Stanley Cup Finals was the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

The parallels between this team and the only other Florida squad to make the Cup Finals (1996) are uncanny. Both teams finished with 92 points and both defeated the heavily-favored Boston Bruins in the opening round. The 2023 Panthers will look to write a better final chapter, as the 1996 group was swept for the Stanley Cup.

Bruce Cassidy looking to do what his old team couldn’t

Bruce Cassidy had an impressive six-year run with the Bruins from 2016-22, making the playoffs each year and losing in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019.

The 58-year-old coach was fired last year and quickly scooped up by Vegas. Now, he’s on the verge of winning it all in his first season with the team. Cassidy led the Golden Knights to a franchise-best record of 51-22-9 with 111 points. In the postseason, Vegas has cruised by the Winnepeg Jets (4-1), Edmonton Oilers (4-2) and Dallas Stars (4-2).

The Bruins didn’t seem to miss Cassidy in the regular season, compiling the most wins in NHL history at 65-12-5. But Boston collapsed after leading the 3-1 in their first round series against the Panthers, losing three straight – including Game 7 at home. Cassidy has a chance to get the ultimate revenge on his old team by defeating the squad that eliminated them and raising the Stanley Cup in his first year away.

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