Florida Panthers beat Edmonton Oilers to win Stanley Cup

After a heartbreaking loss, the Edmonton Oilers’ attempt to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history fell one win short.

On Monday night in Sunrise, Florida, the Florida Panthers defeated the Oilers 2-1 to claim the 2024 Stanley Cup Championship.

The Panthers took the lead in the game with 4:27 left.

Shortly after failing to convert on a power play, Carter Verhaeghe deflected a shot past goaltender Stuart Skinner.

The Oilers answered just over two minutes later. Cody Ceci sent a stretch pass to Mattias Janmark, who went in alone and beat Sergei Bobrovsky’s blocker side for his fourth of the playoffs.

Panthers center Sam Reinhart scored the only goal of the second period to pull Florida ahead. His shot from the right wing beat Skinner on the short side with 4:49 left in the frame.

The Oilers had a pair of chances on third down with seven minutes left.

Evan Bouchard unleashed a one-timer, but Bobrovsky moved right to make the save. With Bobrovsky out, Zach Hyman got a poke at the puck but couldn’t get it in. With three minutes to go, Connor McDavid sent a deflection attempt just over the net.

The Oilers couldn’t make any chances after signing Skinner for an extra attacker. Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves. Skinner made 19.

Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

He had 42 points in the postseason, the fourth most ever. McDavid becomes the first player from a losing team to win the Conn Smythe since 2003.

The Oilers had forced a seventh game after trailing 3-0 in the series – only the tenth time in NHL history that a best-of-seven has gone the distance after one team was up 3-0.

Four teams have completed the comeback and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs remain the only team to make the finals.

It is the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup title. The Oilers were seeking their sixth and first since 1990. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens remain the last Canadian team to win the Cup.

The Oilers were no strangers to competing from deep this season. They started the regular season with only two wins in their first twelve games. They improved to 3-9-1 with a win over Seattle

Nov. 11, but that wasn’t enough to save head coach Jay Woodcroft’s job. He was fired the next day and replaced by Kris Knoblauch.

Under Knoblauch, the Oilers went on a 16-game winning streak from December 21 to January 27.

To reach the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers eliminated Los Angeles in five games, Vancouver in seven and Dallas in six. They were down 2-1 against both Vancouver and Dallas.

It was the Oilers’ first appearance in the Finals since 2006. They lost that series to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

– This is a breaking news story. More to come…

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