The puck was pinned along the boards and there was nothing the Edmonton Oilers, down by a goal, could do about it. With only seconds remaining in Game 7, the Florida Panthers allowed their defense to get the job done and it did. They let the clock expire on a 2-1 victory to secure the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
Related: Panthers Win Game 7 vs. Oilers to Capture Franchise’s First Stanley Cup
In a series that quite literally went back and then forth with the Panthers taking the first three and the Oilers taking the next three, to set up a “Cup or bust” situation for both teams. Ultimately, defensive play was what decided it. Game 7 was low-scoring and the Panthers, who were led by the league’s best defense all season, secured the game with a remarkable showing in their own end.
Considering all the factors, it was remarkable that the Panthers shut down the Oilers in the most important game of the season. They allowed 18 goals in the previous three games and were facing a team with one of the most dominant offenses in the NHL. Yet, when it mattered most, the Panthers delivered.
Panthers Limited Shots
The Panthers blocked 17 shots in the deciding game with Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad, and Niko Mikkola, three defensemen in need of bounce-back performances, blocking seven of those shots. They didn’t let the Oilers find opportunities near the net and they dared the opposition to work for their shots. Instead of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Zach Hyman beating them, the offense would have to come from Evan Bouchard or Darnell Nurse and it didn’t.
Sergei Bobrovsky deserves all the praise for his night in the net as he made 23 saves including nine big stops in the third period to seal the win. It’s hard to deny, though, that the defense helped him out in a big way not only by making his job in the net an easy one but by leading the way.
On top of that, Aleksander Barkov had his best game of the series. He didn’t hit the scoresheet but he went up against McDavid for most of the game in a top-line against top-line matchup and he delivered. Barkov didn’t provide the best skater in the league and the Conn Smythe Trophy winner with any space to operate and it gave the Panthers the edge from the opening puck drop.
A Full Season’s Work Paid Off
Game 7 was a testament to how the Panthers have played all season. They win with their forecheck, hard hits, and a defense that allowed only 2.41 goals per game. It’s what allowed them to reach the Stanley Cup Final and do so in a dominant fashion as well, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Boston Bruins in six, and the New York Rangers, the Presidents’ Trophy winner, in six.
The Oilers put the Panthers’ style to the test, notably with Game 4 and onwards as they sped up the pace and allowed their offense to take control. The Panthers tried to respond with their offense stepping up as well — scoring three goals in the Game 5 loss — but in the end, they won the series with their forecheck and defense leading the way.
Oilers’ Defense Made It Close But Came Up Short
The Oilers also deserve a lot of credit for proving throughout the playoff run that they could win with both their offense and their defense. Under head coach Kris Knoblauch, they knew how to limit any offense and it’s what they did even in the Stanley Cup Final, allowing only 18 goals in the seven-game series.
Unfortunately, the few mistakes are what made the difference between them and the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup. The Oilers saw the first goal of the game come on a deflected puck and then came the dagger where Sam Reinhart had space to operate and zipped the puck past Stuart Skinner. It’s the minor details and the small mistakes that separate the champions from the runner-ups and even if the Oilers outplayed the Panthers for most of the game, the few mistakes they made proved costly.
The Panthers meanwhile had a near-flawless night on the defensive end of the ice. Aside from the Mattias Janmark breakaway goal, they didn’t give the Oilers offense much of anything. Sure, most of the game was played in their zone but they didn’t make any of the crucial mistakes that their opponent made and it helped them gain and maintain the 2-1 lead.
Maurice’s Vision On Display
The Paul Maurice hire was put into question and understandably so. They replaced a young coach who was rising in the ranks in Andrew Brunette with a long-time head coach who had yet to get over the hump. This sentiment neglects the fact that Maurice had a vision that started to take shape at the end of last season and the team eventually bought into entirely.
Fast forward to this season and the Panthers played the way a Maurice-coached team generally does: they won by slowing games down and wearing down opponents. They became a team that could close out games in the final minutes with their defense and leave the opposition exhausted in the process.
It made the ending to Game 7 fitting for the Panthers. They closed out the game and won the title with the puck pinned in the corner as the clock ran out on an Oilers team that ran out of gas.
