When then-Penguins GM Jim Rutherford acquired versatile forward Evan Rodrigues from the Sabres in February 2020, fellow PPer Caleb DiNatale was thrilled. While Other Rick and I were less enthused, Caleb sang E-Rod’s praises.
“I have a vision of him hoisting the Cup,” Caleb said. “You’ll see.”
Our colleague proved to be prescient. E-Rod, indeed, has lifted the Cup, and in back-to-back fashion to boot, albeit with the Panthers.
So has former Pen Dmitry Kulikov, and as Garrett Behanna of Pensburgh so duly noted, Patric Hörnqvist, now a valued member of Florida’s staff. Wholly appropriate, since the Panthers as a team embody the Viking warrior’s intensity and spirit.
The old net-front battler was so upset to learn he’d been traded by the Pens, he proceeded to dump his uniform and gear in his driveway. You can argue that no one wearing the black and gold (save for No. 87 and Alex Nedeljkovic) has displayed the same heart-on-his-sleeve, hate-to-lose intensity since. But I digress.
The Panthers’ transformation from perennial also-rans to two-time champions arguably began in earnest with Hörnqvist’s arrival back in September 2020.
“The impact of Patric Hörnqvist on the Florida Panthers was apparent from the moment he walked through the door of their Sunrise arena,” wrote Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now.
Fast-forward to the Final. I’m notoriously bad at making predictions. In fact, I probably rival Paul Bissonnette’s “Bizzy Bets” in terms of flat-out wrongness. But I must say, I pretty much nailed this one in my series preview.
The Oilers are a heck of a hockey team. It’s fair to wonder how the series might have gone had they not lost power forward Zach Hyman in the Conference Final, robbing them of scoring, edgy play and depth at such a crucial juncture.
However, the Panthers are a M-A-C-H-I-N-E. Or a giant boa constrictor, as podcaster Steve Dangle prefers.
They just steadily, inexorably, crush the life out of you. The longer the series goes, the tighter their stranglehold becomes. All the more remarkable when you consider they’ve played roughly the equivalent of an extra season in the playoffs over the past three springs.
On defense, they just suffocate you. Connor McDavid had one goal in the Final. Never mind the inevitable backlash that he can’t win the big one. He’s a fabulous player.
The Panthers are just that good.
If you do happen to slip through for a quality chance, there’s Sergei Bobrovsky, calm, cool and collected to flick it aside.
When they transition to the attack, the Panthers are almost impossible to dislodge from your zone. They move the puck so quickly and accurately. They’re absolute masters of going low-to-high and back again, all the while creating space, exploiting the seams and crashing the net for rebounds and greasy goals.
(FYI: It’s the way the Pens attempted to play under Mike Sullivan. Obviously, something fell short in terms of talent and execution.)
I’ll close with another quote from Mr. Dangle, who called the Panthers, “the deepest, meanest and best team in hockey.”
I’ll add back-to-back champions.
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Rick,
We will have to be on opposite sides of this. McDavid is a seriously 1 - trick Pony. The only time Edm was able to win was in OT, while the Panthers eviscerated the Oilers in 3 of their 4 Wins. When they played their game of heavy forecheck and bloodied McDavid's nose, he folded like bad origami.
Hey Rick,
That was great!!! Not that I am a huge Fla fan or have anything against the city of Edmonton however, no team so top heavy and soft should be rewarded for their lack of team. The best part of the NHL is that it still takes a TEAM to win.
I am also happy for our friend Joe. No doubt he will be down there celebrating.
Finally, I do have to disagree with you about McDavid. He may be a good player who can do great things in the offensive zoen at speed, but he is not a great player yet. He was a -4 in that back-against-the-wall game. When the going got tough, he folded like a house of cards. Maybe some day, like Bobrovsky, he may eventually figure it out but he ain't no Crosby or even Malkin. Neither McDavid nor Draisaitl (although I would take Leon if I took either) are anywhere near 87 and 71 when it comes to being team players. Around half the Oilers' Cap is tied up in 4 players.
To date no team has won a Stanley Cup in this Cap era with a player making more than $10 million on their roster.
Hey Other Rick,
I do see your point. But I'm going to have to respectfully disagree about McDavid and Draisaitl. IMHO, they're exceptional players (the latter had four goals in the Final). As far as McDavid's minus-4 in Game 6, two came on empty netters.
I will agree that the Oilers didn't quite have the supporting cast to back them up, particularly with Zach Hyman out. That's roughly akin to excising Carter Verhaeghe from the Panthers' lineup.
I think the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most brutal, rigorous test a sports team can face. If you have any weaknesses at all as a unit, they're eventually going to be exposed. It truly is a case of jungle law and survival of the fittest.
Not only were the Oilers were lacking a bit in depth, especially with Hyman out and especially compared to the Panthers, goaltending was an issue, too. Stuart Skinner certainly had his moments during the postseason, but probably isn't a Cup-caliber goalie.
Excellent point about no team with a player making more than $10 million winning the Cup. (FYI: Bobrovsky and Barkov are right at $10 million.) Per our conservation, it's so hard to flesh out a championship team when you're paying a handful of players the lion's share of the money. The Leafs are a prime example, with over $46 million going to four players (yikes!).
Rick