Why The Panthers Winning Saved The NHL

[@FelixWheatfield]

Even days after the Cats won the Cup people are acting like it was a fluke or the refs helped them or they didn't deserve it and it's all just a bunch of sour grapes. The NHL has no one to blame but themselves for sending fantastic hockey players to the state of Florida, and Sunrise has come up with a fantastic combination of players that may never play as pretty as the likes of McDavid, but they get the job done nonetheless and they get it done with passion and power. Long live this iteration of the Florida Panthers, they're securing a new legacy here.

[@elliotwalton6159]

Thanks for cutting through the noise. Even as a Canadian I was so tired of the McDavid-centric media and fan reporting as if all the stats and history of the cup go out the window when he's on the ice. It obviously was not the case. Edmonton responded in game 7 the way Florida did in game 4. I was cheering for Florida last year and I was cheering for them this year. Florida was the 'complete package' which begins in the net. I lived through the dynasty era of the 1970s and 1980s. This Edmonton team is in the vacinity, but not there yet. I think Skinner's performance puts him into the conversation for next year. I freakin' loved Mike Bossy!

[@PucktalkCS]

Just have to look at history. Henri Richard won 11 championships. Winning one Stanley Cup, to me, doesn't mean "Automatic Goat." Love the support, thank you for watching!

[@Hogtownboy1]

@@PucktalkCSthe Richards won when thier were 6 teams ( and m very old,72). 2 teams had horrible owners but interestingly women in the USA hate hockey because of the fighting

[@doctorcane]

@@Hogtownboy1 Hockey is the fastest growing sport among the female demographic.

[@Hogtownboy1]

@@doctorcane no soccer is but thanks for playing

[@doctorcane]

​@@Hogtownboy1 [Greg Wyshynski] NHL says its U.S. female fanbase grew faster than any other league (+4.9 million, an increase of 30%, per Scarborough Research) from 2009-2021. Four out of 10 U.S. NHL fans are female. NHL’s female cable TV viewership (ESPN/TNT) in the U.S. rose 61% last regular season. Soccer only applies if we're talking global participation. Pay attention, it's not hard. This thread is about HOCKEY. What was it you said dummy? thanks for playing:

[@JerziBoi76]

McDavid-centric media was friggin embarrassing and revolting. Best team won. Go Panthers!!!

[@ethanparker7900]

it certainly is well documented that while superstars result in regular season success, depth is what wins games in the playoffs. Pretty easy to think about how deep dynasty teams have stacked up like the Lightning anywhere from 2015-2022 or Penguins anywhere from 2008-2017 or the Kings anywhere from 2011-2014 or the Blackhawks anywhere from 2009-2017 or Red Wings at any time from 1991-2013 or the Islanders in the early 80s to name some. Even teams that weren't dynasties but were quite dominant like the 2007 Ducks, 2011 Canucks, 2017 Predators, 2018 Capitals, 2020 Stars, the 2022 Avalanche or the Bruins in 2011, 2013 and 2019. Those respective clubs in those respective times had the success they did because they had everybody contribute not just the star players.

[@Kastrenzo74]

Florida would have very easily ended up like Phoenix, they had more playoff success than the Coyotes for sure, but lets take a tally of the similarities up until game 7 - legacy of failure, never won a cup - been around 30 years - in traditionally non-hockey markets where other markets criticize and question why are they even there - decades of ownership and management woes - many seasons of empty arenas. leading to point 3. If Florida choked in a reverse sweep, it would have destroyed the franchise. It would have started a chain reaction that saw the cats leave florida. Im a Canadian who's main team is Ottawa. and Im saying it now, after we lost the Coyotes, we dont need that. Win or lose, Edmonton isnt going anywhere. For Florida, it was the most important game in their franchise history. Its not even close

[@esotericveritas]

But also Florida had been building up to this. For the fans down here in South Florida who have been here from the beginning (1994 for me), the decades of brutal ownership and management was unbearable at times - and I even stopped going to games because I really thought the team was getting moved. But when Vinny Viola bought the team circa 2015, the tide started to turn. This owner wanted to win - that was his only goal. They agreed to part ways with Dale Tallon and hired Bill Zito, which was the best move this franchise has ever made. He and his staff have single-handedly turned this franchise around in short order. Zito traded Mike Matheson & Colton Sceviour for Patrick Hornqvist... THAT was the start of this team's culture change. They made the playoffs in the bubble & lost to the Islanders, made the playoffs the following year and lost to Tampa Bay in the first round, won the President's Trophy the year after & lost in second round to Tampa Bay, they made playoffs and went to the Final last year, and this year won the Cup. I think teams need to have the right owners, management, coaching staff, and players to win the Cup - you just can't have one without the other. You cannot have a good team but a bad coach, or a good coach with a good team and bad management. Over the last 5 years, this team has been building it's identity and culture. This team will be winning for a long time.

[@PucktalkCS]

Good management has been mounting towards a window of success for Florida. Agreed. Didn't happen overnight.

[@PucktalkCS]

Good points all around . Thanks for watching!

[@uttermanbo]

There's a huge difference. Arizona never had a home built for them. Florida had one built, they had an early Stanley Cup appearance. They've built state of the art training facilities, and no state tax. I'm from Florida, living in Arizona for the last twelve years. The term transient applies, but there are far more long term Florida residents that have grown up there. There are more Californians in Arizona. That leads to no real fan base for any of the franchises. Tampa proved you can have an elite franchise in Florida. Just like Dallas has in Texas, and now Vegas in Nevada. The narrative of Florida and Arizona being similar franchises isn't anywhere near accurate. Especially the last decade. I'd be more worried about Winnipieg if I was afraid of losing a team. Great fans, but they're losing money despite that somehow. Even with the richest owner in Canada, they need to get it fixed.

[@doctorcane]

@@esotericveritas Trochek was tripped

[@tomoconnor7451]

Superstars are great, only hockey is the ultimate team sport. McDavid IMO knows this and did a great job as a leader. He seemed to care less about the Conn Smythe trophy or accolades, and I could be wrong. The push of his talent was a sales pitch by the Oil Can management, media, and league marketing. The guy is a warrior and they way they stopped penalty kills had me baffled. Don't know whats missing on their squad other then the puck bouncing in their favor.

[@ustyleBBGTutorials]

They are missing physicality

[@darrenleblanc3800]

There's nothing missing in Edmonton other than experience. Now that they have the experience they can take the next step.

[@esotericveritas]

Edmonton is missing some depth, better defense, better goaltending, and experience.

[@PucktalkCS]

A starting goaltender and a legit 1D. No knock on the roster construct but I can't see the same roster making it that deep again (although...97).

[@zachlesk5685]

Great then let’s give the conn smythe to someone from the winning team who actually was the most valuable player in getting their team to the Stanley cup.

[@davidneal1895]

Teams win championships, especially in hockey, where your best player is on the ice -- MAYBE -- 45% of the game (if it's a defenseman) and actually playing the puck or effecting play even less. So, the Panthers winning made sense as they had the deeper team and a goalie who could steal a game (Game 1). But that's also why using championships when comparing individuals gets a little messy. Bobby Orr was the best player in the game before the Bruins won a second playoff series with him. In 2 of the first 3 years that Lemieux had overtaken Gretzky as the dominant individual (of the moment), the Pens still missed the playoffs. Mike Bossy has 4 Stanley Cups because he's a sniper and shared the locker room with Trottier, Potvin, Smith and tremendous role players (Tonelli, Henning, Morrow, Sutter, Persson, etc.). As Jim Matheson, who has covered the Oilers since the WHA days said, "The difference between McDavid and Gretzky is Gretzky had Kurri, Messier, Anderson, Kevin Lowe, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr. McDavid has Leon Draisaitl."

[@brenanwilley1988]

Blues helped panthers also make nhl better glad my blues won in 2019 tied with panthers knights

[@doctorcane]

What you didn't mention was that Florida Winning Saved more than the NHL, it created something missing from the Florida Hockey culture: a team to revere and for kids to aspire to be here in SO Florida. So, only 2.5 weeks ago Fla wins. The following day my grandson (4) is going to his ice skating session group. There are usually 3 or 4 kids wearing Panther gear and one annoying brat wearing Ranger sweaters. That week, Panther gear is all over the ice. 80% of the kids, even the girls are wearing Panthers sweaters. The ice hockey teams exploded in signups which ironically were that week here in So Fla. Kids talking on the sideboards about Tkachuk, Barkov, and Reino. Talking about winning their own Game 7 shot. That has NEVER EVER EVER occurred down here. There was no game they could point to to discuss it in context. It was already growing, but now it will explode. It's what SO Fla hockey has needed. A SC champion to point to for the kids to aspire to. Guys like Geeke and even Greer now with the Panthers came from So Fla. but now it's a bit more meaningful. If they win a second, it's gonna be bedlam down here on the ice sheets and Gretzky is building a new facility just 30 min from me.

[@olavivulkko]

Jari Kurri has 5 Cup rings. 1 without Wayne Gresky. Esa Tikkanen has 5 Cup rings one with Rangers

[@yulan586]

Grit

[@Hogtownboy1]

So nothing will “save the NHL”. It is a one position. Your goaltender is great you win if not you lose. This series just reinforces it.

[@chadmeidl1140]

The "wisdom" of generation zero.

[@PennyFitzgeraldFan]

Saved? They don't have much fans no one cares about this team at all and I bet most Panthers fans have been fans since 2022 lol.

[@ggraffin02]

30 year fan

[@PennyFitzgeraldFan]

@@ggraffin02 Well there one I guess but honestly most Panthers fan have only been fans since 2022 there were made fun of for not having sell out crowds before.

[@themoose0221]

@@ggraffin02 Lol don't engage with idiots like this who have no clue about the Panthers fanbase or organization. Go Cats.

[@doctorcane]

@@PennyFitzgeraldFan You keep moving the goal posts and you seem to be a simpleton. Perhaps the NJ Devils fan boards are a more appropriate place for people like you with 2 neurons fighting for third place? Have a wonderful weekend drooling on yourself.