For the second-straight season, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions.
Beating Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers for the second-straight Cup Final, the Panthers once again proved to be the very best in the league.
Photo by Jim Rassol/USA Today
This time they needed one less game to get rid of the Oilers, doing so in six contests, and once again winning the Cup at home in Florida.
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Leading the charge on the bench was former Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice, who famously stated last season that he hoped the Jets would be the “next Stanley Cup winners”.
Unfortunately neither the Jets nor Maurice could grant that wish.
Maurice took home his second Cup in two seasons alongside his long-time assistant Jamie Kompon.
He was joined on the ice by another former member of the Jets, Dmitry Kulikov, who also took home his first championship last year with the Cats.
But even nearer and dearer to the hearts of Jets fans would be that of veteran defenceman Nate Schmidt who was among the first of the Panthers players to pick up the trophy for his first career Stanley Cup.
Although Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best regular season squad this season, it was the Panthers who once again took home the trophy that truly matters.