The Florida Panthers celebrate after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena on May 22, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida.
Posted on 05/24/2023 7:35:24 AM PDT by FLNittany
The Florida Panthers celebrate after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at FLA Live Arena on May 22, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida.
SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers have exceeded expectations every step of the way during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now, South Florida’s hockey team is one game away from doing something it hasn’t done since 1996.
During Monday night’s Eastern Conference Final Game 3, it only took one goal.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for his first career playoff shutout to help the Panthers take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
Alex Lopez, Jacob Langsam, And TJ Peterson are life-long Panthers fans.
“Everything that’s been going on, it’s just…wow” said Lopez.
The three have a podcast called Panther Pouri, and they, like other diehard fans, are enjoying this ride as much as they can.
“To say surreal doesn’t even really capture it,” said Peterson. “It was surreal two weeks ago. This doesn’t happen to the Florida Panthers, it simply doesn’t.”
On Tuesday, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Eetu Luostarinen addressed the media inside FLA Live Arena.
Ekblad, who has been with the Panthers since being selected first overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, said the team and its fans deserve this.
“Waiting, working to get here, to get to this opportunity, is obviously a long time coming for us, for them,” said Ekblad. “It’s huge, it’s exciting.”
And the fans couldn’t agree more.
“It’s the most energizing feeling that I’ve ever experienced as a hockey fan, being in this building, just packed to the rafters with Panthers fans,” said Langsam. “The rafters which hopefully will have another couple of banners hanging in the near future.”
There was also some good news from Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice on Tuesday.
He said he’s “optimistic” Florida captain Aleksander Barkov, who left Monday’s game during the first period with a lower-body injury, will be available for Game 4 on Wednesday.
How many chances should Atlanta get? They didn’t try very hard to keep the Thrashers.
I don’t think the Thrashers left over a lack of fan support. They left because they had an unfavorable arena deal where the Atlanta Hawks managed the building.
That’s because they aren’t the Dallas Cowboys, but the DFW Cowboys!
The North Texas Cowboys.
Tell that to the 2004 New York Yankees.
Interestingly, the NY collapse in the 2004 ALCS wasn’t a total shock to New York and Boston fans. There was a rainout that postponed Game 3 in that series, and as a result the remainder of the series would be played on five consecutive days. The way the pitching rotations fell into place after Game 3, the Yankees ended up with an unfavorable pitching matchup in every game from that point on.
Well now they're Tennessee's team.
Or my Red Wings. And don’t get me started on the Lions ;)
Or the 03 Yankees after the Marlins and Josh Beckett stuck a bat up their asses.
Your, of course, correct...
Was just referring to the area where they all practice and live...
Had a granddaughter who spent three years at the Panthers IceDen training as a figure skater under the tutelage of the Russian coaches there...
We had a long day already, finally tuning in.
Well I’m excited for the Lions future. We finally have an owner that wants to win.
Panthers back on top.
And the Panthers score with 5 seconds left in regulation to go up 4-3 and punch their ticket to the Finals.
Woo hoo!
Go Panthers!
Tkachuk again!
Just wow!!
When they beat the Bruins a few weeks ago, I started really pulling for them. Bob has a sweet spot in my heart.
Tkachuk has been amazing!
Too bad though, assuming the Heat beat Boston tomorrow, the Panthers are going to take a back seat to the Heat.
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