The Florida Panthers emerged with the Stanley Cup championship after nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead vs. the Edmonton Oilers. But alas, the Panthers held on for a 2-1 win at home in Game 7 in what really turned out to be an epic series.
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For Florida, it was a sigh of relief, as the Panthers avoided becoming the first team since the 1942 Detroit Red Wings to avoid blowing a 3-0 lead in the Finals. And one particular dog had his day, as relayed by Barstool Sports.
That dog, seen in the stands on its owner's lap, helped cheer the Panthers to victory. Now, why a canine was cheering for cats, we shall never know. But he appeared to be thrilled nonetheless.
Hockey guy pic.twitter.com/PP53fCO4h9
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 25, 2024
It marked the second straight championship series appearance for the Panthers and the first Cup for the franchise. Not bad for an organization that once couldn't draw flies and seemed on the brink of folding every other season.
Per ESPN:
"Winger Sam Reinhart's second-period goal proved to be the winner, as goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves to close out the series — and help his team avoid postseason infamy.
"The Panthers' win averted one of the most epic collapses in sports history. Florida had built a 3-0 series lead, but the Oilers roared back with three straight wins, just the third time in NHL history that a team forced a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final.
"But the legacy of the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs remains intact; they're still the only team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in the Final to win the Cup, after the Oilers came up short.
"Instead, Florida became just the third team in the past 40 years to win the Stanley Cup after losing in the Final during the previous postseason, as the Panthers fell in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023."
Hey, man. Every dog has his day.
