Post-Game Talk: Tkachuk Ka-ching! Panthers sweep Canes on way to the Finals!

[Chessarmy]

Alright, I'll admit it. I teared up.

What a rollercoaster of emotions. I was really upset when the Canes tied it up late, felt like we weren't placing our foot on the gas. Felt like we were sitting back too much and letting them dictate play.

Then we got a power play. And who else? Matthew f***ing Tkachuk ends it.

I fell in love with this franchise during a time when it was arguably the laughing stock of the sports world. There was no success to speak of. The team couldn't even make the playoffs. The fan support wasn't great and at times the team really struggled to fill our own building - there wasn't anything to cheer for.

But I just felt like hockey really could work in this market and would come alive if a winner was ever assembled by a competent management team. I have to admit, though, that it felt like we'd never get a winner here.

Boy was I wrong.

All I can say at this point is I love the Florida Panthers - and I'm so glad I stuck it out through the dark times to see this come to fruition.

 

[Gentle Man]

Bob didn't get a puck. Everyone signed his jersey. I'm emotional again

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Are you f-ing kidding me?!? WE'RE IN THE FINALS

Just... wow. This team is unbelievable. Goosebumps all over.
TKACHUK. BOB. BARKOV. Everybody.

Man, just how special Tkachuk has been for this team? On ice. Off ice.
The interviews by these guys. Bob crying. Man.

Excuse me while I go dissolve into a happy puddle somewhere. Seriously, what the hell is this??? MOOOORE!!!

WE'RE IN THE FINALS!!!!

 

[Gentle Man]

Damn ok fine Ekblad.

I'll be nice. You look 33% body fat now

 

[FrolikFan67]

From the arena to Atlantic Ave. LETS GOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[MillarWithASave]

I wasn't able to watch the game live, put my phone on silent from 8pm until 2am. Got home and put on the game, and just finished. What a rollercoaster. I'm so proud of this team, I cannot believe this is real.

 

[MarginNotes]

what the F is wrong with matthew? that's impossible. what kind of beast is this team? so friggin' funny to watch. great game from all players?! bob sucks, allowing three goals? unforgivable.

"Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
A tired man they see no longer cares."

first thought after the duclair goal: i swear on my own grave that there will come a day when barkov passes on a penalty shot. even tried to get the post to pot one this game...sasha mic'd up: "sorry post, better pass from me next time." nah, he really wanted to score tonight. that's what we've all been asking for since the dawn of man. or even before that.

he played such a god damn sound game tonight. fast (almost never seen him play with such speed?!), good decision making, no unnessecery risk taking...you know the drill. favorite play: breaking up an attack from aho down low (by out muscling) and two seconds later creating a good scoring chance for himself in the offensive zone (by out muscling) skeij. he even was a little bit upset? in the little scrum at the end of the first period i'm quite sure barkov and aho exchanged some recepies for karelian pirogues.

when did duclair enter the same level as gretzky? at least from time to time.

to be honest, it was fun to see aho play tonight. seemed to be the only one (or one of few) in carolina really going for the kill. controlled emotions, really wanted to make a difference.

(that missed call on aho to chatfield was reeeeeeally bad from the refs. maybe not a game winner for us, but might have changed the destiny of the game.)

 

[VerhaegheAintAverage]

I can't believe I'm considering buying Stanley Cup Finals tickets for a Florida Panthers game on my f***ing BIRTHDAY.

Especially because both potential schedules have a game on that day and I believe both are at home? I just... it's such a pricy expense but like I feel like I need to seize it because who knows when the next time I'll get to watch that

Do it. I was in Florida when Leicester City won the Premier League on my birthday and it was insane. I have never forgotten it.

 

[Chessarmy]

Somewhere, Dale Tallon is smoking a cigar with a smirk on his face.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

Don’t let this distract you guys from the fact that Montreal’s pick has now gone to 31

That’s what really matters

 

[MarginNotes]

Im really thinking about buying a Rum, that is good enough to open up when we get the SC.
I have one here but this Rum is hard to open.

Thinking about the same. Going to work soon. Nice idea?

 

[DanielMarois]

Neutral observer here, just a question, has the Heat run hurt or helped the Panthers? I would think it's a bit unlucky that the Heat are also doing well as the Panthers could have had the market to themselves. Anyways, congrats!

 

[FLpanthers16]

WOW just WOW, SCF boys and girls, how sweet does that not sound. Im amazed and just caught in emotions, we deserve this after being mediocre for such a period of time. Wow so proud of the team, fans and just everyone coming together for this to be possible. Lets enjoy this, like i said we deserve this times a million!!!!!!

LFG Panthers and get us the cup!!!

 

[scholl]

I’ll see you dirty mfers next week. We going to the Cup

This has been by far the hardest season to watch. Every day was a battle because the team played so inconsistently. We were told that they are better than what the scoreboard shows but the reality was that there was no playoff spot in sight. At the same time they didn't even have full roster because of cap related problems. It looked like a wasted season, maybe a wasted decade because of no draft picks left to make moves and Maurice probably staying and losing. After an amazing turnaround I have to say that it took Hörnqvist to get injured to save the reason. Without that $5 million this would not have been possible.

Now everybody deserves a break. I have noticed that I trust this team so much right now that I am not even nervous before the games. I just go cycling for few hours in the evening, enjoy the summer and am very calm. During the Carolina series I wasn't worried at all that they are going to screw up. Now I'll take a break from hockey and come back to this forum when the Stanley Cup finals start.

I fell in love with this franchise during a time when it was arguably the laughing stock of the sports world. There was no success to speak of. The team couldn't even make the playoffs. The fan support wasn't great and at times the team really struggled to fill our own building - there wasn't anything to cheer for.

I have Don Johnson to blame for my choice. When Miami Vice started airing it was like a totally new world to me. Together with the Olympics in Los Angeles a new commercial, colorful era and very different from life in Europe during the Cold War. Then in 1988 we traveled to Florida and spent a couple of weeks there. I loved Miami from the first second. In 1989 my dad bought two Wellcraft boats because Don Johnson had one... When it comes to NHL I had followed teams where Gretzky and Kurri played (Oilers and Kings) but after Stanley Cup finals in 1993 I switched my attention to Florida. First of all, they let me down because they lost those finals (I didn't know before that those great players can lose finals) and secondly it felt amazing that finally even Miami has hockey games.

I agree with you that fan support hasn't always been great. I remember talking to taxi drivers there and sometimes they have told me that nobody goes to games. It's also odd that the arena is located near the swamp and not the beach. However, the success that Tampa had was a motivating factor for me. I thought that if they can do it, why not Panthers. When Laine was traded to Columbus, many people here in Finland started to say that he should convince his friend Barkov to move to Columbus. Then I got really angry. I wrote why he would want to move from Florida to a town on the Prairie that nobody has heard of. I also said that Florida will win the cup within four seasons ('til 2024). I mentioned that there should be a project like what Olympic athletes have with a clear goal few years from now.

We have written a lot how Bob's contract is too expensive but honestly when he signed I supported that contract because it brought credibility to the franchise. That time there were no cap problems (or perhaps the question was about reaching the floor) and we needed a sign that the organization is committed to staying in SE Florida and willing to make the roster better. Later on many of us lost confidence in Bob and it hasn't been like a day in the Disney World to follow and support this team. Today it doesn't matter what has happened in past. Bob is the man and after so much suffering it feels even better. Today I am wearing my Miami Vice t-shirt and enjoying life. 4 wins to go but I feel like a winner already.

 

[AwesomePanthers]

Congratulations all, especially the long serving fans who has been by the team through all the tough years. I know, Im one of you - from distance.

We deserve this after all the years in pain, failure and hate posters on this board. To show the haters that amazing atmospher and passion in SoFla!

Cant believe we finally made the Stanley Cup Final. Lets f***ing go get it!!

Go Cats Go!

 

[batting1k]

 

[jonlin]

I don't think that's a reflection of his coaching. I think that is a reflection of how little scoring talent the Hurricanes have on the roster. With Svech and Patches out, who is gonna create goals? Sebastian Aho is a good center, but he's not that guy.

Florida has more top end talent. This is why I was so upset at the team underachieving and playing like crap during the regular season, this roster has Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennett, Verhaeghe. That's a LOT of goal scoring and playmaking talent in the forward group.

And notice who scored the goals in this series... Tkachuk (4), Barkov (2), Reinhart (1), Duclair (1), Verhaeghe (1), and Lomberg (lol, 1)



Barkov froze them with the fake, too. All love to vendetta, hope he's enjoying this, but Barkov whooped ass in this series.

Tkachuk himself said after the game that Barkov completely froze up the Canes with a move and he had a clear path to the net after that.
Barkov was unreal in this game - 0+2 and +1. Played 4min 54s PK and Canes didnt score a goal.

 

[CanePanther]

(1) First I’d like to appreciate the few posters on this board who never gave up on this years Cats.
(2) Id like to thank all in the media who never gave the Cats any kind of chance, all that did was fire up chucky.. YOU DO NOT WANT TO FIRE UP CHUCKY !!!!!!
(3) What a great crowd last night you all were electric and on it and you made South Florida proud. Also thanks to coach Mcdaniels for his support and many local sports teams and past Panther players.
And finally thank you Paul Maurice you’re a good guy and a great coach that I never thought I’d say.

CONGRATS FLORIDA PANTHERS EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS !!!

 

[FLpanthers16]

Also big props to Barky in this series, showed up big time when we needed him the most.

 

[Felidae]

Also big props to Barky in this series, showed up big time when we needed him the most.

I think this series is the best he's ever played in the postseason so far in his career. Excellent defensively, but also lead the team offensively (along with Tkachuk.) While having the tough matchups.

I think you could argue he was the best skater this time around.

 

[Prominence Problem]

Woke up with a big smile on my face!

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

The next week or whatever is going to be brutal

 

[SantosHalper]

Congrats(no pun intended) Panthers nation! As a finnish Red Wings fan, Panthers has given lot of joy in these playoffs.

- First by beating Boston, Red Wings got #17 overall. Thanks for that.

- Beating the Leafs in the 2nd round is my favourite moment, i celebrated as hard as if the Red Wings would have won that series. I do hate the Leafs, thanks for that. #WeWantFlorida

- Personally i don't anything against Carolina but late Mr. Mike Ilitch had a real life feud with former Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos. And i believe that Mr. I has a wide grin now somewhere, when Karmanos's team failed. Im sure Mr. I thanks you as well.

As a Finn is nice to see Barkov, Luostarinen, Lundell and assistant coach Ruutu in the finals. Barkov is first finnish captain and 1st line center to reach the Stanley cup finals, if Panthers win Conn Smythe probably goes to Tkachuk or Bob. So i guess we still have to wait for our first Conn Smythe winner.

Great achievement for Ruutu as well, couple more years as a assistant and then maybe we get the 2nd finnish head coach in NHL.

Congratulations and enjoy this moment.

 

[Prominence Problem]

 

[Ceremony]

Good luck in the final lads. Nobody wants Las Vegas to win.