Blackhawks Daily: Panthers Headed Back to Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers took on the New York Rangers back in Sunrise on Saturday night. With a 3-2 series lead, they needed one more win to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

They got it and are on to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

To end what looked like a scoreless first period, Sam Bennett scored at 19:10 to make it 1-0. That was it for scoring until 9:08 of the third period when Vladimir Tarasenko scored a goal to make it 2-0. It has to feel good for Tarasenko to score a big goal against the team that didn’t want him back after trading for him.

Artemi Panarin, who has been notably subpar in the playoffs, waited until 18:20 to score. The Rangers made things interesting with this goal but the Panthers prevailed. The 2-1 score held as the final.

One difference this year? Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards points out the Panthers ignored the Price of Wales trophy–maybe in anticipation of finally winning the big one.

The Panthers are now back to the Final for a second straight year and the Rangers are done. Florida awaits the winner of the Western Conference Final to see who they will face. As for New York, they have some decisions to make during the off-season but they will largely run it back again in 2024-25.

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

It’s an interesting social media post that reminds how patience still takes precedence as teams move out of the rebuild–and things don’t always go in a linear path. It’s something the Blackhawks can learn again from the Sabres

The Chicago Blackhawks signed Martin Misiak to his entry-level deal earlier this week.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot riding on that second first-round pick. This is a look historically at what it can land you.

The Blackhawks’ draft strategy was to go after high hockey IQ, speed, and high-end offensive skills. They’ve found potential talent beyond the first round. To see how that can come to fruition, look no further than Roope Hintz of the Dallas Stars.

Hockey Now Network

New Jersey Hockey Now: The New Jersey Devils could lose a good prospect if he isn’t signed by Saturday evening.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins allowed a few of their prospects to leave.

Colorado Hockey Now: The Colorado Avalanche have a lot of free agents that they could consider.