Poll: Does Panthers’ success make you view B’s loss differently?
The Florida Panthers are heading to the Stanley Cup Final after Matthew Tkuchuk's game-winner with 4.9 seconds remaining in regulation capped a Panthers' sweep of the of the Carolina Hurricanes last night.
It's the franchise's first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since the 1995-96 season, and what a path the 8th-seeded Panthers have taken on their quest for The Cup. After falling behind the Bruins three games to one, Florida shocked all of New England and the hockey world when they pulled off the comeback, then followed it with a gentleman's sweep of the Maple Leafs, and now a clean sweep of the 2nd-best team in the NHL this season.
So the question is, does Florida's continued domination in the playoffs make you rethink the Bruins' crushing 1st Round exit at the hands of the Panthers? Florida has won 11 of their last 12 playoff games after dropping three of their first four vs. Boston.
The talk, albeit slightly facetiously, has gone from "how did Florida complete the comeback vs. Boston?!" to "how did the Bruins manage to win three games against the Panthers??"
Of course, the B's were still the greatest regular season team in NHL history, so I'm not sure any excuses can lessen the sting of their one-and-done stay in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
How do you feel?