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3 reasons the Florida Panthers will win the 2023 Stanley Cup
Florida Panthers have been the underdog all postseason. After knocking off the President's Trophy winners and the Maple Leafs, the Cats are just four wins away from reaching their second-ever Stanley Cup Final.
Florida are up against a tough Carolina Hurricanes team in the Eastern Conference Final.
3 reasons why the Florida Panthers will take home the 2023 Stanley Cup
#1 Adversity
No team has faced more adversity than the Florida Panthers in this year's playoffs.
They barely snuck into the postseason with the help of some excellent goaltending by Alex Lyon. They were all but forgotten against Boston Bruins, and they faced the steep challenge of beating a Maple Leafs team that won their first series in 19 years.
On top of that, their starting goaltender struggled and Florida were forced to turn to veteran Sergei Bobrovsky. But no matter what, the Panthers responded.
That cannot be overlooked. Getting through tough times is all part of reaching the finish line.
#2 It is redemption time
After winning the President's Trophy in 2021-22, the Panthers lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That loss dropped them into the conversation of the President's Trophy curse, something they had to hear about all summer.
While it did not show much during a grinding regular season, the fact that they have a point to prove is evident now.
The Panthers are out to set the record straight amid talks of their performace being a fluke last season. With the help of newcomer Matthew Tkachuk, Florida have played a mean style of hockey and successfully pushed around two of the best teams in the NHL. They will look to do the same in the series against Carolina.
#3 Sergei Bobrovsky
Sergei Bobrovsky has been excellent since replacing Alex Lyon. Bobrovsky has received a ton of criticism for being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL and not performing up to that level. But when it counted most, the veteran was up to the task.
Parallels can be drawn with what he did for Columbus in their 2019 playoff run. The Blue Jackets swept the President's Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning aside that year and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Final as the lowest seed. 'Bob' is doing it all over again!
In seven of his eight starts since coming in, Bobrovsky has recorded a .917 save percentage or higher. He is 6-1 in those games and has gone 7-1 in his last eight.
If the old Bobrovsky is back, it could spell trouble for Carolina Hurricanes as well as the winner of the Western Conference.
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