Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe hits back at Oilers' claims of carrying play in 2024 Stanley Cup Final

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jun 15, 2024 19:28 GMT

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe has responded to the Edmonton Oilers' claims of dominating play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. With the Panthers holding a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, Verhaeghe dismissed the Oilers' assertions.

“We don’t focus on what they say. They can say whatever they want. We’re just focusing on what we have to do,” Verhaeghe said (via Greg Wyshynski), addressing the Oilers' comments.

His remarks reflect the Panthers' goal to concentrate on their game plan rather than get distracted by external chatter.

Despite not getting a scoring chance in Games 2 and 3, Verhaeghe contributed in Game 1. He scored a goal on three shots, blocking three shots, and added two penalty minutes in the Panthers' 3-0 victory over the Oilers on June 8.

Verhaeghe has been a crucial player for Florida this postseason, tallying 10 goals, including four in the last nine games. His overall playoff performance includes 18 points, 68 shots on net, 22 hits, 20 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating over 20 games.

Verhaeghe has previously won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020. Vladimir Tarasenko has also won the cup before. In their latest 4-3 win at Rogers Place on Thursday, Florida's three consecutive goals transformed a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead for Florida. They eventually won the game 4-3.

Carter Verhaeghe and Florida Panthers will aim for a win in Game 4

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup. They led the series 3-0 after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3. The team remains focused and businesslike, with players committing to finish the job. Forward Sam Bennett summed up their mindset.

“The job’s not finished,” Bennett said (via NHL.com). “We’re not really thinking about that. Our whole mindset right now is recovering and getting prepared for the next game. I don’t think anyone can really look ahead."

"It’s still, we’ve got a lot of work to do. That’s our focus right now.”

Coach Paul Maurice noted the team’s serious approach since training camp.

“They’re not a whole a lot different today than they were three weeks ago,” Maurice said. “They’ve had a pretty good program.”

Despite facing challenges like travel delays and a hostile crowd in Edmonton, Florida embraced the moment. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky played a crucial role in the victory, making 32 saves.

The NHL Stanley Cup Final continues with Florida vs. Edmonton on June 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET.