"Can the Florida Panthers take home the Stanley Cup this year?"

The Prince of Wales Trophy was brought onto the ice at the end of the game, eliciting cheers from the enthusiastic Florida Panthers fans in the arena. Many players and staff members hurried over to take photos with the trophy. While the Panthers touched the trophy last year, they refrained from doing so this year, sending a clear message that the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal for them.

The Panthers are once again in contention for hockey's top prize for the second consecutive year. Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves, while Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko found the back of the net in a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night. "We had a chance at the trophy last year, but it didn't go our way," Bennett mentioned, referring to the Eastern Conference champions' trophy. "That's why we decided to change things up this year." After a six-game series win in the East title, the Panthers, who were runners-up to Vegas in the Cup finals last year, are now set to face either Edmonton or Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final starting on June 8.

"It is hard to play, but we like to think it is harder to play against. It takes a lot of buy-in, a lot of hard work," Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk said of his team's style during his on-ice, postgame interview on ESPN. "We have worked so hard since training camp and practices. We are really happy to be back. It is special for us to be back in this position after such a tough loss last year.

"I remember going around in the locker room after the loss in Game 5 [to the Golden Knights], going on and telling everyone that we will be back. Well, we are back right now. We are really excited."

Artemi Panarin netted a crucial goal with just 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining on the clock, while Igor Shesterkin showcased his skills by making 32 impressive saves for the Rangers. Despite initially holding a 2-1 advantage in the series, the team unfortunately suffered three consecutive defeats, ultimately bringing an end to their season. This unfortunate losing streak marked New York's longest since mid-January. Furthermore, it also signifies that, for the 11th consecutive year, the team with the best regular-season record in the NHL failed to secure the coveted Stanley Cup.

"Listen, our guys fought this year," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "They bought in right from the start. It's disappointing; when you start something like this you don't do it to get three wins in the playoffs or five wins in the playoffs. You do it to go the whole way."

If Edmonton, who currently holds a 3-2 lead in the West finals, manages to advance, the first game of the title round will take place on Florida's ice. However, if Dallas emerges victorious in the West, they will enjoy the advantage of playing on their home ice in the title series. The Oilers have the opportunity to secure their place in that series on Sunday night.

Florida will be competing for the Stanley Cup for the third time. In 1996, the Panthers were swept by Colorado, and last season they suffered a 4-1 defeat against Vegas. This will also mark the third time Panthers coach Paul Maurice has reached the finals, having previously experienced a loss with Carolina in 2002 and then with Florida last year.

"My enjoyment of the game -- and this is new for me -- comes from my understanding that I'm really not that important here," said Maurice, who, at 57, is bidding to be the second-oldest coach to win his first Stanley Cup; Bruce Cassidy was 58 when Vegas gave him his first title last year. "And I mean that. There's a great line, 'Don't be so humble, you're not that good.' It's the players. And when they're going, they don't need me."

 Florida's victory signifies that for five straight seasons, a team from the Sunshine State has emerged victorious in the Eastern Conference; Tampa Bay claimed the Prince of Wales Trophy in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and now Florida has achieved back-to-back wins. The Panthers have also become the 15th active NHL franchise to reach the Cup finals in consecutive seasons.

The Panthers have once again eliminated the top team of the regular season, the Presidents' Trophy winner, for the second year in a row. In the previous season, Florida surprised Boston in Round 1 by winning Game 7 on the road. This time, it was the Rangers who were defeated by Florida, making them the first team to knock out the No. 1 overall seed in back-to-back years since Pittsburgh achieved the same feat against Washington in 2016 and 2017.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said. "I thought we tried to throw everything we had. It just wasn't enough today."

And for Bobrovsky, taking down No. 1 is evidently his thing.

He was in net to beat the top overall seed for the third time in six years -- the Rangers this year, the Bruins last year and Tampa Bay when he was in Columbus in 2019.

"We were right there," Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. "We just came up short."

Bennett scored the opening goal in the final minute of the first period by passing the puck to Evan Rodrigues, receiving it back, and swiftly shooting it over Shesterkin's glove into the upper right corner of the net. This marked Bennett's third consecutive game with a goal, equaling his longest streak of the season and his first such run in a postseason match. Bennett made a crucial steal near the blue line with approximately five minutes remaining in the second period, leading to a prime opportunity for Matthew Tkachuk to skate down the slot with only Shesterkin to beat. Despite Shesterkin making a toe save, Tkachuk's shot was weakened as Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller struck his wrist with a stick just before the shot was taken.

Midway through the third period, Tarasenko found himself unmarked on the side of the net for an easy goal, extending the lead to 2-0. The Rangers, however, did not give up easily. Shesterkin was pulled from the net with 2:24 remaining, and Panarin scored just 44 seconds later, reducing Florida's lead by half. Nevertheless, the Panthers successfully defended their advantage until the final buzzer, leading to a jubilant celebration.