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Panthers advance to second straight Stanley Cup Final with Game 6 over Rangers

Panthers advance to second straight Stanley Cup Final with Game 6 over Rangers

The Florida Panthers return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season.

The Panthers finished off the New York Rangers on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory in Game 6. Florida won the series 4-2.

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Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky waves to the crowd after his team defeated the New York Rangers in Game 6 to win the Eastern Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Sunrise, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The players made sure not to carry the Prince of Wales Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference. Last year, the team celebrated with the trophy and ended up losing the Stanley Cup to the Vegas Golden Knights.

“We touched on it last year and it didn't work out for us,” Panthers star Sam Bennett said. “So we thought we'd try something different this year.”

Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko scored both of Florida's goals and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots.

Florida will make its third Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history. The team achieved it in 1996 but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.

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Florida Panthers celebrate a victory in the ECF

The Florida Panthers pose with the Prince of Wales Trophy after defeating the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

“My enjoyment of the game, and this is new for me, comes from understanding that I'm really not that important here,” Florida head coach Paul Maurice said. “And I mean it. There's a great phrase: 'Don't be so humble, you're not that good.' They're the players. And when they're gone, they don't need me.”

Maurice will also be making his third Stanley Cup appearance behind the bench. He was the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002 when they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

The Rangers finished the 2023-24 season with the most points in the NHL with 114.

But another crippling season finale continues what is known as the Presidents' Trophy curse. The team with the best record in the NHL that last won a Stanley Cup was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.

“Listen, our guys fought this year,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “They were committed from the beginning. It's disappointing; when you start something like this you don't do it to get three playoff wins or five playoff wins. You do it to go all the way.”