'Let's go, Oilers,' some defiant fans chant as Panthers head back to the Stanley Cup Final
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'I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,' forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: 'It's all business and we've got a bigger goal in mind.'
The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games Wednesday night with a 5-3 victory in the Eastern Conference final, pushing ahead for good when Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie off a feed from Aleksander Barkov with 7:39 left.
Florida beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern final for the second time in three seasons. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western final between Dallas and Edmonton, with the Oilers up 3-1 in that best-of-seven series to put them within a win of a rematch with Florida for the Cup.
Sam Bennett added an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left by skating down a loose puck straight out of the penalty box after Florida had held up against a critical late power play for the Hurricanes.
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Toronto Sun
5 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
London Knights redeem themselves with Memorial Cup crown
London Knights' Denver Barkey (right) celebrates with Easton Cowan after scoring during second period Memorial Cup final action against the Medicine Hat Tigers, in Rimouski, Que., on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Photo by Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS They finally wrote their storybook ending. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The London Knights converted last year's Memorial Cup heartbreak into the ultimate comeback tale by scoring the game's first four goals in a 4-1 victory over Medicine Hat to claim the Canadian Hockey League's biggest prize before 4,512 on Sunday at Sun Life Financial Coliseum. They shrugged off an early push from the well-rested and previously unbeaten Tigers, then held them off during a furious finish. You need your best players to rise to the occasion and, after a dud a year ago at Saginaw, got that and more here in Rimouski. The OHL champs won their record-tying third Cup title in their fifth trip to the final in the past 20 years. Dale Hunter equalled Don Hay as the only two coaches with three CHL crowns. The Knights were ready for anything. They didn't let any missed call or lapse in momentum bother them. They were the best team in junior hockey this year and proved it when it mattered most. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a tough tournament,' said London defenceman Sam Dickinson, who earned three assists in the final. 'It's one game. You never know what can happen going into it. I think of last year and how the game went from the flat start to the comeback to 22 seconds left. You can't have any idea of what's going to happen out there.' The Tigers' best player, Gavin McKenna, got the Western champs on the board in the third period. But a second goal by the wunderkind was called back because of a missed high stick with 5:30 left in regulation. It was a break for the Knights and they shut it down from there. Hunter reunited Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey and it turned into a master stroke. Barkey scored twice in the decisive second period and Cowan had another and was named tournament MVP as London built the four-goal lead. Cowan should have had two, as well, in the middle frame but one was snuffed out on a goalie interference call against linemate Sam O'Reilly. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The foundation of the Knights' three-year run of success started with the drafting of Barkey, Cowan and Oliver Bonk in 2021. Once they added Dickinson to the mix the following season, they were on their way. And Sunday, they finished the job. AROUND THE RINK London goaltender Austin Elliott's final won-loss record? He was 55-3 in his last junior season. We won't see that again for a long time, if ever … Cowan entered the final one point shy of his childhood idol Mitch Marner's franchise record 15 points in Cup play and matched it in the second period … Londoner Jacob Julien, the Jets prospect, played his best hockey of the season at this tournament, opening the scoring on a nifty deke … Earlier in the day, Medicine Hat star defenceman Tanner Molendyk described London as the best team he had faced all year. 'They have a lot of skill but when a team works hard and has skill, it's one of the hardest things to beat,' the Nashville Predators first-rounder said. He felt it and the rest of the hockey world saw it up close this week. rpyette@ Editorial Cartoons World Sports Toronto & GTA Toronto Blue Jays
Ottawa Citizen
6 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Charlotte breezes to 5-1 victory over Laval Rocket
Article content No longer is it a question of whether the Laval Rocket will win this AHL Eastern Conference final series. Article content Article content Instead, can the Rocket even win a game? That appears unlikely. Article content Laval, a relatively young team, has provided little opposition for the vastly superior, more talented and experienced Charlotte Checkers. Article content Sunday afternoon, in what had to be considered a must-win scenario, the visiting Rocket were nothing but pushovers and totally outclassed yet again. The Checkers skated to an easy 5-1 victory before 8,292 spectators at the Bojangles Coliseum and now lead the best-of-seven series 3-0. Article content Article content On the bright side, for the first time in the series, Laval didn't surrender a shorthanded goal. Small consolation. Article content Article content While the Rocket finished first overall in the league this season, the team has collectively hit a wall. The players and head coach Pascal Vincent simply have no answer and appear unable to stop the bleeding. Article content Laval will attempt to stave off elimination Tuesday night in Charlotte (7 p.m., RDS). Should the visitors somehow triumph, the fifth game would be played in Charlotte on Thursday night. Article content In the opening-round of the 1960 playoffs, Rochester defeated Cleveland. In the 1989 Southern Division final, Adirondack defeated Hershey. The fifth and deciding games were decided in overtime. And in the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinal, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat Providence. Article content Article content Laval hasn't lost three successive games since late November — those three defeats all coming on the road. Article content Riley Bezeau paced Charlotte on Sunday with two goals. Will Lockwood, John Leonard and Sandis Vilmanis also scored. Bezeau, who scored only two goals in 24 regular-season games, now has three alone against Laval. As for Leonard, he continues to lead Charlotte in scoring, with six goals and 10 points in 11 games. Leonard also extended his point streak to seven games, while Lockwood has points in four consecutive games. Article content The Checkers are on a seven-game winning streak, having not lost since May 9. Article content Charlotte broke this game open with four second-period goals. Two were scored within 68 seconds, providing the Checkers with a 3-0 lead. Vincent called a time-out at that juncture in an attempt to settle down his team, but it didn't work. Charlotte added another score, taking a 4-0 lead — the three goals coming in a span of 4:21.
Montreal Gazette
7 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Charlotte breezes to 5-1 victory over Laval Rocket
Laval Rocket By No longer is it a question of whether the Laval Rocket will win this AHL Eastern Conference final series. Instead, can the Rocket even win a game? That appears unlikely. Laval, a relatively young team, has provided little opposition for the vastly superior, more talented and experienced Charlotte Checkers. Sunday afternoon, in what had to be considered a must-win scenario, the visiting Rocket were nothing but pushovers and totally outclassed yet again. The Checkers skated to an easy 5-1 victory before 8,292 spectators at the Bojangles Coliseum and now lead the best-of-seven series 3-0. On the bright side, for the first time in the series, Laval didn't surrender a shorthanded goal. Small consolation. While the Rocket finished first overall in the league this season, the team has collectively hit a wall. The players and head coach Pascal Vincent simply have no answer and appear unable to stop the bleeding. Laval will attempt to stave off elimination Tuesday night in Charlotte (7 p.m., RDS). Should the visitors somehow triumph, the fifth game would be played in Charlotte on Thursday night. Three teams in AHL history have overcome 3-0 deficits. In the opening-round of the 1960 playoffs, Rochester defeated Cleveland. In the 1989 Southern Division final, Adirondack defeated Hershey. The fifth and deciding games were decided in overtime. And in the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinal, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat Providence. Laval hasn't lost three successive games since late November — those three defeats all coming on the road. Riley Bezeau paced Charlotte on Sunday with two goals. Will Lockwood, John Leonard and Sandis Vilmanis also scored. Bezeau, who scored only two goals in 24 regular-season games, now has three alone against Laval. As for Leonard, he continues to lead Charlotte in scoring, with six goals and 10 points in 11 games. Leonard also extended his point streak to seven games, while Lockwood has points in four consecutive games. The Checkers are on a seven-game winning streak, having not lost since May 9. Charlotte broke this game open with four second-period goals. Two were scored within 68 seconds, providing the Checkers with a 3-0 lead. Vincent called a time-out at that juncture in an attempt to settle down his team, but it didn't work. Charlotte added another score, taking a 4-0 lead — the three goals coming in a span of 4:21. 'They got one goal there,' captain Lucas Condotta told the media in Charlotte. 'We had about a five- or six-minute stretch where we gave up a few goals. That kills you in the playoffs. It's hard to dig yourself out of a hole like that. 'It's a different game in the playoffs. We have to regroup for the next game here and figure something out. It's on the guys in the room. We have to get going here. Just believe, that's it.' Following the fourth goal, starting goaltender Cayden Primeau was replaced by Jacob Fowler. It marked the second consecutive game in which Primeau was removed in the second period after being beaten four times; this time on 16 shots in barely more than 25 minutes. Fowler stopped 12 of 13 shots in 34:46. It would appear Vincent has no choice, with the season on the line, but to start Fowler on Tuesday. As for Primeau, a potential restricted free agent this summer, he has done nothing in this series to attract a new franchise. Jared Davidson, on the power play, scored Laval's only goal at 8:49 of the second period, deflecting an Owen Beck shot. 'We don't want to be in this position right now,' Davidson told the media in Charlotte. 'They're playing well (but) we have a little more than we can give. We'll come in (Tuesday) and try to earn another game. No championship team goes through nothing throughout the whole season and the playoffs. Crazier things have been done. We just have to come ready to play.' The Rocket has been outscored 15-4 in the series and has yet to produce the opening goal. Two of the four goals have been scored by defencemen. Charlotte goalie Kaapo Kahkonen has stopped 75 of 79 shots and has now won 16 of his last 20 games, dating back to March 21. Kahkonen played four full NHL seasons with Minnesota and San Jose between 2020-24. The Checkers won the Calder Cup in 2019 and appear headed to the final again. While the Rocket is now 3-2 on the road this post-season and 11-3-1 since Feb. 26, it has never won in Charlotte in five attempts. Laval was without centre and leading playoff scorer Laurent Dauphin, who didn't return after being taken into the boards from behind by defenceman Marek Alscher in the second period of Thursday's second game. He was replaced Sunday by Luke Tuch. The Rocket produced only 23 shots against Kahkonen. Joshua Roy had a team-leading four shots. Florian Xhekaj was a minus-3, while eight others — including defencemen Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher, Noel Hoefenmayer and Zack Hayes — were all minus-2. Laval started well, generating the game's first three shots, before defenceman Adam Engstrom lost his check, allowing Bezeau to open the scoring at 9:17. In the period's 12th minute, Alex Barré-Boulet came dangerously close to tying the score, only to hit the post on a breakaway. It was that kind of an afternoon for Laval. And then everything fell apart in the second period.
