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National Post
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Panthers' Game 3 rat towel gimmick trolls Leafs, Canes and Bolts
When the Florida Panthers skate onto the ice at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday, fans will be waving red and white towels made especially for this year's Stanley Cup final. Article content As the Panthers and Oilers skated in Sunrise, Fla., the seats were already blanketed in 'Rats Rule' towels that the fans will wave before and during Game 3. Article content The rat has long been a symbol of the Panthers franchise. There's even a rat mural in the media area at the arena. The rat tradition dates back to 1995, when Panther Scott Mellanby smashed a rat with his stick in the team's old dressing room at the Miami Arena, then went out and scored twice that night. Rubber and plastic rats being showered on the ice became a thing as the Panthers made a Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup final, where they were smashed by the Colorado Avalanche. Article content Take a close look at the photo above before you read any more of this article. Blow it up if you have to. Can you find the three NHL teams being trolled in the art? Article content It shouldn't be hard to figure out which three teams are being mocked here. Maybe the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers' first-round victim. Do you see the lightning bolt just above the rat's foot? What about the Carolina Hurricanes' warning flag logo near the knob of the stick? And, sorry, Leafs Nation, of course, the Panthers didn't forget you. Once you see the Maple Leaf in the rat's ear, you can't unsee it. Article content Article content
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Oilers set for Stanley Cup rematch with Panthers after last year's heartbreak
Edmonton will be in the spotlight as the Oilers take on the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday. Nahreman Issa has the story. Connor McDavid stood along the boards and waited for his teammates. The Oilers had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. McDavid rewrote the NHL's playoff record book with a jaw-dropping performance as part of a memorable post-season run that ultimately ended in Florida's sweltering heat inside Amerant Bank Arena. The gutsy effort — Edmonton forced Game 7 with a trio of victories after trailing the title series 3-0 — wasn't enough. Wiser and more balanced almost 12 months on, McDavid and Co. are hoping for a different closing chapter with the same opponent. The Oilers open this year's best-of-seven showcase against the Panthers on Wednesday at Rogers Place as a calmer, more confident, grounded bunch. Edmonton rode a roller-coaster of emotion to last year's final. After a horrendous start to the regular season that resulted in a coaching change, the club went down 3-2 in the second round and 2-1 in the Western Conference final before surging to victory. This version trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in the opening round and has barely looked back since. The Oilers, who are 12-2 over their last 14 contests, won four straight to take that series before disposing of the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in five games apiece. 'Just keep giving yourselves opportunities to be in this position,' McDavid said Tuesday. 'Keep giving yourself chances to win, and eventually it happens. We've done that. We've put ourselves in another good spot. 'Learned a lot of lessons last year in that month that we can use this year.' Last year's playoff push saw McDavid register 42 points — the most ever by a player in a single post-season not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux — while his 34 assists were also a record. 'Winning in the playoffs takes everything,' said McDavid, whose interview station at NHL media day was situated not far from a picture of Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk hoisting the Cup. 'We're in the last series, and it takes even more … they can be draining physically and emotionally, but it's supposed to be.' The Oilers superstar captain and his partner-in-crime, fellow stud centre Leon Draisaitl, have again been excellent this spring, but Edmonton possesses a more balanced attack, with goals from no fewer than 19 different players on the way to the final. 'The maturity factor of it,' Draisaitl said of what feels different. 'The experience of having been through the travel, the media attention, knowing what it's all about, knowing the details that go into a game. 'It's exciting to have worked ourselves back into the situation.' Edmonton is also relatively healthy, save for grinding, heart-and-soul forward Zach Hyman's upper-body injury suffered against Dallas that likely ended his campaign. Oilers winger Evander Kane was ready in time for the playoffs after missing the entire regular season with abdominal surgery, while minute-crunching defenceman Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup in Game 5 last round following a long absence due to a lower-body issue. 'We're more patient and more trusting in our game,' Draisaitl said. 'We seem to have an understanding of when to pounce and when to do the right moves and make the right plays.' Stuart Skinner has done the job in goal after briefly losing the crease to backup Calvin Pickard for a second straight playoffs for a group that moves the puck quicker compared to last season. 'More of a sense of calm,' said defenceman Darnell Nurse. 'Definitely a different feel within the group, knowing how much work has to come. When you go through it the first time, there's a heightened level of excitement, a heightened level of everything. 'We're focused on the moment.' The Panthers, meanwhile, are in the final for the third straight June. They disposed of the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven despite falling behind 2-0, and the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Led by captain Aleksander Barkov, who won his third Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward this week, Florida plays a hard forechecking style that wears down opposing defences. A talented, tough-as-nails stable of forwards that includes Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart added Brad Marchand at the trade deadline, and the former Boston Bruins captain has embraced life alongside his former Atlantic Division rivals. 'It doesn't matter what it is in the series, it takes four to win,' Tkachuk said of his team's journey that last three years. 'You win (or) you learn.' The blue line added Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline, while goaltender Sergie Bobrovsky is again in top form. 'It's going to be a fun and hard battle,' Barkov said. Apart from winning for themselves, their teammates, fans and city, the Oilers have the extra burden — like it or not — of Canada's Cup drought that stretches all the way back to Montreal's victory in 1993. Edmonton lost in seven games in 2006 before also going the distance last year, while Vancouver (1994, 2011), Calgary (2004), Ottawa (2007) and Montreal (2021) also came up short at the final hurdle. McDavid said his team is better prepared for the emotions of the final a second time around. 'It can feel like it's larger than it is,' he said. 'At the end of the day, it's another series. We're playing another great team. You've got to beat them before anything else happens. They have our complete focus. All of our energy is in going into beating the Florida Panthers. 'There should be nothing else on anyone's mind.' This report was first published by The Canadian Press on June 3, 2025. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
CBS News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Panthers to host Stanley Cup Final watch parties at Amerant Bank Arena
The Florida Panthers will host their 2025 Stanley Cup Final with watch parties at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday, June 4 and Friday, June 6, as the team battles for hockey's ultimate prize, the team announced Tuesday. Doors open at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. puck drop on both nights at the arena, located at 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Fans can secure reserved seats for $15, with all proceeds benefiting the Florida Panthers Foundation, according to team officials. The price of admission includes free parking and attendees can take advantage of discounted food and beverages. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to soak in the playoff excitement.
CBC
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
'They have our complete focus': Oilers embrace new mindset for Panthers rematch
Connor McDavid stood along the boards and waited for his teammates. The Oilers had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. McDavid rewrote the NHL's playoff record book with a jaw-dropping performance as part of a memorable post-season run that ultimately ended in Florida's sweltering heat inside Amerant Bank Arena. The gutsy effort — Edmonton forced Game 7 with a trio of victories after trailing the title series 3-0 — wasn't enough. Wiser and more balanced almost 12 months on, McDavid and Co. are hoping for a different closing chapter with the same opponent. The Oilers open this year's best-of-seven showcase against the Panthers on Wednesday at Rogers Place as a calmer, more confident, grounded bunch. Edmonton rode a roller-coaster of emotion to last year's final. After a horrendous start to the regular season that resulted in a coaching change, the club went down 3-2 in the second round and 2-1 in the Western Conference final before surging to victory. WATCH | We asked if the Oilers are Canada's team: Are the Oilers Canada's team? 4 hours ago Duration 2:27 This version trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in the opening round and has barely looked back since. The Oilers, who are 12-2 over their last 14 contests, won four straight to take that series before disposing of the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in five games apiece. "Just keep giving yourselves opportunities to be in this position," McDavid said Tuesday. "Keep giving yourself chances to win, and eventually it happens. We've done that. We've put ourselves in another good spot. "Learned a lot of lessons last year in that month that we can use this year." Last year's playoff push saw McDavid register 42 points — the most ever by a player in a single post-season not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux — while his 34 assists were also a record. "Winning in the playoffs takes everything you've got," said McDavid, whose interview station at NHL media day was situated not far from a picture of Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk hoisting the Cup. "We're in the last series, and it takes even more … they can be draining physically and emotionally, but it's supposed to be." The Oilers superstar captain and his partner-in-crime, fellow stud centre Leon Draisaitl, have again been excellent this spring, but Edmonton possesses a more balanced attack, with goals from no fewer than 19 different players on the way to the final. "The maturity factor of it," Draisaitl said of what feels different this time around. "The experience of having been through the travel, the media attention, knowing what it's all about, knowing the details that go into a game. "It's exciting to have worked ourselves back into the situation." Edmonton is also relatively healthy, save for grinding, heart-and-soul forward Zach Hyman's upper-body injury suffered against Dallas that likely ended his campaign. Top-six winger Evander Kane was ready in time for the playoffs after missing the entire regular season with abdominal surgery, while minute-crunching defenceman Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup in Game 5 last round following a long absence due to a lower-body issue. "We're more patient and more trusting in our game," Draisaitl said. "We seem to have an understanding of when to pounce and when to do the right moves and make the right plays, and the plays that are needed in certain moments." Stuart Skinner has done the job in goal for the Oilers after briefly losing the crease to backup Calvin Pickard for a second straight playoffs, for a group that moves the puck quicker compared to last season. "There's definitely more of a sense of calm," said defenceman Darnell Nurse. "It's definitely a different feel within the group, knowing how much work has to come. When you go through it the first time, there's a heightened level of excitement, a heightened level of everything. "We're focused on the moment. Our group definitely has little bit of a different mindset." The Panthers, meanwhile, are in the final for the third straight June. They disposed of the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven despite falling behind 2-0, and the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Led by captain Aleksander Barkov, who won his third Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward this week, and always-quotable head coach Paul Maurice, Florida plays a hard forechecking style that wears down opposing defence corps. A talented, tough-as-nails stable of forwards that includes Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart added Brad Marchand at the trade deadline, and the former Boston Bruins captain has embraced life alongside his former Atlantic Division rivals. Apart from winning for themselves, their teammates, fans and city, the Oilers have the extra burden — like it or not — of Canada's Cup drought that stretches all the way back to Montreal's victory in 1993. Edmonton lost in seven games in 2006 before also going the distance last year, while Vancouver (1994, 2011), Calgary (2004), Ottawa (2007) and Montreal (2021) also came up short at the final hurdle. McDavid said his team is better prepared for the emotions of the final a second time around. "It can feel like it's larger than it is," he said. "At the end of the day, it's another series. We're playing another great team. You've got to beat them before anything else happens. They have our complete focus. All of our energy is in going into beating the Florida Panthers. "There should be nothing else on anyone's mind."
National Post
17-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Status of Maple Leafs' Knies unclear heading into Game 7 on Sunday
Article content No word on the status of Matthew Knies came from the Maple Leafs on Saturday before the team travelled to Toronto. Article content Article content The club's impactful power forward wasn't himself for the rest of Game 6 on Friday after he hit Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola late in the first period of the Leafs' 2-0 victory at Amerant Bank Arena. Article content 'I don't have an update for you,' Leafs coach Craig Berube told media in Florida. 'I will (see him) at some point for sure, how he's doing and how we have to proceed with the team going forward.' Article content Article content We should have a clearer idea on Knies on Sunday morning in the hours before Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena. Article content Knies favoured his right side after the hit and was in pain at the bench. His discomfort was evident during the game, and by the time it ended, Knies played a total of 13 minutes one second. That was his lowest ice time in 12 playoff games this spring and well below his average of 20 minutes 11 seconds in the 2025 playoffs. Article content After Knies was credited with a hit on Mikkola, he did not have another one in the rest of the game. Knies' lone shot on goal came before the hit. Article content We would assume that the majority of players are playing through an ailment of some sort at the this time of year, but a big part of what makes Knies crucial is his physical play on the forecheck. He's sixth among Leafs in hits. Article content On the Leafs' top line with captain Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Knies has become irreplaceable. Article content Knies' five goals in the playoffs are one short of the team lead of six by William Nylander, and Knies is fourth on the Leafs in shots on goal with 29. Article content 'He touches every part of the game, that's for sure, and has scored some big goals for us,' Berube said. 'He has been a good player in the playoffs, throughout the season, putting in big goals for us around the net, being that net-front presence, being physical, penalty killing, he is a very important piece.' Article content
