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2024 Stanley Cup Champions

Florida Panthers To Have a Home Opener Unlike Any Other Tonight

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2 months ago

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The Florida Panthers celebrate beating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on June 24. The Panthers open their season — and raise their banner — tonight against the Bruins. // Photo courtesy @FlaPanthers

Tonight, without a doubt, will be the most amazing opening night in the history of the Florida Panthers.

Weather permitting, of course.

After a summer of celebrating, thousands of photo ops with the Stanley Cup, and Monday night’s toned-down championship ring ceremony were just preludes to the start of the new season.

During the many lean years, the opener consisted of neat graphics and an introduction of that season’s players and coaches.

Ho hum. 

It was another start to a season for South Florida’s forgotten team.

The house was generally less than full.

That will not be the case later today.

Tonight’s game against the rival Boston Bruins has been sold out for months — a stark contrast to their opener a decade ago when the first game against New Jersey drew 11,419.

In selected years past, there was a celebration of sorts with the raising of a banner, whether it was for winning the division, the Eastern Conference, of the NHL Presidents’ Trophy.

There wasn’t much real celebrating because each home opener followed a disappointing playoff loss.

Not this one.

“We’re ready to go, get the season going,’’ Dmitry Kulikov said. “This is an exciting new journey. We are proud of what we did last year, and that banner is going to be a testament to what we did last year. We put in a lot of hard work for that. But we have put in a lot of hard work for this. It’s a new journey.’’

Last season featured one of the most exciting Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory. 

The last time the Final went seven was when St. Louis bested Boston in 2019.

The last time a single goal decided Game 7 was 2009 when Pittsburgh topped Detroit for the Cup.

One must go all the way back to 1971 for the last time Game 7 was decided by a single goal and the winning goal broke a tie score, as was the case with Sam Reinhart’s second-period goal which ended up besting the Oilers. 

In 1971, it was Henri Richard’s third-period marker which gave the Canadiens a 3-2 comeback victory over the Blackhawks.

The Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference championship banners are already in place in the Amerant Bank Arena rafters. 

The big one, the first and only in Panthers’ history, goes up tonight pregame with much fanfare.

The Stanley Cup will be in the building for all to see and officially end the celebration.

The Panthers will turn toward the new season — and a new challenge.

For coach Paul Maurice, raising a championship banner has finally come to fruition.

“It will be special. You’ll remember what it feels like because I haven’t experienced it,” Maurice said Monday. 

“To stand behind the bench and have all the right banners go up. Not missing a banner. Not short one. That’s going to be great, but I’m looking forward to the hockey. It’s great that it’s Boston.”

As for the game itself, unless you have been on Mars during the last two playoffs, you will know that these two teams do not like each other.

The Panthers’ dramatic elimination of the Bruins from the playoffs the past two seasons contributes to the hate.

Per Maurice, “We played this team 21 times in the last two years, and they’ve been 21 amazing games in terms ofintensity and physicality. The series last year was as heavy a series as I’ve ever coached. It was a hard, physically demanding series as we played in the entire playoffs. … It’s a fitting start.”

The Bruins will be looking for retribution while the Panthers start a new quest for the Cup.

Weather permitting, of course. 

GAME 1 ON DECK
BOSTON BRUINS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

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