Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 14: Panthers and Kraken’s underdog stories continue after upset Game 7 victories

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell
Stanley Cup Playoffs Day 14: Panthers and Kraken’s underdog stories continue after upset Game 7 victories
Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Is it ever a year for upsets in hockey. Not only were the three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated in Game 6 on Saturday, but now the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche and the Presidents’ Trophy winning Boston Bruins have both bowed out in Game 7.

It was another wild night of hockey, so let’s get into all the juicy details.

Carter Verhaeghe’s Game 7 OT heroics give Panthers upset win over record-setting Bruins team

The curse of the Presidents’ Trophy lives another year, especially when it comes to record-setting regular season teams, as like the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning before them, the 65-win, 135-point Boston Bruins will bow out much earlier than expected. And in an ironic twist of fate, it was last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners in the Florida Panthers that eliminated them after a year that saw them struggle and barely make the playoffs.

It certainly started out like the Panthers were going to complete the comeback and the upset. Brandon Montour opened the scoring for Florida midway through the first period, and then Sam Reinhart followed that with a goal just 1:14 into the second to give the Panthers the 2-0 lead. They were pressuring in all departments, and for the first time all year, the Bruins truly looked nervous.

But the Bruins have been in this position before. In fact, it was almost 10 years ago when the Bruins had their backs against the wall in Boston, down 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs after blowing a 3-1 series lead. One member of that team scored for this one, with David Krejci scoring the Bruins first goal midway through the second to cut the lead in half. The third period came around and it was Tyler Bertuzzi tying the game and David Pastrnak scoring the go-ahead goal only 4:11 into the frame, and the unbeatable Bruins team looked to be back on top.

But, you can never count out this Panthers squad. Montour registered his second of the game to tie it with just a minute left in the game, and Carter Verhaeghe stepped up to the plate and gave the Panthers the overtime winner at the 8:35 mark, and the Panthers win the game (and the series) 4-3. Montour’s two goals, Verhaeghe’s goal and assist, and Anton Lundell’s two assists led the scoring for the Panthers, Krejci led the way for the Bruins with a goal and two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky had a solid night when the Panthers needed it, stopping 33 of 36 in the win.

With that, the Panthers move on to the second round for the second year in a row after ending their 24-season playoff series win drought last season, and they will face the Maple Leafs in the second round, a team that also just ended their lengthy playoff series win drought. The Bruins will end their season in disappointment after how their regular season went, and fail to advance to the second round for the second year in a row.

Bjorkstrand’s two-goal game gives Kraken first series win as Avs Game 7 struggles continue

I’m going to lead this off with a fun little stat (unless you’re a fan of the Colorado Avalanche).

Hard to believe, right? You would think that a team that won the Stanley Cup last season would have at least one Game 7 win under their belts, but they seem to struggle in these situations. Many thought being the heavily favoured team in this series would serve as an advantage and finally give them that win, but it still came back to bite them.

As far as the action goes, it all came in the second period. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two goals in just under four minutes, and that lead would prove to hold, as Mikko Rantanen scored the lone goal for the Avs late in the second, and they couldn’t get another one in the third to complete the comeback, giving the Kraken the 2-1 Game 7 win and the 4-3 series win. Yanni Gourde had two assists on top of Bjorkstrand’s two goals, but the real story was Philipp Grubauer stopping 33 of 34 shots and stealing another game against his former team.

The win gives the Kraken their first playoff series win in their first playoff appearance, and now they look to make some more damage in the second round against the Dallas Stars. For the Avs, it’s another tough Game 7 loss for an otherwise talented core, and it’s the first time that they will not advance to at least the second round since this core’s first playoff appearance in 2017-18.

Keep scrolling for more content!