Hell of a series. Cannot complain whatsoever.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Cup stays in the United States for the 31st straight year.
Maybe some day Canada will see the Cup again. 😉
Not enough Draisaitl tonight or in any game this series.
One soft goal cost Edmonton, but Florida's defense was dialed in.
It looked like a high school hockey tournament game out there in the end. #97 was pretty much out there for 5 minutes.
Florida got a bit of the luck they didn’t have the last couple games; Edmonton’s ran out.
But yeah, game seven, what more can you ask for as a fan?
A little over three months to go until the puck drops again.
Whoa…..Connor McSmyth?
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
Ehhhhh, disappear for 2 key games? There were pros and cons. It was far from a slam-dunk.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. 😉 I think Ben Franklin said that.@greyeagle total no-brainer
Statwise yes but still a surprise.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Ehhhhh, disappear for 2 key games? There were pros and cons. It was far from a slam-dunk.
Florida had some disappearing acts as well, including Bobrosky.
Don't think any player on either team, especially on Edmonton, cares who won an individual trophy, but McDavid was a deserving recipient.
Bob was hung out to dry so many times in Games 4-6 it was embarrassing. I don't absolve him of all blame, mind you, but the FLA D was horrid at times. Rookie mistakes horrible.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Conn Smythe hasn't always been the best player. Crosby won it once, if not twice due to his name.
Keep your stick on the ice...
I realize some Gophers fans will never like or root for Kyle Okposo because he turned pro mid season and I understand that. We are all entitled to our opinions but I am happy for Kyle.
He was born in St. Paul, played high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary, and played for the Gophers for a season and a half.
He made his NHL debut on March 18, 2008, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008, against the New Jersey Devils, a game-winner scored on the power play against Martin Brodeur.
He became the 7th player in Gopher history to play in 1,000 career NHL games on November 14, 2023. He has played 17 NHL seasons (9 with the New York Islanders and 8 with the Buffalo Sabres).
He has played 1,051 regular season NHL games scoring 242 goals and 372 assists (614 points).
He has played hockey for approximately 30 years (he is 36 years old) dreaming of winning and raising the Stanley Cup. Tonight he did that.
Congratulations Kyle on achieving a life long goal!!!
Last change reared its massive head tonight (and I think was why Maurice felt so positive coming back to Florida). Let’s them sell out to shut down Edmontons one line and live with the rest
I haven't seen these teams during reg season, but seems to me that EDM is flashy/pretty goals, and FLA is more a workhorse team. That being said, I would compare this game to the Celtics/Lakers of the 80s, or that Super Bowl of Rams' Greatest Show On Turf vs grind it out Patriots...
fwiw FLA was 11th in the NHL for gpg during the regular season.
Big time, Knoblauch rode his horses hard in the game third - several Oilers played close to half the third period and half the game - and you could see they didn't have much left in the last couple minutes. I get trying to sneak your main guys into a matchup but he overplayed his hand. I think McDavid fell at least once in the neutral zone trying to rush the puck, and he just doesn't do that unless he's gassed. The Oil had a few good chances in the back half of the third but once they didn't get one with about four to play it seemed inevitable Florida would hold on for the win. Even if Edmonton had tied it I suspect they would have needed a goal quick in OT to get The Cup.
https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20232024/TV030417.HTM
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Big time, Knoblauch rode his horses hard in the game third - several Oilers played close to half the third period and half the game - and you could see they didn't have much left in the last couple minutes. I get trying to sneak your main guys into a matchup but he overplayed his hand. I think McDavid fell at least once in the neutral zone trying to rush the puck, and he just doesn't do that unless he's gassed. The Oil had a few good chances in the back half of the third but once they didn't get one with about four to play it seemed inevitable Florida would hold on for the win. Even if Edmonton had tied it I suspect they would have needed a goal quick in OT to get The Cup.
https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20232024/TV030417.HTM
agreed. And the odd part of trying the overload Mcdavid move is that they’d finally started to get scoring from other guys. Probably the only move knoblauch made all year that didn’t work out, but you cant have guys playing half the game in a fast paced, low stoppage, low penalty kind of game as you’re going to end up with a final 5 like they did where Florida has more energy. Edmonton had desperation, but couldn’t get over the final hurdle (and Florida got some massive puck luck throughout, which is part of what makes the nhl postseason the most difficult to win it all in)
I realize some Gophers fans will never like or root for Kyle Okposo because he turned pro mid season and I understand that. We are all entitled to our opinions but I am happy for Kyle.
He was born in St. Paul, played high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary, and played for the Gophers for a season and a half.
He made his NHL debut on March 18, 2008, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008, against the New Jersey Devils, a game-winner scored on the power play against Martin Brodeur.
He became the 7th player in Gopher history to play in 1,000 career NHL games on November 14, 2023. He has played 17 NHL seasons (9 with the New York Islanders and 8 with the Buffalo Sabres).
He has played 1,051 regular season NHL games scoring 242 goals and 372 assists (614 points).
He has played hockey for approximately 30 years (he is 36 years old) dreaming of winning and raising the Stanley Cup. Tonight he did that.
Congratulations Kyle on achieving a life long goal!!!
Definitely agree with you. I would have liked to have seen him start his pro career differently but I am very happy for him. He's carried himself very well as a pro and he deserves respect. Always good to see another Gopher with his name on the cup.
McDavid fell twice making sharp turns but rather than fatigue it appeared he had a bad edge on his skate. I can’t fault Knoblauch coaching, with Leon skating far below 100% due to some type of lower body injury, McDavud had to carry the show much farther than any other player in the world is capable, despite not scoring in last two games, he was still producing chances for himself & his teammates. Leon didn’t score a goal in the finals, Panthers & Bob did an incredible job shutting down the cross ice pass one timer by Leon on the power play. Florida was the more complete team, especially on the blue line & despite blowing a 3-0 lead, pulled it together and earned the Cup!Big time, Knoblauch rode his horses hard in the game third - several Oilers played close to half the third period and half the game - and you could see they didn't have much left in the last couple minutes. I get trying to sneak your main guys into a matchup but he overplayed his hand. I think McDavid fell at least once in the neutral zone trying to rush the puck, and he just doesn't do that unless he's gassed. The Oil had a few good chances in the back half of the third but once they didn't get one with about four to play it seemed inevitable Florida would hold on for the win. Even if Edmonton had tied it I suspect they would have needed a goal quick in OT to get The Cup.
https://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20232024/TV030417.HTM
Ehhhhh, disappear for 2 key games? There were pros and cons. It was far from a slam-dunk.
it was a slam dunk. 10 more points than anyone on his team and 20(!) more than anyone else in the postseason. Bob actually had a relatively rough postseason. The difference is in the 1st 3 rounds (and 1st 3 games of the Cup), their defense absolutely was shutting everyone down. Bob still ended up 4th in GAA, 6th in Sv%, despite having 2 shutouts. Florida this year was by far the best "team" in that they could depth outscore you and forecheck you into the dirt. Edmonton was the only one who got around it for awhile, but every game felt like it was waiting for the regression back to the mean of how they played all year.
have to remember the Conn Smythe is a postseason award, not Finals award.
also on a random postseason note (or two). If you want an idea of how top heavy Edmonton is, their top pp unit wound up being 5 of the top 7 scorers. their next highest scorer is Ekholm with 10 points. contrast that with florida who's top point getter (Tkachuk) had 22 but they had 9 guys with double digit points. The Oilers PP finished converting 29.3% of chances in spite of being 3/24 (12.5%) against Florida. To me, those two points are the reason the series went how it did (and was why I took Florida to win when the series started). Fun series. Is it October yet?
Agree 100%! Kyle may not have worn the maroon & gold as long as hoped for…but he still wore it proud. Same goes for Casey (if he ever hoists a Cup).I realize some Gophers fans will never like or root for Kyle Okposo because he turned pro mid season and I understand that. We are all entitled to our opinions but I am happy for Kyle.
He was born in St. Paul, played high school hockey at Shattuck St. Mary, and played for the Gophers for a season and a half.
He made his NHL debut on March 18, 2008, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008, against the New Jersey Devils, a game-winner scored on the power play against Martin Brodeur.
He became the 7th player in Gopher history to play in 1,000 career NHL games on November 14, 2023. He has played 17 NHL seasons (9 with the New York Islanders and 8 with the Buffalo Sabres).
He has played 1,051 regular season NHL games scoring 242 goals and 372 assists (614 points).
He has played hockey for approximately 30 years (he is 36 years old) dreaming of winning and raising the Stanley Cup. Tonight he did that.
Congratulations Kyle on achieving a life long goal!!!
Definitely agree with you. I would have liked to have seen him start his pro career differently but I am very happy for him. He's carried himself very well as a pro and he deserves respect. Always good to see another Gopher with his name on the cup.
Kyle represents two of my favorite programs winning The Cup: The Gophers and the St. Paul Capitals. Awesome stuff.
My God I love this sport!
https://twitter.com/spittinchiclets/status/1805622183445594525
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have some minor hard feelings toward Kyle due to him leaving mid-season. I get that he was pressured by the GM though, so, not too upset, really, so happy for him to accomplish this.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
It’s funny because it’s true. 😇
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the State of Florida has won the Stanley cup multiple times , and the State of hockey Minnesota has won 0 Stanley Cups
Aloha!
So the State of Florida has won the Stanley cup multiple times , and the State of hockey Minnesota has won 0 Stanley Cups
By design. I admit I’m anti Florida because of this but did the refs really have to lose complete control? With five minutes left mcdavid is tackled on the blue line. Had Edmonton been ahead I’m sure they would have played the clutch and grab but they let Florida get away with too much. 0
congrats to Kyle O, it’s nice to have a class guy represent the Gophers.
So the State of Florida has won the Stanley cup multiple times , and the State of hockey Minnesota has won 0 Stanley Cups
By design. I admit I’m anti Florida because of this but did the refs really have to lose complete control? With five minutes left mcdavid is tackled on the blue line. Had Edmonton been ahead I’m sure they would have played the clutch and grab but they let Florida get away with too much. 0
congrats to Kyle O, it’s nice to have a class guy represent the Gophers.
But Kyle O quit on the Gophers 1/2 way through his second season 
Aloha!
I am sure most of us carried a grudge towards Kyle for some time after Garth plucked him away. Time heals most wounds and I rather him be on the cup for his long tenure in the show as a reward. He is a Minnesota guy and I applaud that he won one finally. Honestly I feel a bit more connected to Kyle winning a cup than Phil the Thrill. Besides, Kyle gave us one of the best goals ever scored by a Gopher.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
So the State of Florida has won the Stanley cup multiple times , and the State of hockey Minnesota has won 0 Stanley Cups
By design. I admit I’m anti Florida because of this but did the refs really have to lose complete control? With five minutes left mcdavid is tackled on the blue line. Had Edmonton been ahead I’m sure they would have played the clutch and grab but they let Florida get away with too much. 0
congrats to Kyle O, it’s nice to have a class guy represent the Gophers.
But Kyle O quit on the Gophers 1/2 way through his second season
There's no reason to still be upset by this. It was like 17 years ago. I can't blame anyone for wanting to begin their career and putting themselves in the best possible spot for that. Like it or not we are fans of a development league. I have a feeling a lot of the keyboard warriors who have thrown shade at Kyle would have a tough time turning down that kind of money if it was offered.
'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
That's pretty much the case for me. I had a grudge toward him at the time that has lessened because:I am sure most of us carried a grudge towards Kyle for some time after Garth plucked him away. Time heals most wounds and I rather him be on the cup for his long tenure in the show as a reward.
A: NHL GM basically told him that he had to leave then if he wanted to be able to get on the team
B: It was many years ago.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
When Kyle was here we had more wingers then centers so he was playing out of position at center. This likely played into GM Snow's comment
Islanders general manager Garth Snow told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
It was unfortunately that the issues couldn't get worked out and have him finish his second season with the Gophers.
Kyle was put in a very tough situation where the team that drafted him wasn't happy with how the Gophers were developing him and wanted him to leave. Since the Islanders held his NHL rights it wasn't in Kyle's best interest to go against their wishes.
When Kyle was here we had more wingers then centers so he was playing out of position at center. This likely played into GM Snow's comment
Islanders general manager Garth Snow told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
It was unfortunately that the issues couldn't get worked out and have him finish his second season with the Gophers.
Kyle was put in a very tough situation where the team that drafted him wasn't happy with how the Gophers were developing him and wanted him to leave. Since the Islanders held his NHL rights it wasn't in Kyle's best interest to go against their wishes.
Good ole Garth snow. One of the worst GMs of all time.
So now, NHL GMs see NCAA programs as their farm teams? How much funding do they provide? The U had ZERO "responsibility" to coach/make anyone a better player/etc."Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
So the State of Florida has won the Stanley cup multiple times , and the State of hockey Minnesota has won 0 Stanley Cups
By design. I admit I’m anti Florida because of this but did the refs really have to lose complete control? With five minutes left mcdavid is tackled on the blue line. Had Edmonton been ahead I’m sure they would have played the clutch and grab but they let Florida get away with too much. 0
congrats to Kyle O, it’s nice to have a class guy represent the Gophers.
But Kyle O quit on the Gophers 1/2 way through his second season
There's no reason to still be upset by this. It was like 17 years ago. I can't blame anyone for wanting to begin their career and putting themselves in the best possible spot for that.
I stopped holding any grudge a very long time ago, but I can and do blame him for leaving his team mid-season. The NHL wasn't going anywhere and he didn't have to leave, but he bailed on his teammates for selfish reasons.
But like I said I don't hold it over him any longer and am happy for him winning a cup.