#FFXIV #Dawntrail
Florida Panthers: 2024 Stanley Cup Champions
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Crisis averted. The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions.
"So special," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I don't think we realize what we've just accomplished just yet. Every time I look at that trophy it'll get better and better."
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, Sam Reinhart scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.
The Panthers, who joined the NHL for the 1993-94 season, won their first Stanley Cup championship in their fourth chance to get it in this series. They lost the previous three games after taking a 3-0 lead and were in jeopardy of becoming the first team since 1942 to lose four straight potential clinching games in the Stanley Cup Final.
"To become a true champion you have to overcome adversity, and that was the moment you have to get together and get the job done," Bobrovsky said. "We weren't afraid to make a mistake. We played with freedom. We attacked."
Florida coach Paul Maurice finally won a Stanley Cup championship after coaching the most games in NHL history before his first title with 1,985 (1,848 in the regular season, 137 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs). He also improved to 5-0 in Game 7 for his NHL career.
Mattias Janmark scored, and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves for the Oilers. Connor McDavid, who led the NHL with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in the playoffs, was held off the score sheet. So was Leon Draisaitl, who was limited to no goals and three assists in the Final.
McDavid still won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. He is the sixth player to win it while playing for the losing team and the first since goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003. Anaheim lost the Cup Final to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.
"It goes back the character of the group that we showed all year long," said McDavid, the Edmonton captain. "We showed all year long that we could fight back even in the most dire situations. It's obviously tough to be down three and it's tough to win four in a row against a team like that, but we were right there."
It was the first time since 1945 that a Stanley Cup Final went the distance after a team took a 3-0 lead. That season, the Detroit Red Wings won Games 4, 5 and 6 to tie the Final before losing 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7.
Edmonton was trying to become the first team since the 1941-42 Maple Leafs to pull off the reverse sweep, winning Games 4-7 after losing Games 1-3. It was also trying to become the first Canada-based team to win the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
But the Panthers responded after being outscored 18-5 in Games 4-6 to stop the Oilers from making history in Game 7.
"It's tough to put into words right now," Draisaitl said. "You’re one period, one shot away from maybe winning the thing and now you have to go through 82 regular-season games and play well enough to get another kick at it. It's hard right now."
Bobrovsky, who allowed 12 goals on 58 shots in the three previous games (5.06 goals-against average, .793 save percentage), made five saves in the first period, nine in the second and nine more in the third.
He said getting away from the rink Sunday and not skating in the Panthers' practice allowed him to reset and refocus for Game 7.
"I was trying to cut off everything outside of myself, to just settle down, relax and focus on one shot at a time," Bobrovsky said. "I think it was a great moment that I didn't skate yesterday. The goalie coach came up with the idea to just have a rest, go away. I went home and played with my daughter. She's my motivation. She's my inspiration. Just relax, reset, come this morning for the morning skate ready to go."
The Panthers scored the first goal for the first time since Game 3.
They never trailed.
"They played with freedom and that's what I'm going to remember from this game," Maurice said. "The story gets written differently if we don't win, but under the most pressure they found the courage to play with some freedom, to make plays, to move the puck.
"They get to say, 'In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, I was at my best.'"
Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 4:27 of the first period, six seconds after their first power play of the game expired.
He played the puck from behind the net to Evan Rodrigues along the left wall, and Rodrigues whipped a shot from there to the net. It looked like it was going wide right, but Verhaeghe got his stick on it in front, deflecting it down and through Skinner's legs.
It was Verhaeghe's first goal since Game 1 and the first time the Panthers led since Game 3.
"The last couple games they scored so many goals off the hop, and to play with the lead, it felt good," Verhaeghe said.
The Oilers got the goal back quickly with Janmark scoring on a breakaway to make it 1-1 at 6:44.
"I thought they were the better team in the first period," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. "I thought they came out with a little more urgency and won a lot of puck races. I thought we defended well. I thought in the second and the third period, I thought we found our game, I thought we played well, but couldn't capitalize on our opportunities."
Instead, it was Reinhart giving Florida a 2-1 lead at 15:11 of the second period, scoring with a low, short-side shot from inside the right face-off circle.
Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov cleared the puck away from the Panthers crease before he fell into the net. The puck went to Verhaeghe, who moved it up to Reinhart.
Reinhart was looking for a pass as he went through the neutral zone and across the blue line, but eventually chose to shoot, and the puck squeezed through Skinner to give Florida its second lead of the game.
"You're hoping that's it, right?" Reinhart said. "I mean, there was a lot of work to do, a lot of game left, but absolutely I'm hoping that's the one."
Bobrovsky said from there he treated the rest of the game like it was overtime.
"I wasn't happy when they scored [on] a breakaway because we had a good lead," he said, "but Sam scores the second goal and I was thinking it's better to not let that go."
McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a look at what was an open net for the Oilers with just over seven minutes left in the third period, but neither could get enough of the puck.
Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour dove into the crease to help Bobrovsky keep the puck out of the net on Hyman's attempt, preserving Florida's lead at 12:56.
Skinner went to the bench for the extra skater with 1:10 left, but the Oilers couldn't get another shot attempt.
"We really believed we were going to get one," McDavid said. "I have that one in front, Zach has a whack at it, 'Bouch' (Evan Bouchard) has got all kinds of looks. We had a lot of looks, it just didn’t go."
The Panthers froze the puck in the corner for the last six seconds to win the Stanley Cup.
"The last three games before you're hoping," Reinhart said. "You're hoping you're in it and you have a chance at the end. That's a dangerous spot to be in against a team like that and it showed. That hope went away tonight, and we were able to find our game. It showed."
Boston Celtics: 2023-24 NBA Champions
At long last, Banner 18 will be raised to the rafters.
The Boston Celtics captured their first NBA championship since 2008 on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 106-88, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals — capping off a dominant run for a roster poised to reign atop the NBA for years to come.
Sixteen years to the day since the 2007-08 Celtics secured the franchise’s 17th championship on the parquet floor, the 2023-24 Celtics penned a similar ending on Causeway Street.
The 2023-24 Celtics were cut from a similar cloth as that 2008 club — both featuring rosters anchored by homegrown talent, and further elevated through several savvy offseason maneuvers by a Boston front-office hellbent on putting this franchise back on top.
But unlike that 2008 team — which seized basketball immortality in its first year together — this Celtics core trudged through several heartbreaking missteps and stumbles on basketball’s highest stage before finally reaching the summit.
From an unexpected run cut short by LeBron James in 2018, to a 2022 Finals campaign snapped by Steph Curry, to an unprecedented 0-3 rally against the Heat extinguished in 2023, the path to a title hasn’t always been easy for Boston.
But as the confetti rained down on the parquet floor on Monday night amid a cacophony of cheers and other delirium, it was only fitting that Boston’s record-setting 18th title was sealed via a pair of dominant performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The two pillars of Boston’s latest era of dominance further cemented themselves as franchise legends in Game 5. Tatum led the way for Boston with 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, while Jaylen Brown added 21 points.
Jrue Holiday secured his second ring with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White added 14 points
Kristaps Porzingis, returning to the court on Monday after missing the last two games with an ankle injury, added five points over 16 minutes. Al Horford finally secured his first title, with the 38-year-old big man contributing nine points.
Boston’s march to a title hit a setback on Friday night, with the Celtics’ hopes of a dominant sweep of the Mavericks snapped off of a 38-point blowout loss in Game 4.
Despite that lopsided result, the Celtics remedied several of the woes that plagued them down at American Airlines Center. Boston sank 45.2% of its shots and routinely extended possessions by way of diving plays and scrappy second-chance baskets in the paint.
Boston separated itself from Dallas in the first half, with a Sam Hauser 3-pointer fueling a 9-0 run that capped the opening quarter — giving Boston a 28-18 lead after 12 minutes of play.
While Tatum did a majority of the heavy lifting in the second quarter, it was yet another buzzer-beating, halfcourt heave from Payton Pritchard that ended the first half, opening a 21-point cushion for Boston.
Even with Boston’s offense stalling at several points in the second half, Dallas was unable to claw back from such a sizable deficit — with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combining for 43 points on Monday.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, cheers of “Let’s Go Celtics” and “We Want Boston” echoed across the Celtics’ arena — a rallying cry of victory that will undoubtedly echo down Boylston Street in just a couple of days.
Real Madrid: 2023-24 UEFA Champions League Winners
Dani Carvajal and VinÃcius Júnior scored the goals as Real Madrid overcame a spirited Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to win the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
Edin Terzić had issued a rallying cry to his Dortmund players before the game, saying: "If we are brave then we're going to have a chance." BVB were more than brave in the first half, they were fearless in the face of the 14-time winners and created a host of chances that should have resulted in a half-time lead.
Early sighters from Federico Valverde and the otherwise well-marshalled VinÃcius Júnior were as effective as Los Blancos could be, while Dortmund displayed a far greater cutting edge bar the final finish.
Karim Adeyemi was central to their threat. The winger was only denied by a last-ditch tackle from Dani Carvajal after rounding Thibaut Courtois then tested the Madrid No1 from Julian Brandt's pinpoint through ball, Niclas Füllkrug just unable to nod the rebound back towards goal.
In between, Füllkrug himself had prodded against the post from Ian Maatsen's pass, and the half ended with Courtois again called upon, this time to push Marcel Sabitzer's raking drive wide.
A stern-faced Carlo Ancelotti emerged from the dressing room at half-time still in discussions with the often-overworked Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos, and the German midfielder, playing his last game for the club, took on added responsibility, calling Gregor Kobel into action for the first time with a whipped free-kick.
Dortmund remained unmoved, focused and positive. Though the contest's equilibrium had been restored, it was BVB who continued to prise the more presentable openings, Courtois standing tall to keep out a stinging Füllkrug header just after the hour mark.
Could Madrid find a way to turn the tide? They always seem to find a way – and this time would be no different. The source was perhaps unexpected, but Carvajal, determined to make history by playing in a joint-record sixth winning team in the final, rose highest to head in Kroos's corner.
Now the fear which Ancelotti had warned his players about before the showpiece was gone. Bellingham and Nacho came so close to adding a second before VinÃcius Júnior did, receiving Bellingham's pass and sweeping his finish across Kobel to seal a 15th European crown for Madrid.
Matthias Rötters, Dortmund reporter
After a strong first half from Dortmund, Madrid slowly regained a foothold in the contest. BVB were unable to find an answer to the second-half breakthrough from Carvajal. They looked to have the most successful side in this competition on the back foot at times tonight but, once again, it is the La Liga side who are celebrating.
Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter
In the amazing moments which won the semi-final against Bayern, it was German-born Joselu who beat Madrid's Bundesliga rivals. This time, it was a brilliant Mannschaft international Kroos, in his final match for Los Blancos, who crossed for a man, Carvajal, who cut his teeth at Leverkusen, to nod Madrid in front and break the deadlock. And the decisive second goal? Set up by an ex-Dortmund man, Bellingham. There was such a remarkable 'Made in Germany' feel to how Madrid won their fabled '15th'.
Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid coach: "You never get accustomed to this. It was a very difficult, much more so than we thought it would be. In the first half, we had to suffer; in the second half, we lost the ball less and played better – but those are all trifling details now. We won. The dream continues."
Dani Carvajal, Madrid defender and Player of the Match: "We sure know how to suffer but, believe me, I'd love to win these matches more easily. I'd been coming up for corners most of the season. Determination is key to my approach – I'd headed one over and I just knew I had to score the second one!"
Toni Kroos, Madrid midfielder: "The decisive thing was that we didn't concede in the first half. The first half really wasn't good from us. Then we got into the game better and scored the goal. We were fully there and the better team. But it took a long time until we were the better team tonight."
Jude Bellingham, Madrid midfielder: "I've always dreamed of playing in these games. I can't put it into words. It's the best night of my life. It's got to be up there in terms of the perfect season. I can't have dreamed it much better than this. I'm so grateful to my team-mates, my family, the team behind the scenes: the physios, everyone there. This is a massive group effort."
Edin Terzić, Dortmund head coach: "We put in a great display and I think we deserved more than losing 2-0. From the first second, we showed the whole world that we weren't just here simply to play a final – but to win it. We did so many things right, but they were ice-cold at the right moment, which is what we lacked today."
Mats Hummels, Dortmund defender: "We had a great match. I’m super proud of the team for how we presented ourselves here. We played bravely, with heart, and played quality football. We only just missed out on scoring a goal. Real Madrid then strike, as they’ve done many times before."
Ally McCoist, TNT Sports
"You've got to have sympathy for Edin Terzić and the Dortmund boys, who performed exceptionally well. We just knew, at some point, Real Madrid would come back into the game. They got their goal from an unlikely source in Carvajal, and VinÃcius Júnior effectively ended the match. Madrid are champions once again for a reason."
Key stats
Madrid have won the European Cup for a record 15th time.
Los Blancos have been successful in each of their nine appearances in the final in the Champions League era.
The Spanish side were unbeaten in their 13 Champions League matches this season (W9 D4). This is the first time they have won a European Cup/Champions League final without losing a match during the campaign.
Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 18 European Cup/Champions League finals. That was in their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in 1981.
Madrid have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 11 European Cup/Champions League finals. The last time was in their 3-1 defeat against Inter in 1964.
Dani Carvajal scored for just the second time in the Champions League (group stage to final). His only other goal in his previous 88 appearances came in November 2015 against Shakhtar Donetsk.
VinÃcius Júnior became the first Brazilian to score in two different European Cup/Champions League finals.
Luka Modrić and Dani Carvajal have matched Paco Gento's record by playing on the winning team in six European Cup/Champions League finals.
Carlo Ancelotti has extended his record number of Champions League wins as a coach to five – two more than any other coach.
Fantasy star performers
Dani Carvajal: 16 points
Jude Bellingham, Nacho, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Thibaut Courtois: 7 points
Line-ups
Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Emre Can (Malen 80), Sabitzer; Adeyemi (Reus 72), Brandt (Haller 80), Sancho (Bynoe-Gittens 87); Füllkrug
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos (Modrić 85), Camavinga; Bellingham (Joselu 85); Rodrygo (Éder Militão 90+1), VinÃcius Júnior (Lucas Vázquez 90+4)
Madrid will take on UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw on Wednesday 14 August.
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League begins with the first qualifying round on 9/10 July; the draw takes place on Tuesday 18 June.
Madrid and Dortmund will enter next season's competition in the new-look league phase, the draw for which takes place on Thursday 29 August.
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