Florida Panthers Headed Back To Cup Final, Didn't Touch The Prince Of Wales Trophy This Time

We now officially know one team that will appear in the Stanley Cup Final, and for the second year in a row, the Eastern Conference champs are the Florida Panthers.

They'll get another shot at hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in franchise history just 12 months after coming up short against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Panthers finished off the New York Rangers in Game 6 and carried a two-goal lead late into the third period only for the Rangers to cut the league in half with a 6-on-5 goal. 

Unfortunately, for the Presidents' Trophy winners, they couldn't get another one to send things to overtime.

To add a little insult to the injury that is a tough-to-swallow loss in the conference final, the game-winning goal was scored by former Ranger Vladimir Tarasenko. It was his first of the entire series.

So, the Panthers are moving on to the Cup Final, and as Eastern Conference champions they were awarded the Prince of Wales trophy.

However, unlike last year — where a lot of players touched the trophy — the Panthers weren't falling for it this year, and they let it sit there and touch it as if it were radioactive.

The Panthers will now have to sit around for a week until the Stanley Cup Final starts, and they could know who they play as soon as tomorrow. The Edmonton Oilers currently have a 3-2 lead over the Dallas Stars going into Game 6 on Sunday.

Regardless of whether the Oilers finish off the Stars or the Stars force Game 7, the Stanley Cup Final will begin on Saturday, June 8.

Where? That depends on who's in it.

If the Oilers move on, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final will be played in Florida. If the Stars come out of the Western Conference, Game 1 will be in Dallas.