Panthers Hold Off Rangers in Game 6 to Lock Up Third Eastern Conference Title

June 2, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

For the fifth straight year, the Stanley Cup finals will have a Floridian flavor.

The Florida Panthers downed the New York Rangers 2–1 Saturday evening in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to win the series. With the victory, the Panthers won their third conference championship and second in as many years.

Previous Florida trips to the Stanley Cup finals include 1996, when the third-year franchise was swept by the Colorado Avalanche, and 2023, when the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

To best the Rangers Saturday, the Panthers overcame a Herculean effort from New York goalie Igor Shesterkin. Center Sam Bennett staked Florida to a 1–0 lead at 19:10 of the first period, and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko added a second nine minutes into the third.

The Rangers opened their account with left wing Artemi Panarin’s goal at 18:20 of the third period, but it was too little too late for New York’s best team by points percentage since 1972.

The Panthers will meet either the Dallas Stars or Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals; the Oilers lead their series three games to two with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday evening.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

How to watch the 2024 Stanley Cup Final With & Without Cable: Full Streaming Guide

Amidst a drama-filled postseason, the 2023-24 NHL campaign is nearing an end. A new champion will be crowned in the upcoming 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final.

The playoff bracket is down to four teams—the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final and the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

The format of the Stanley Cup Final is simple—a best-of-seven series just like the first three rounds of the playoffs. The team with home-ice advantage (awarded based on which team had the better regular-season record) hosts Game 1, Game 2, Game 5 (if necessary) and Game 7. The other team hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.

The Rangers would have home-ice advantage if they advance past the Eastern Conference Final since they finished with the most points (114) in the regular-season standings. The Stars (113 points) would have home-ice advantage if the Panthers (110 points) won the East, and Florida can only have the advantage if the Oilers (104 points) beat Dallas.

Without further ado, here's everything you need to know about tuning in to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final:

The best-of-seven series to crown the 2023-24 NHL champion will begin with Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 8.

Every game will be televised exclusively on ABC in the United States. In Canada, the games will be aired on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports.

GAME	DATE	TIME	CHANNEL
Game 1	Saturday, June 8	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 2	Monday, June 10	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 3	Thursday, June 13	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 4	Saturday, June 15	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 5 (if necessary)	Tuesday, June 18	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 6 (if necessary)	Friday, June 21	8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 7 (if necessary)	Monday, June 24	8 p.m. ET	ABC

Every game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final will be available for fans in the United States to stream on ESPN+ and the ABC app. Both will require a TV provider login.

Streaming options that don’t require cable include FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. For fans not looking to spend exorbitant amounts on a streaming service, FuboTV offers a free one-week trial to new subscribers.

6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Stars’ Radek Faksa Makes Good on Promise to Son by Scoring Series-Clinching Goal

The Dallas Stars completed their series comeback Sunday, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 2–1 in Game 7 at American Airlines Center to claim their first-round playoff series and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Stars center Radek Faksa, who missed the previous four games with an undisclosed injury, broke a 1–1 tie in the opening minute of the third period. He sent a backhander from the circle past Vegas goaltender Adin Hill for what ended up being the series-clinching goal.

For Faksa, that goal meant two things: The Stars were advancing, and he made good on a promise to his 2-year-old son Elliot.

"After every pregame skate, I play [mini-stick hockey] with my son, and I promised him I would score a goal tonight," Faksa said on the TNT postgame show. "I'm glad I did.

"I'm so excited to show him video of the goal in the morning."

Radek Faksa promised his son that he'd score in Game 7...
Radek Faksa scored the SERIES-CLINCHING goal in Game 7 💚 pic.twitter.com/sluEFrTRtM
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 6, 2024

It marked Faksa's ninth career playoff goal and his first in the series.

"It was a huge relief, you know," Faksa said. "It was the biggest goal of my career."

Faksa and the Stars will face the Colorado Avalanche in the next round, a team that defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games to cruise through the first round.

1 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Stars’ Pete DeBoer Had NSFW Message for Team Reporter After Game 5 Loss to Oilers

The Dallas Stars’ quest for the Stanley Cup lost some steam on Friday night after a gutting 3–1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Stars’ disappointing performance at American Airlines Center drew plenty of questions for coach Pete DeBoer in the postgame conference, including one from The Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw that elicited quite the heated response.

“As much as you’re praising the Oilers, did you not think it was kind of a lifeless second period for your team?” Cowlishaw asked. “After falling behind and just kind of putting no pressure on them at all …”

DeBoer voiced his irritation at the question and adamantly defended his team’s character.

“Listen, there’s always things you can do better,” DeBoer said. “You know, you can sit here and question our character if you want. You haven’t been around all year. I haven’t seen you here all year … So, you know what, I’m not gonna do it. You go ahead and write whatever the f--- you want.”

"Write whatever the f*** you want" | Dallas Stars Pete DeBoer did NOT appreciate DMN columnist Tim Cowlishaw's question 😲
More DeBoer, Stars players Game 5 reaction here: https://t.co/gainXKceb4 #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/xWowKBOrGz
— WFAA (@wfaa) June 1, 2024

The Oilers were able to extend their lead in the second period of Game 5 thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’s strike during a power play and defenseman Philip Broberg’s sniper shot four minutes later.

The Stars, lacking sustained offensive pressure early in the game, answered with a late consolation goal but ultimately ate their third loss of the series, a monumental setback in their bid for a second Stanley Cup.

Down 3-2 in the series and on the brink of elimination, the Stars will travel to Edmonton for Game 6 on Sunday.

US Sports News

Panthers Hold Off Rangers in Game 6 to Lock Up Third Eastern Conference Title

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Jimm Sallivan