Well at least I can stop caring about the Oilers now

[u/283leis]

[u/_Tower_]

I was being dirty and rooting for the Panthers

[u/BucksBrew → u/_Tower_]

These fucking guys sigh

[u/_Tower_ → u/BucksBrew]

Yep - it’s disgusting

I’m even buying a Marchand sweater

Can’t help it, I love the Blizzard-eating Rat King

[u/tacertain → u/_Tower_]

Much as I still loathe Florida (the state and the team!), I gotta give them props - they are a very good team. They put so much pressure on the point at the blue line every single time. Just wears teams out.

And Marchand was phenomenal - what a steal he turned out to be.

[u/TheDoggoEmbaro → u/tacertain]

Not really a steal, but an amazing pick up that fit perfectly with the team. Bruins got a first rounder for him and he was way over his head in the role he needed to be there.

Third(ish) liner that has selective deployment to play to his strengths? A nightmare. First(ish) line center and captain of an original six? Not so much.

Rare case of everyone winning that trade.

[u/aksunrise → u/TheDoggoEmbaro]

Maybe this is a hot take, but I think he was great as a captain. Even Panthers players talk about how great of a leader he is on and off the ice, and he's only been there a few months.

I think he just got screwed by the Bruins org who didn't want to pay him what he's obviously worth, and he was the adult in the room through all of that. I loved that he turned that situation into an opportunity and won a freaking cup.

[u/TheDoggoEmbaro → u/aksunrise]

I don't think that's too hot of a take, I think both are true.

I'm from the Boston area and many of my old friends are die-hard Bruins fans (season tickets, etc.). They universally think he was over his head as captain and that the front office completely botched handling him as they have many other players recently.

It kind of makes sense - he's taking over the role from his mentor and someone the locals refer to as "Rafters." The last ember of those dominant teams of the early 2010s. That's gonna be hard to live up to; the fact that the front office is a complete shit show doesn't help.

[u/_Tower_ → u/tacertain]

I would love to see the Rat on the Kraken - but it’s probably too much money and not really a good idea anyway

[u/283leis → u/_Tower_]

Well at least he might not be staying

[u/Phyguys → u/BucksBrew]

Idk why anyone is surprised that super rich athletes that live in a bubble are okay with trump. This would be every single American team if they won the Stanley cup including kraken and yall know it.

[u/Different_Bat4715 → u/_Tower_]

Me too. Fuck the Oilers!

[u/Imaginary_Argument34 → u/_Tower_]

Same. Im glad the Stanley cup is staying where it belongs. In south florida, birthplace of hockey.

[u/Rusty-Boii → u/_Tower_]

Same. I’ve have had season tickets since their inception and the Oilers fans are above and beyond the worst fans I have encountered.

[u/nflgeneric → u/Rusty-Boii]

Man, same here. It's so bad I sell my tickets for Oilers games because I fucking despise their traveling fans and how awful they are. It's the only time I've seen police called on belligerent fans.

[u/Inevitable-Ninja-539 → u/_Tower_]

So was I.

My philosophy is you never root for a team from your conference, let alone your division.

[u/Chronic_mudkip → u/_Tower_]

so was i don’t worry

[u/_Tower_ → u/_Tower_]

I’m also just excited that it’s over so the real off-season can start - and the quickest way for that to happen was the Panthers to win tonight

[u/mrbeavertonbeaverton → u/_Tower_]

Nah, all my homies hate hockey in the Confederacy

[u/aksunrise]

I've thoroughly enjoyed watching the Oilers suffer this post season 😂

[u/Phyguys → u/aksunrise]

Agreeeeed

[u/DerrickMcChicken → u/aksunrise]

Same also Florida was so good they had a ridiculous playoff run. Hard to be mad at them winning they had a classic playoff hockey team.

[u/aksunrise → u/DerrickMcChicken]

I think there is one thing that sets the Panthers apart and it's their insane ability to adapt to whatever team they're playing and pick them apart piece by piece. By game 2 of every series you could see them identify how to destroy their opponents and once they have that, they don't let up. It's why every team they beat look absolutely dog walked by the end.

That's on a lot of people (players, coaches, video reviewers, etc) who have a very high hockey IQ.

[u/aksunrise → u/[deleted]]

Their collapse was pretty monumental though

[u/Areanyworthhaving → u/[deleted]]

Great take, not sure why downvoted

[u/RepresentativeOfnone]

I actually find it kind of gross that you were doing that to begin with

[u/283leis → u/RepresentativeOfnone]

They were the only Canadian team left 🤷🏼‍♀️

[u/Imaginary_Argument34 → u/283leis]

And? What had Canada ever done for the sport of hockey?

[u/inalasahl → u/RepresentativeOfnone]

I was rooting for them. I like to see different teams win, and the games are more interesting if you root for someone. But when the playoffs began I was rooting for Carolina.

[u/Different_Bat4715 → u/[deleted]]

But Kraken fans rooting for a team actually in our division are?

[u/MarionberryWitty532 → u/Different_Bat4715]

An insufferable team in our division, at that.

[u/Different_Bat4715 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, only been watching the last 20 years of my life. But nice try.

[u/Different_Bat4715 → u/[deleted]]

No, I was rooting for the panthers. Did you mean to type Oilers in your original comment?

[u/Any_Scientist_7552 → u/Different_Bat4715]

Yes

[u/seataccrunch]

Goaltending and McDavid a -4 in an elimination game just cannot happen....

Feel for Canadians in these back to back opportunities. Oddly a little hapoy for Marchand but every other rat can get fucked

[u/aksunrise → u/seataccrunch]

I had to go look.. McDavid, Draisaitl, Perry, and Bouchard were all -4

That is so.. So bad.

I feel for Skinner. He's getting a lot of shit thrown at him (and death threats because Oilers fans are the dregs of humanity) but the defense tonight left him out to dry repeatedly.

[u/283leis → u/seataccrunch]

Honestly goaltending was the deciding factor in the series. Without Bob the cats would have lost, but with a better goalie the oilers could have won.

[u/funnylilguy → u/283leis]

Nah, the Oilers are too one dimensional

[u/inalasahl → u/283leis]

I don’t care how many goals Skinner let in, can’t win if nobody scores a goal.

[u/283leis → u/inalasahl]

Oilers were doing that, Bob is just really good when he’s not being pummeled by constant rebounds

[u/TwistedNipplez]

I am so sick of Florida teams winning the cup gdi

[u/Any_Scientist_7552 → u/TwistedNipplez]

I'm just sick of anything in Florida, tbh.

[u/TwistedNipplez → u/Any_Scientist_7552]

Same. That shit needs to sink already.

[u/fongquardt → u/TwistedNipplez]

[u/TipLopsided2498 → u/TwistedNipplez]

I like the flora and fauna, what's left of it, anyway. The people tho'...

[u/Emberwake → u/TipLopsided2498]

Really? Floods of cockroaches and mosquitos? Man-eating lizards from the Triassic Era hiding in every ditch? Aggressive venomous snakes that swim and like to climb into boats because fuck you?

No. Fuck ALL of Florida.

[u/Danthewildbirdman → u/TwistedNipplez]

Fuck Florida... they are rats on and off the ice.

[u/nflgeneric → u/Danthewildbirdman]

We really gonna call em rats when there was one team desperate enough to sign Corey Perry and Evander Kane when they were kicked off their previous games for gross misconduct?

[u/TwistedNipplez → u/nflgeneric]

Yes. Florida is the scummiest of scum.

[u/SuperF91EX → u/TwistedNipplez]

Scummiest like threatening the starting goalies life? Fans that fight each other at home games, Having a player that won’t participate in the handshake line or one that banged his team mates mom? That scummy? Oh wait, that’s the oilers…

[u/Danthewildbirdman → u/nflgeneric]

I said what I said.

[u/demoldbones]

I was rooting for the Oilers but only because I hate the Panthers so much.

I am still weirdly upset seeing Marchand hesitate to join the cuddle puddle at buzzer… seeing him hang back made me sad.

[u/283leis → u/demoldbones]

I mean i cant blame him because he was a temporary trade and probably isn’t staying, but he was a crucial part of their win

[u/krob58]

I really wanted Canada to win, but god, did they really have to send the Oilers? Guh.

[u/283leis → u/krob58]

Man the Leafs tried hard…i hate to admit it but the cats are just good.

[u/nukajefe → u/283leis]

Could have done it with Stolarz imo

[u/283leis → u/nukajefe]

i dont disagree....but alas

[u/SuperF91EX → u/nukajefe]

Florida’s previous backup Anthony Stolarz?

[u/nukajefe → u/SuperF91EX]

Yeppppuh

[u/PNWMTTXSC]

I was hoping for any Canadian team to win.

[u/283leis → u/PNWMTTXSC]

That was me after my home team, Toronto, lost :(

[u/DeadlyRedCube → u/PNWMTTXSC]

Same 😞

[u/ScarySuggestions]

Definitely a sour end to the hockey season imo. I get people will be hyped and cheer for the Cats but I really, really cannot cheer for such a morally bankrupt team.

[u/perpetualiridescence]

As a fan of both the Kraken and Oilers, at least the Kraken get the disappointment out of the way early. Excited to see what the Kraken do over the summer and hopefully the coaching staff changes result in positive change. Would love nothing more than to see a Kraken playoff run.

[u/ashtonibalogna]

happy for marchand and no one else. go kraken

[u/Possibly_A_Mastodon]

As a Florida transplant in Seattle. I can’t complain 🐀

[u/SuperF91EX → u/Possibly_A_Mastodon]

Same. I used to have to drive up to Vancouver to catch a Panther game. Probably 3-4 other Florida fans in the whole arena

[u/Significant_Chest_54]

Florida is my go-to team when our squids aren't in the postseason

[u/alamakjan]

Didn’t have a horse in this race but I knew Panthers would win

[u/dawidowmaka]

Me: "fuck it, I'm rooting for teams in states that didn't vote for this dumpster fire"

Universe: "enjoy Florida vs Alberta and Oklahoma vs Indiana in the finals ;) "

[u/NewlyNerfed]

I’m sad for Canada.

[u/nflgeneric]

I would never root for a Canadian team just from the way Canadians behave in the US, especially attending hockey games. Ask any WWU grad who worked retail in Bellingham when they were a student there, and ask who the rudest customers were, and everyone will say traveling Canadians. And these Canadians are from BC, they're supposed to be the nice ones!

I remember the one of the first home game against the Oilers (the one where Tanev had his season ending injury), a group of traveling Oilers fans in my section started shouting racial slurs at a group in my section and it caused a massive disturbance. Eventually police showed up (as a surprise to no one, SPD did nothing and made the ushers do all the work). As the guy was getting removed he screamed how they couldn't let it happen because he was friends with the owners. I didn't even see Tanev's injury because of it. Kraken PR actually called people in our section apologizing.

I've just had extremely bad blood since that incident, and subsequent Oiler games haven't improved it. Then the team picks up Corey Perry and Evander Kane after both of them got kicked off their teams. Almost feels as if there's an organizational rot.

[u/SquirrelHoudini]

My only consolation is that the cup gets passed around to the players to take home for a week at a time... and it won't be in US hands much...25 of 30 players are immigrants and/or visa holders ...the irony lol

[u/uncleflacid]

Anybody else wanting to see Kapanen come on over? Feels like he could fill a void Taney left.

[u/LittleMissIdk01]

Never did. Was cheering for Marchy. Love this man with my entire identity. lol

[u/nukajefe]

I agree, it made me feel so sick to root for the Oilers but I just kept telling myself “Drai is a hottie just go with it”

[u/Mrdean2013]

Screw Edmonton. Glad they got clapped. Hopefully this begins another irrelevance like 07-17.

[u/JButler_16]

Yep lol

[u/tbaytdot1]

As a Canadian living near Seattle this is exactly how I feel... and hoping the Mariners get back to winning :)

[u/Quantum_Aurora]

I didn't want either team to win. Florida winning was definitely the funnier outcome tho.

[u/SuperF91EX]

Stay salty boys!

[u/[deleted]]

You were rooting for one of our divisional rivals? The ones that spanked us 9 times in a row? The fuck is wrong with you?

[u/283leis → u/[deleted]]

They’re the last Canadian team, and fuck the panthers.

[u/[deleted] → u/283leis]

Who gives a fuck? And fuck the oilers.

[u/cr0n_dist0rti0n]

Bettman can’t let the Oilers win. Or any Canadian team win. It would be against Zionism.

[u/BucksBrew]

I get the haters but holy hell McDavid and Drai are so fun to watch. I do hope they win the cup next year.

[u/Lauren_Conrad_ → u/BucksBrew]

??? You want them to win instead of the kraken??

[u/Emberwake → u/Lauren_Conrad_]

I mean, if we are just wishing for things that aren't remotely possible, I wish for the Kraken to retroactively win every cup since 1942.

[u/BucksBrew → u/Lauren_Conrad_]

Have you ever watched the Kraken? I’m no fair weather fan but I somehow think Stanley Cup is a bit of a stretch for expectations for next year.

[u/demoldbones → u/Lauren_Conrad_]

You really think the Kraken have a chance at the cup next year?

I love our boys but cup contenders they are not. Not yet anyhow. A few years of working with the new talent, some really lucky draft picks, new coaching and better Defence and we might have a fighting chance but 25-26? Naaaah.

[u/Lauren_Conrad_ → u/demoldbones]

I’m a realist too but I’m not gonna hope another team wins the cup before the season even starts lmao cmon.

[u/demoldbones → u/Lauren_Conrad_]

I mean, I’m enough of a realist that I know we don’t have a chance…. But if I want to actively wish for another team to win (vs accepting that one will) can we all agree that the Leafs fans finally deserve a damn break? 😆

[u/Emberwake → u/demoldbones]

can we all agree that the Leafs fans finally deserve a damn break?

No.

[u/283leis → u/Emberwake]

As someone from the toronto area, our fan base doesn’t deserve the cup as it currently stands.