I know it is about 48 hours late, but I don’t think anyone has slept in South Florida since Monday night! I am sure you are seeing all of the shenanigans making their waves around South Florida, but here are a few highlights:
And of course what celebration in South Florida wouldn’t be complete without a stop at one of the most notorious gentlemen clubs in Miami:
But enough about the degeneracy that is the celebration as we could post for hours and the parade is not until Sunday.
Let’s talk about the resilience that the Panthers showed and battled through after blowing a 3-0 series lead.
Who didn’t think the Panthers had a sweep going after games 1-3? Who also thought a reverse sweep was inevitable once the Oilers stormed back and made the series 3-3?
To be honest, a clean sweep this late in the playoffs is damn near impossible unless the other team is too banged up to play. And a reverse sweep against a team that was only a handful of points from winning the President’s trophy seemed even more unlikely.
But I will be honest fans and friends, I lost faith for a bit.
For as good as the Panthers were in games 1-3, they were that lackluster in games 4-6.
The forwards weren’t forechecking and they were playing the hockey equivalent of a prevent defense out of fear for McJesus. Do not get me wrong, McDavid was definitely the best player on the ice for either team, but they were playing as though they hadn’t just beat him in 3 straight games.
I will say that even though it will not be talked about by the media, the impact that Okposo and Lomberg made in the physical game was what won that game 7. The two of them were the only line that consistently got the puck in deep and banged bodies. Nurse and the rest of the Oilers defense did not have the time or space to make the crisp passes they were in the 3 previous games. This kept McJesus from getting catching a puck clean and turning on the boosters hence keeping him off of the scoreboard.
Also, can we talk about Okposo probably having the greatest day ever? Not only did he win a Cup, but he also got a $500,000 bonus that Buffalo has to pay!
Furthermore, I know Bob’s performance in games 3-6 cost him the Conn Smythe (mixed in with the fact that McJesus broke another Gretzky record); however, he made some unbelievable saves and shut the door on the Oilers. The Oilers were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him and he repeatedly saved the day.
There were so many feel good stories from this playoffs ranging from Maurice’s first Cup win, Okposo finally getting rewarded, the Panthers getting redemption, Bobby Lou (Roberto Luongo) finally hosting the Cup, etc… It is hard to pick just one.
I am still speechless as this is something I never thought I would get to see in person. The boys deserved it and brought pride back to South Florida sports!
I have so much more to say, but for now all I can really say is Vamos Gatos!
PS: the parade is Sunday so I can always share/livestream from the parade as we have VIP passes to the Elbo Room!
The Morning Skate 