A 2-0 lead in the final? When they come to Florida, they’ll have it in their heads, says Tkachuk

Florida did not start the Stanley Cup Finals well at all. They lost both games in Vegas quite clearly and took the whip hand. They have to win at least one of their two home games.

This is not the scenario the Panthers envisioned. In the playoffs, they knocked out the top two teams in the regular season, Boston and Carolina, plus a loaded Toronto.

They were hoping to complete the sensational ride and beat Vegas in the finals. But they crashed hard. They lost both games in the city of gambling in rather crushing fashion.

Friday night’s first game in Florida is a must-win for the Panthers. You will find few teams in the history of the NHL playoffs that have been able to turn around a series in which they were down 0-3.

“Boston is a good example. We were down, but we found a way. We have to work a little harder and play a little smarter to win games,” Panthers captain Alexander Barkov said.

It was the series with Boston that started the Panthers on a phenomenal run. Even before the series, Boston, which set an all-time record for points in the regular season, was considered the clear favorite. When they took a 3-1 lead, it was practically a done deal according to most.

But then Sergei Bobrovsky jumped into the net and Florida sensationally turned the series around and advanced to the second round.

Now Vegas is up 2-0, but even that’s a little tricky. Especially with two games to go in Florida. “They’re at the halfway point and hopefully when they come to Florida, they’ll have that in the back of their minds,” said Matthew Tkachuk.

Source: NHL