The Edmonton Oilers were this close to making history.
The Oilers became the 10th team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after trailing three games to none, but they couldn’t finish the job.
The Florida Panthers held on, avoiding embarrassment and holding onto a 2-1 victory on Monday night to win their first Stanley Cup.
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Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and fiancé Lauren Kyle are seen on the Red Carpet before the 2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena on June 26, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Despite the loss, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, given to the MVP of the entire playoffs.
McDavid became the first Conn Smythe winner from the team to lose the Cup Final since Mighty Ducks of Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastian Gigeure in 2003, after they lost to the New Jersey Devils.
McDavid’s fiancée, Lauren Kyle, posted an in-memoriam of the Oilers season on her Instagram story.
“As heartbroken [as] I am I feel so grateful to be in Edmonton with this group,” she wrote, via the New York Post. “Just need to say how proud I am of everything we accomplished this year, win or loss. Seeing so many fans travel across the continent to support our team was so incredible. We have the BEST fans in the league and no one deserves it more. We will bring it to Canada soon!!”
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers reacts to the Florida Panthers victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game Seven of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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McDavid led all players in points with 42, which is fourth-best in NHL history. He also set a playoff record with 34 assists this postseason. Only Wayne Gretzky’s 47 and 43 points and Mario Lemieux’s 44 points are better than what McDavid had done in these playoffs.
He also became the first player in league history to post back-to-back four-point games in Games 4 and 5 of the finals to help the Oilers work back from a 3-0 deficit.
McDavid was held pointless in Games 6 and 7, as the Panthers kept him bottled up, though he did have some good chances in each game.
Panthers fans were chanting for Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ goalie, after Bettman named McDavid, and he certainly was in the running for the trophy after his stellar performance in Game 7 and throughout the playoffs.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during the first period of Game Six of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place on June 21, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
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Despite that, it’s McDavid who showed out in these playoffs. He should also be a frontrunner for the Hart Memorial Trophy as overall league MVP this season. It would be his fourth (and second straight), and he would become the fourth player to win the trophy four times (Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe, and Wayne Gretzky).
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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