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The Florida Panthers celebrated with a 4-0 win in Ottawa which brought them the President’s Cup for the first time in history, as the best team of the base part of the season in the NHL. The Panthers (58-17-6) secured the award with a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators along with the Nashville Predators' 5-4 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche.
"We play hard. We do the right things," interim coach Andrew Brunette said after the game. "We bought into what we're trying to do. It's fun. I think it was as much fun for the guys that sat out to watch other guys have success — and that's been them all year." “I think it’s a tribute to our group that regardless, whoever plays, we compete,” Brunette added.
“We play hard. We do the right things. We play the right way. We bought into what we’re trying to do. It’s fun. I think it was as much fun for the guys that sat out to watch other guys have success — and that’s been them all year.
They don’t care who gets the attention or whoever gets the goals. I think everybody’s happy for each other and that’s — I’ve said this a million times here — it’s what makes this group really special.
I’ve never been around a group that is happier for whoever gets any kind of credit. They’re all excited for him. It was on showcase again”. Florida thus reached the 122nd point of the season and became unattainable for Colorado, who lost at home to Nashville after the shootout.
The Panthers have a 58-17-6 record and are the only team in the league with a goal-differential over 100. They've also been the best team at home, posting a 34-7-0 record at FLA Live Arena Reinhart scored 1: 0 in the first period, only for Bennet and Verhaeghe (2) to solve the job in the last 20 minutes.
The previous season, the Colorado Avalanche won the trophy. The Chicago Blackhawks (2013) are the last team to win the Stanley Cup after finishing first in the NHL, with Detroit (2008) being the only other team in the Salary Cap era to do so.
NHL results:
New York Islanders - Washington Capitals 5: 1 Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabers 5: 0 Ottawa Senators - Florida Panthers 0: 4 Carolina Hurricanes - New Jersey Devils 6: 3 Columbus Blue Jackets - Tampa Bay Lightning 5: 2 Minnesota Wild - Calgary Flames 3: 2 Colorado Avalanche - Nashville Predators 4: 5 Edmonton Oilers - San Jose Sharks 5: 4 Vancouver Canucks - Los Angeles Kings 3: 2