The Florida Panthers are having an outstanding playoff run. They have the chance to win a first Stanley Cup in their history, but it is interesting to note certain similarities with the playoff path of the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.
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Paul Maurice’s men qualified for the big spring ball narrowly by winning one of the last places available for the playoffs. They finished the season ranked 17th overall in the National Hockey League.
The Canadian, who at the time was under the leadership of Dominique Ducharme, had concluded the campaign in 18th place overall.
Both teams showed a lot of resilience coming from behind in their first-round series. They were behind by two games in their respective series.
Veteran goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky is largely responsible for his team’s success. The Habs could count on a veteran goalkeeper in Carey Price who had recorded excellent performances in the 2021 playoffs. Interestingly, the two masked men have a salary of at least $10 million.
Both teams have each beaten the Toronto Maple Leafs on their way to the postseason playoffs. They then swept their opponent after beating the Leafs. The Bleu-Blanc-Rouge had beaten the Winnipeg Jets in four games in the second round while the Panthers passed the broom to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Final.
The infamous salary cap
The Canadian was facing an opponent who had played the entire playoffs having exceeded the salary cap. The Lightning had $18 million more on their salary cap. The Sunshine State team is facing a team that is in the same situation as the Lightning in 2021. According to the Cap Friendly website, the Vegas Golden Knights have $3,462,516 million more on their payroll. It is important to note that teams are not required to meet this monetary cap in the playoffs.
A certain Eric Staal was part of the 2021 edition of the Montreal team which bowed out in the Stanley Cup final. The 38-year-old is currently playing with the Panthers.
It now remains to be seen whether the Florida team will be able to lift the prestigious trophy compared to the Canadian, who had admitted defeat in five games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.