They don’t call us the Cardiac Cats for nothing!
My Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights squared off Thursday night in Game 3 of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final. And although I admit I was about to crap myself out of fear, my Cats pulled out a 3-2 come-from-behind win in overtime to bring the series to 2-1.
And boy oh boy, was it a glorious victory.
Only superstars can erase my angry sports fandom tweets and angry blogs, and that’s exactly what Matthew Tkachuk (@TKACHUKycheese_) did.
I was about to rip the @FlaPanthers for blatantly giving up, that’s just how flat they’ve looked tonight, then this man Tkachuk… SUPASTA! pic.twitter.com/K1PcJcZMbm
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) June 9, 2023
CATS WIN! CATS WIN! CATS WIN!
WHAT DID I SAY?!
“I wouldn’t count out #TimeToHunt yet, there’s a reason why they have the moniker ‘Cardiac Cats’.”
WHAT DID I SAY?!
“All it takes is one game to flip a switch.”
And just like that, we’re right back in this thing! GO CATS! https://t.co/gt26ELfhpv pic.twitter.com/ajevhJOY4D
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) June 9, 2023
But it wasn’t just the win that Florida pulled out; they also accomplished some pretty incredible history as they have now remained undefeated at 7-0 in overtime postseason games.
It’s funny how things work out like this, but I recently wrote a blog titled, “We Got Our Hands On ESPN’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Anaheim’ Before Its Release, And It’s Definitely A Must-Watch.” It’s about the Mighty Ducks and their 2003 Stanley Cup team being featured in the film.
Well, my Panthers accomplished a feat with their Game 3 win that hasn’t been done in 20 years, last completed by those 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Panthers are the 2nd team in NHL history to begin a single postseason 7-0 in Overtime, joining the 2003 Mighty Ducks#TimeToHunt
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 9, 2023
Aren’t sports magical?
But that’s not the only thing my Cats pulled off with their victory. They also extended their overall OT playoff win streak to 10, which is the second-largest in the entire history of the National Hockey League.
The Panthers have won 10 straight OT playoff games, the 2nd-longest streak in NHL history.
The Canadiens won 14 in a row from 1993-98. pic.twitter.com/DsEA7My6IP
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2023
My Panthers are right back in this thing! Yes!
By the way, if you missed Game 3, here are the highlights:
Great come-from-behind win by the Cats, despite the horrible play the first 97% of the game.
I was irritated and scared the whole time, I admit. I was over here fearing a sweep.
We’re not gonna get swept 🧹 … right?
Sergei Bobrovsky might have given up two goals, but if it wasn’t for some golden saves from him, this game would be much worse.
What’s happening is Bob is the only one that showed up tonight. The rest of the @FlaPanthers are non-existent.
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) June 9, 2023
Yeah, I was pretty mad at the team.
We were just flat, man. And quite frankly, we were lucky that we pulled out that win. For most of the game, I was sitting there thinking that the Panthers had already given up. I was craving for aggression. But now with the win and bringing the series to 2-1, I’m hoping this will bring out that aggression from the Cats. I just haven’t seen it in this series. (RELATED: We Got Our Hands On ESPN’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Anaheim’ Before Its Release, And It’s Definitely A Must-Watch)
It’s not that we’ve played bad, there’s just been no intensity — other than Matthew Tkachuk’s massive hit.
Late in the 2nd period with the @GoldenKnights up big, 4-0, @FlaPanthers superstar @TKACHUKycheese_ rushed down the ice in an attempt to halt a Vegas charge, and absolutely blasted Golden Knights’ @JackEichel.
Here’s my latest from the @DailyCaller: https://t.co/ppV6HjVwGD
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) June 6, 2023
We ratchet up our play and I truly feel like my Florida Panthers win Lord Stanley.