Panthers going back to Stanley Cup Final, top Rangers 2

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Prince of Wales Trophy was carried onto the ice when time expired, as an arena filled with Florida Panthers fans roared in delight and dozens of players and staffers rushed over to pose with the prize.

Last year, the Panthers defied tradition and touched the trophy.

This year, they didn’t. The message was clear. The Stanley Cup is the only one they want.

For the second straight year, they have a chance at hockey’s greatest prize. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots, Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko scored, and the Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final once again after beating the New York Rangers 2-1 on Saturday night.

“We touched it last year and it didn’t work for us,” Bennett said of ignoring the trophy, the one presented to the Eastern Conference champions. “So, we thought we’d try something different this year.”