Stanley Cup Notebook: How the Florida Everblades coaching staff helped the Panthers

SUNRISE, Florida – The Florida Panthers won their first-ever Stanley Cup Final game on Thursday night, winning in overtime in Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

The victory, which came courtesy of a goal from Carter Verhaeghe, made it a 2-1 series which Florida can still conceivably win. Some of the ghosts from a 1996 sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche potentially silenced.

Whether the Panthers win another game or not, the state of Florida already celebrated a professional hockey championship this week after the Florida Everblades defeated the Idaho Steelheads in 4-3 Game 4 to complete the sweep and claim back-to-back ECHL titles. 

Idaho, like the Boston Bruins, had set an ECHL record for wins and points during the regular season. Like the Panthers against Boston, Florida pre