Over the past several seasons, the Florida Panthers have evolved into one of the NHL’s premiere franchises.

Florida has advanced to each of the past three Stanley Cup Finals, winning back-to-back championships in the process.

They’re also built to last, with the team’s entire core locked into long-term, team-friendly contracts that will allow Florida to remain one of the top teams in the NHL for years to come.

The success of the Panthers has provided some incredibly fun and memorable moments for their fans, and the team has done an excellent job of creating and curating the events into consumable content that can be rewatched and revisited time and time again.

One thing that the Panthers have done during each of their three runs to the Final that fans have really seemed to enjoy engaging with on social media has been their postgame puck tradition.

It started back in 2023, which was the year that Florida squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Facing a first-round matchup against the historically good Boston Bruins, who had set a new NHL record for wins and points in the regular season (with 65 wins and 135 points), the Panthers were a massive underdog.

After falling behind three games to one in the series, Matthew Tkachuk scored the overtime winner in Game 5 in Boston, sparking Florida’s incredible, improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

In the Panthers’ postgame locker room, the game puck went Tkachuk, and he famously said to his teammates, “Remember this room, we’ll be back here for (Game) 7.”

Those videos have become something of a thing in the two years since, though it surely helps that Florida has done so much winning once the playoffs arrive.

Considering the team’s postseason prospects for the coming years, we may just be scratching the surface on these fun videos.

As we did last season here at THN Florida, we’ve compiled a list of every postgame puck moment, starting with the first game of the postseason in Tampa Bay.

ROUND ONE VS. TAMPA BAY

Game 1: Matthew Tkachuk 

Game 2: Sergei Bobrovsky

Game 4: Aaron Ekblad 

Game 5: Brad Marchand 

ROUND TWO VS. TORONTO

Game 3: Tomas Nosek 

Game 4: Sergei Bobrovsky 

Game 5: Seth Jones 

Game 7: Sasha Barkov 

ROUND THREE VS. CAROLINA

Game 1: Niko Mikkola 

Game 2: Carter Verhaeghe 

Game 3: Jesper Boqvist 

Game 5: Evan Rodrigues 

STANLEY CUP FINAL VS. EDMONTON

Game 2: Brad Marchand 

Game 3: Jonah Gadjovich 

Game 5: Vitek Vanecek 

Game 6: Bill Zito 

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Photo caption: Florida Panthers postgame playoff puck board following Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (David Dwork)

NHL.com released a highlight reel of young stars' best dangles for this past season, and two Montreal Canadiens made the cut. Of course, Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Lane Hutson is featured, but so is the late addition to the season, Ivan Demidov.

Hutson had the most electrifying rookie season seen in Montreal since Ken Dryden won 39 games, including eight shutouts, while keeping a .930 save percentage to claim the Calder. The previous season, he had also backstopped the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' MVP.

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Granted, I wasn’t born when Dryden dominated the 70s and won six Stanley Cups with the Sainte-Flanelle, but I’ve seen Hutson lit up the Bell Centre this season, and it was quite something. Before the crowd could get used to it and see his fantastic dangles as routine, Demidov arrived in the tail end of the season to steal the show.

These young stars have hands for daaays... 😮‍💨 #NHLYoungStarsWeekpic.twitter.com/9pA0BJvmyp

— NHL (@NHL) July 20, 2025

The night he joined the Canadiens to face the Chicago Blackhawks, the press gallery was “sold out,” so to speak, as many teams had sent representatives and/or scouts, creating a special energy in the building. When he scored his first career goal, late in the first period, the building erupted, including the press gallery.

Journalists in the press gallery usually do an excellent job of staying neutral. Still, there were some exclamations when Demidov found the back of the net, there were quite a few impressions of Lucien “Lulu” Bouchard celebrating the National’s goals in Lance et Compte (there I go showing my age again). Even Connor Bedard was shown watching the big screen to see how history was made.

Watching Demidov and Hutson in this short highlight reel is yet more proof that the future is bright in Montreal. Stay tuned.

Photo credit:  David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a lot of decisions to make regarding some of their young players before the puck drops on the regular season Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers.

As of now, they have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active roster. The forward battle situation will be interesting, especially since Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen are not on the active roster as of now. But the battle on the back end may be even more intriguing.

And one Penguins’ defensive prospect has an uphill climb in order to assert himself onto the NHL roster out of training camp. 

Owen Pickering - selected 21st overall by the Penguins in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft - got a taste of NHL action last season, as he was called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) midway through the season and played in 25 games for Pittsburgh. In those 25 games, he registered a goal and three points as well as a minus-5 to go along with an 14:49 of ice time on average.

The 21-year-old impressed so much in the first handful-plus of games that the Penguins elected to keep him around despite having the option to send him down - and he even saw some top-four minutes alongside Kris Letang. His play dropped off a bit toward the end of his stint, which ultimately led to his re-assignment to the AHL on Jan. 25.

But Pickering said that he is ready for full-time NHL action in 2025-26, and he’s going to come ready to prove he’s worthy.

"You never want to get sent back," Pickering said. "You always want to be in the NHL. I feel like I proved to myself that I can play in the NHL.

"I want to be full-time next year, I want to be [in Pittsburgh] the whole year. That's the goal."

While the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Pickering appears to be ready to make the jump to the NHL, it may not be that simple - especially with the current situation on the left side of the Penguins’ blue line. 

As it stands, the Penguins have four defensemen on each side of the blue line on their active roster. Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Matt Dumba, and Connor Clifton occupy the right side, while Ryan Graves and Ryan Shea as well as free agent signees Parker Wotherspoon and Alex Alexeyev have left-side roster spots. 

Pickering - a left defenseman - will already have to fight hard to make the roster because of the fact that the Penguins already have several candidates in the mix at the NHL level. Graves’s contract makes him difficult to move off the roster. Shea was just re-signed. And the other two were just signed out of free agency. 

Without some movement prior to training camp, it’s hard to see Pickering having a leg–up on any of those guys. And even Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said that the young blueliner needs to have a great camp in order to stand out.

“He's got to have a great summer,” Dubas said in his press conference with the media following the conclusion of the Penguins’ 2024-25 season. “We can't have him same as we had him go down, settling into a 12-13 minute a night role. He needs to come in and push his way into 17-18-19-20 minutes and earn that.” 

And in terms of Pickering potentially playing in a top-four role?

“He played for the team [last] year, but is he ready to step into one of those roles?” Dubas said. “I don't think so.”

But - even though Dubas may think that Pickering is not ready for an elevated role in the lineup, the one advantage he has is that there isn’t really anyone who is a lock to be playing in the top-two spots on the left side at this point, so those spots are literally anyone’s for the taking. If Pickering has a good enough training camp, he very well could be considered for one of those roles if he shows he is capable of handling it.

If the Penguins had their way with Pickering, he would likely be on the bottom-pairing at the NHL level and getting sheltered minutes next season. But, given the logjam situation, that may be a difficult to accomplish. They may think it’s better for him to be logging top-pair minutes in WBS rather than getting sheltered minutes in the NHL.

Regardless, Pickering will be a player to watch in training camp, and he probably deserves to start the season continuing his development on the NHL roster. Only time and performance will tell whether or not this ends up being the case, but rest assured that the Penguins are confident that Pickering will be part of their future.

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Feature Image Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

There was still some bad blood between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the spring of 2010, considering they were less than a calendar year removed from their second straight battle in the Stanley Cup Final.

While the Red Wings' most recent Stanley Cup victory came in 2008, the Penguins unfortunately returned the favor in 2009, ultimately winning a tightly-contested Game 7 by a 2-1 final score and celebrating in front of a stunned crowd at Joe Louis Arena. 

The sight of Sidney Crosby receiving the Stanley Cup and triumphantly raising it above his head while letting out a jubilant bellow continues to live in the nightmares of Red Wings fans despite being over 16 years ago. 

The Penguins visited The Joe on March 22, 2010, and it was a new face in the Detroit crease that quickly made a name for himself. Jimmy Howard, playing in his rookie campaign after successfully supplanting Chris Osgood as Detroit's starter, not only made 26 saves as part of a 3-1 victory but also permanently won himself a spot in the hearts of Red Wings fans. 

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Late in regulation as the final seconds ticked off the clock, a frustrated Sidney Crosby immediately began trying to mix it up with Henrik Zetterberg. Howard clearly did not appreciate this, and immediately went after Crosby and gave him a face wash with his catcher as a scrum formed.

Jimmy Howard vs. Sidney Crosby 🧼 pic.twitter.com/GC91O1K9ZJ

— Red Wings Goals In Order (@RedWingsVids) July 20, 2025

Considering Crosby's firm status as a villain in Hockeytown, especially following the result of the previous season's Stanley Cup Final, the sellout crowd roared in approval for Howard, loving every second of the action. 

Howard tried to downplay his actions, saying he was simply coming to Zetterberg's aid.

“Just helping out a teammate, that’s all,’’ Howard said after the game. “It’s become quite the rivalry, and we stick together out there.’’

"(The game) was a little bit more special considering who it was. It’s turned into a heated rivalry. I wasn’t participating (in the last two Cup finals), but I was right there on the sidelines watching. Just being there, you got a sense of the rivalry." 

In the Penguins' dressing room, Crosby wasn't quite sure what to make of what had transpired and wasn't a fan of Howard coming after him.  

“I don’t know what he was doing,’’ Crosby said. “It was one of those things, a couple guys battling at the end. I knew the linesman was in there. I don’t know whether (Howard) wanted a free shot, but I don’t think it was any place for him to be.’’

The Red Wings and Penguins have experienced a downturn in their fortunes in recent years, and both clubs were battling for the final Wild Card playoff spot near the tail end of the 2024-25 season. 

The good news for Detroit is that they're trending back in the right direction, while the Penguins appear headed for a long stay in hockey purgatory. 

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Nico Daws is currently in an interesting position as the third-string goaltender for the New Jersey Devils. 

While his track record has shown he can be a valuable piece of the puzzle, trade rumors continue to swirl around the 24-year-old netminder.

Daws is entering the second year of his contract with the Devils, and for the first time, it's a one-way deal. Last season, he was on a two-way contract, earning $775,000 at the NHL level and $350,000 in the AHL. Now, he’s locked into an $850,000 NHL salary. 

With Jake Allen re-signed in free agency and Jacob Markstrom acquired as the starter, the Devils have solidified their goaltending duo. That leaves Daws in a difficult position.

On one hand, he could reprise his familiar role, ready to step in when injuries hit. On the other, he may not see any NHL ice time this season. If the latter scenario plays out, New Jersey may want to consider trading him to a team in need of goaltending depth.

Two potential landing spots stand out: the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights are actively looking for a dependable backup. With Adin Hill firmly entrenched as the starter, Vegas knows a single goalie can’t handle the full load of an 82-game season.

They need a reliable, experienced backup who can step in at any moment, and Daws fits the mold. He has served in a similar role with the Devils, and prior to that, he was a dependable presence in the Ontario Hockey League. He’s been called up to the NHL three times and posted a .898 save percentage.

Daws could be an ideal low-cost, low-risk option to help shoulder the workload in Vegas.

Edmonton Oilers

Another potential fit is Edmonton, a team that’s been painfully close to winning it all but has struggled with goaltending consistency.

The Oilers have reached the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row, led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But shaky performances in net have kept them from finishing the job.

Stuart Skinner was their starter last season and played well in the regular season, but was frequently substituted for backup Calvin Pickard in the playoffs. That rotation cost them stability in the crease when it mattered most.

While the Oilers may target a veteran like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, that move would require significant assets. Daws, meanwhile, presents a cheaper alternative. He’s younger, has NHL experience, and could provide just what the Oilers need.

What’s Next?

Goaltending is always in demand, and Nico Daws could be a fit for several teams across the league.

Or, as he’s done before, he could once again step up and save the day for the Devils.

© Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images