The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions!!! They sure made it hard on themselves by losing three in a row to Edmonton. It is a difficult trudge even to make the finals let alone win them. Additionally, they were the inspiration for a lot of nervous baking. We may lose weight now that I’m not nervously baking during every Panthers game. Last night’s nerves far exceeded the urge to bake nervously. I think all of South Florida was on tenterhooks for most of the game.

Game seven of any championship series is a stomach-twisting, exhilarating ride for the fans. It’s also the cause of stress hives, heartburn, and high blood pressure. Thank god for Benadryl, which put paid to my stress hives. During the third period, it seemed like time stood still. The Panthers went into the third with the lead and are a great third-period team, but Edmonton has some big guns that can score in clutch situations.

In the end, the Cats held off the Oilers to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. It was an amazing moment. There were definitely tears in my eyes watching the team react to winning the cup. It’s been a long time since any of my teams have won a championship (such is life as a Minnesota Sports fan.). I loved seeing Barkov raise the cup. He’s been an amazing captain for the Panthers for years and makes everyone around him better. Naturally, he handed it off to Bob, who had a career game last night. It’s obvious from watching the team interact and the way they talk about each other that the team is a family.

If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?

In honor of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, I’d say my red Panthers T-shirt. If you ask any of my South Florida neighbors, they’d probably say Panthers’ gear today too.