The Edmonton Oilers have officially done the impossible: there will be a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final after they lost each of the first three contests of their series with the Florida Panthers. A do-or-die matchup for both sides will commence.
Just like they did in both Game 4 and Game 5, the Oilers struck quick and early. Off of a brilliant saucer pass by Leon Draisaitl, Warren Foegele increased his point streak to four contests with a goal less than eight minutes into Game 6. While it wasn’t the game-winning marker, it certainly set the tone for the rest of the matchup.
Adam Henrique doubled the Oilers’ lead with a goal just 46 seconds into the second period, completely draining any form of momentum that Florida could have possibly established in the locker room during intermission. Scoring on a 2-on-1 rush, netminder Sergei Bobrovsky had no chance.
The Panthers actually responded with a goal of their own to cut the Oilers’ lead in half, but the play was eventually challenged and disallowed for being offside. The call was a very close one, and it had an undeniable impact on the rest of the game. With an eagle eye from the bench, Edmonton saved themselves with their gutsy challenge call.
Zach Hyman made it a 3-0 lead for the Oilers, and by that point, the Panthers’ odds of winning were essentially none. Aleksander Barkov got a goal back just 1:28 into the third period, but time ran out on his team fast. Ryan McLeod got the empty-net goal for the Oilers at the end of the game, while Darnell Nurse added another for good measure. The final score was 5-1 in favor of the home squad.
News and Notes
Interestingly, the Oilers entered Game 4 with a three-game losing streak with their last one being from Feb. 21 to Feb. 24 in the 2023-24 regular season. After that unfortunate stretch, they won their next five contests. Edmonton now has three victories in a row, and they’ll be looking for a fourth in Game 7.
Connor McDavid didn’t register a point in this contest, but he sits at 42 total points in 24 contests. Sitting in fourth place for the most points ever recorded in a single postseason, one more would tie him with Wayne Gretzky’s finish in 1988, while two more would tie him with Mario Lemieux’s finish in 1991. Gretzky’s 47-point playoff in 1985 seems to be out of reach, but it’s still remarkable nonetheless that McDavid is just five points behind it.
Game 7 will be at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida on Monday, June 24. This is the first Game 7 that the Stanley Cup Final has had since 2019, and just the second since 2011. Interestingly, the last time the home team won Game 7 of the Final was the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 against none other than the Oilers. Next, they will get their chance at revenge for their sixth championship in history and their first since 1990.
