An apparent blunder by Oilers fans drew attention on Thursday as Edmonton lost Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers.
With just over a minute left in the first period, cameras captured Edmonton fans cheering moments after Panthers centre Sam Reinhart scored the opening goal to give Florida a 1-0 lead at Rogers Place in Canada.
When ESPN aired the bizarre sequence of events, it sparked an intense reaction on social media.
“LOL. Oilers fans are so crazy they don’t realize they’re rooting for the wrong team.” Written by X user Drew Livingston.
“Why were these Oilers fans celebrating the Florida goal?” The Fanhouse account wrote:.
The Oilers are trailing 2-0 in the series heading into Thursday’s game, so allowing an early lead would be disappointing for most fans.
The Oilers tied the game early in the second period, so maybe the fan was celebrating prematurely. Or maybe she was completely unaware of the situation and was just there to enjoy the game.
Unfortunately for Oilers fans, Florida scored three more goals to take a 4-1 lead going into the third period.
The Western Conference champions scored two late goals to try and tie the game, but couldn’t.
Surprisingly, the fans making the headlines Thursday weren’t the most talked-about crowd of the playoffs.
The title is held by one of the fans who became an internet sensation after firing flashes at the crowd during the Oilers’ win over Dallas in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
Kate, the fan who committed the lewd act, was eventually fired by Barstool Sports. “Spittin’ Chicklet” Post-match podcast.
When asked what prompted her to flash the crowd, she replied: “You know, what it was… I don’t know.”
“The cheesecake I ate all day and the eight bottles of Truly I drank in first period definitely gave me a kick,” she added.
Clearly, Edmonton fans are excited.
After Thursday’s games, the Panthers, this year’s Eastern Conference champions, hold a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Panthers can clinch the series with a win in Game 4 on Saturday.
