The Edmonton Oilers last week became the 211th team in NHL history to lose a series, 3-0, and they are now one win away from becoming just the fifth team to pull off the comeback.
The Oilers defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Friday, becoming just the 10th team in NHL history to force a Game 7 despite losing three straight series.
After nearly 20,000 fans belted out the Canadian national anthem, Warren Vogel somehow got the fans roaring even louder and smashed the ball into the back of the net to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. It was basically a fluke, as Florida only had two shots on goal in the first period, one of which came from 170 feet away, their fewest shots in a single period all year.
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Edmonton Oilers left winger Zach Hyman (18) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Place. (Sergei Belski – USA Today Sports)
Edmonton started the second half with a bang, scoring just 46 seconds into the game on a 2-on-1 situation when Adam Henrique received a pass up the ice. Florida’s Aleksander Barkov thought he had answered back just 10 seconds later, but Edmonton called the Panthers offsides and the Oilers took a 2-0 lead.
Zach Hyman scored to make it 3-0 with 1 minute, 40 seconds left in the period, and despite Florida outshooting the Oilers 11-4, the Oilers scored twice midway through the game.
Florida scored early in the third period on a Barkov goal (this time for real), but it was too late: the Oilers scored not one, but two more empty-net goals.
The crowd then chanted loudly: “We want the Cup.”
Edmonton has outscored Florida 18-5 in the past three games and has scored 11 points to Edmonton’s four in the first three games.
This will mark just the third time a Stanley Cup game has gone to a Game 7 after a team led 3-0 and the first time since 1945. The Toronto Maple Leafs came from behind to win in 1942 and avoided humiliation by winning a second title three years later.
Edmonton Oilers left winger Zach Hyman (18) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Place. (Sergei Belski – USA Today Sports)
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It was the league’s first comeback since the Los Angeles Kings came from behind 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs in 2014. The Kings won Game 7 and then two more Game 7s along the way to ultimately win the Cup.
The last team in a Big Four league to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 was the Boston Celtics last year. The Celtics lost to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals but got revenge earlier this week by winning their first NBA title since 2008. The Celtics are the fourth NBA team to tie a series, but no team has won after falling behind by three games.
Only one team has ever made a comeback in Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox in 2004. The 2020 Houston Astros nearly joined them before losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Edmonton Oilers centre Adam Henrique (19) celebrates a goal with his teammates against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Place. (Sergei Belski – USA Today Sports)
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Game 7 of the series will be played again on Monday night in Sunrise, Florida, where just about everyone will be in a state of panic.
A win would mark the Oilers’ first championship since 1990 and Canada’s first since 1993.
The Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights last year, marking the second consecutive year they have lost in the finals.
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