NHL
Advertisement
Thousands of fans wearing orange and blue are partying at Rogers Place and on the streets of Alberta’s capital city.
After being counted out by just about everybody outside of their own dressing room when they were down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers have done the improbable, winning 5-1 over the Florida Panthers on Friday night in Game 6 to force a Game 7 on Monday night in South Florida.
For a team that was tied for last place in the 32-team NHL on Nov. 9 and trailed in earlier playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars, it’s almost fitting.
The Oilers are only the third team in NHL history to win three games when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final. The others were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1945 Detroit Red Wings. The 1942 Leafs are the only team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit and win the Stanley Cup.
GO FURTHER
Oilers, on brink of historic comeback, forcing Stanley Cup Game 7 vs. Panthers with 5-1 Game 6 win
For the first time in five seasons, we will have a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. And this Game 7 has the potential of giving us one of the greatest collapses in sports history.
Advertisement
And that's it. With an extra day between games, that means we've got the whole weekend for the Oilers to soak in the win, and the Panthers to think about how this is all slipping away. Monday night is going to be wild. See you there.
Stuart Skinner somehow kept the puck out of the net with his stick before the Edmonton Oilers scored that empty netter. And THAT’S why all of his Oilers teammates were quick to celebrate with him.
And it's over. Back-to-back empty netter means it's all done but the message-sending, as the Oilers are up 5-1 with three minutes left. Amazingly, unbelievably, this series is going seven.
And that’ll do it. There’s 3:15 left on the clock but we can call it. The Edmonton Oilers are dragging the 2024 Stanley Cup Final right back to Florida for Game 7.
The Panthers get a powerplay midway through the third, giving them a chance to really make a game of this. But the Oilers’ nearly unbeatable penalty kill comes through yet again, and we’re still at 3-1 at the 10-minute mark.
Advertisement
Aleksander Barkov makes it 3-1 with 18:32 to go. Are we in for yet another furious finish?
The third period is underway. If you’re wondering about Connor McDavid, here’s his statline: +1, 2PIM, 0 SOG. It helps that his teammates have stepped up tonight.
Zach Hyman converts a breakaway, and we’ll head to the intermission with the Oilers up by 3-0.
I’d ask Panthers fans if 3-0 leads are insurmountable, but… you know.
Zach Hyman scores his 16th of the playoffs and is now three goals off the all-time record for most scored in one postseason (19, by Edmonton’s Jari Kurri and Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach).
Zach Hyman scores on a breakaway and this place is going bananas. That's his 16th goal of the playoffs.
It's also his 70th goal of the campaign (regular season and playoffs), tying Auston Matthews for the NHL lead.
3-0 EDM
Advertisement
The Oilers have now killed off 45 of their last 46 penalties and 20 straight at home.
The NHL has released its explanation on why the Aleksander Barkov goal was disallowed: “Video review determined that Florida’s Sam Reinhart preceded the puck into the offensive zone and was in an off-side position prior to the Panthers’ goal.
“According to Rule 38.9, “The standard for overturning the call in the event of a “GOAL” call on the ice is that the NHL Situation Room, after reviewing any and all available replays and consulting with the On-Ice Official(s), determines that one or more Players on the attacking team preceded the puck into the attacking zone prior to the goal being scored and that, as a result, the play should have been stopped for an “Off-Side” infraction; where this standard is met, the goal will be disallowed.”
Five shots on goal for the Panthers. Two of them are from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Two from Gustav Forsling. One from Brandon Montour. None from a Florida Panther forward so far.
Was that the most important offside review in NHL history?
Going into tonight, I’d have probably gone with the Gabriel Landeskog bench travesty in Game 7 between the Avalanche and Sharks in 2019. That one may have directly decided a series, but it was only round two. There was also a review that wiped out a PK Subban goal in the 2017 final, but that was in Game 1.
I think we have a new clubhouse leader, but I’m open to other suggestions.
It's 3:05 into the second period. A Panthers forward has yet to record a shot on goal.
Advertisement
Among the many celebrities tuning in for tonight’s Game 6: Former NFL star JJ Watt.
The offside review overturns the call on the ice, somehow, and Aleksander Barkov’s goal comes off the board. Still 2-0 Oilers.
GO FURTHER
It’s time for the NHL to stop interference and offside reviews
Oh good, I was worried we’d make it through the entire final without a crucial goal coming down to a lengthy offside review that doesn’t seem all the conclusive with the camera angles available. Great system we have here. Absolutely top-notch.
