“Game 7” may be two of the most fitting words in sports, perhaps only surpassed when a team is trying to overturn a 3-0 series deficit. That’s because in the history of the major North American professional sports with playoff series (NHL, NBA, MLB), 407 teams had held a 3-0 lead prior to this Stanley Cup Final, and only five teams across all three leagues had blew a lead to lose the series.
The good news for the Edmonton Oilers is that four of those have come in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, except they will be playing on home ice against the Florida Panthers as the NHL season gets off to an epic start in Sunrise, Fla. Connor McDavid was huge in Games 4 and 5, scoring eight points (three goals, five assists) to help Edmonton get back in the series, but the Oilers’ penalty killing has also been a big hit: Edmonton has stopped 18 of 19 penalties in this series and 46 of their past 47 in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Florida needs some energy after losing their last three games 18-5 and finishing each with mediocre results. Sam Reinhart (-3), Matthew Tkachuk (-5) and Carter Verhaeghe (-9) have been completely subdued in their last three games, and the Panthers need their big stars to step up to avoid losing a Cup final for the second straight year and to become the first team since 1942 to lose a Cup final despite holding a 3-0 lead at the start of the series.
How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Finals Game 7
Check out Yahoo Sports for live updates from Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
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