A 7th game will be necessary Monday evening at Sunrise to determine the winner of the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Edmonton achieved the feat of equalizing at 3-3 against Florida after losing the first three acts of the NHL play-off final.
The Oilers once again dominated the debates on Friday, winning 5-1 in Alberta against the Panthers. Author of 42 points since the start of the play-offs including 8 accumulated over the two previous matches of this series, their captain Connor McDavid nevertheless remained ‘mute’ Friday evening.
The first star went to Warren Foegele, who made it 1-0 after 7’27” of play before signing the assist on the safety goal, 4-1, scored in an empty net by Ryan McLeod 3’15” from the final siren. The 5-1 fell 12 seconds later, while Florida was still playing without a goalkeeper.
The Panthers, who kept their hopes alive thanks to a success from Aleksander Barkov in the 42nd minute (3-1), therefore missed a third consecutive ‘match point’. The long return journey (around 4000 km!) should allow them to regain their senses after having conceded 18 goals in the last three games.
79 years later
The momentum has inevitably passed into the Edmonton camp, the third team in history to force a Game 7 in the final after being down 3-0. The visiting team thus remains on three consecutive successes in a match 7 (Pittsburgh in 2009 in Detroit, Boston in 2011 in Vancouver, St. Louis in 2019 in Boston).
The Oilers also hope to emulate the Toronto Maple Leafs, who toppled Detroit in the 1942 Stanley Cup final after being down 3-0. Toronto had also prevented the Red Wings from achieving the same feat three years later, again winning Act VII but having lost the three previous matches…
/ATS
2024-06-22 04:04:24
#finalissima #Panthers #Oilers
