The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. As a result, hockey's biggest stage will see a Game 7 for the first time since the 2019 Final. Monday night will see the Stanley Cup awarded, no matter the result. Friday night's win also cements a bit of NHL history for the Oilers.
Edmonton trailed in this series 3-0 before winning the previous three games. Now, they are the third team in NHL history to force Game 7 after losing the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final, according to Elliotte Friedman. Additionally, Edmonton is the first team in 78 years to achieve the feat, according to Pierre LeBrun.
In 1942, the Toronto Maple Leafs came back from 3-0 down to win the Stanley Cup. Three years later, the Detroit Red Wings trailed 3-0 in the Final before forcing a Game 7. Unfortunately, Detroit could not finish the job. The Winged Wheel lost in Game 7 to the Maple Leafs as Toronto lifted hockey's biggest prize.
Oilers dominate Game 6
Edmonton entered Game 6 riding high on an 8-1 win in Game 4 and a 5-3 victory in Game 5. On Friday night, they came out full of energy. Edmonton swarmed the Panthers early in Game 6. In fact, Florida didn't reach five shots on goal until 30 minutes into the contest. And none of those five shots came from any of their forwards.
The Oilers got their first goal of the game in the first period. Leon Draisaitl delivered a nifty pass to Warren Foegele in the low slot to make it a 1-0 game. In the second period, Edmonton didn't even need a full minute to find the back of the net. The Oilers got a goal from veteran forward Adam Henrique to make it a 2-0 contest.
Florida believed they got one back just seconds later when Aleksander Barkov scored. However, the Panthers' goal was overturned after video review. The review determined Florida entered the offensive zone offsides, which should have resulted in a stoppage in play.
Later in the second, Edmonton added another. The puck got loose in the neutral zone, where Zach Hyman picked it up. He skated in all alone on a breakaway. He made a move which created an opening he didn't miss. Hyman scored his 16th goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to make it a 3-0 lead.
Florida played much better in the third period, though it was too late. An Aleksander Barkov goal stood this time to put the Panthers on the board. But that was the only real chance had. The Panthers allowed two empty net goals late in the game as they fell 5-1 on Friday night.
Panthers have lost control of Stanley Cup Final
Perhaps this outcome should have been expected after Florida's shaky third period in their Game 3 win. If that wasn't a sign, Florida's 8-1 loss in Game 4 certainly counts. The Panthers had control of the Stanley Cup Final in a way teams dream of. All they needed to do was win one more game. It's certainly easier said than done, but it's a lot easier done than winning four consecutive games.
And yet, the Oilers are on the brink of doing just that. Edmonton has won three straight and they hold all the momentum in this series. Edmonton looks like the team that was one win from winning the Stanley Cup. The Panthers, meanwhile, simply seem frustrated and defeated on the ice.
Of course, all of this can go away if they can win that one last game. They will have the crowd behind them as Game 7 is in Florida. But they will need to put their best foot forward on Monday night. There is one more game left in the 2023-24 NHL season, and hockey fans are set for a thrilling conclusion no matter who wins.
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