A little over a week ago, the Edmonton Oilers looked like they’d possibly be swept out of the Stanley Cup Final.
Down 0-3 in the series, Edmonton looked like they’d be putting on one of the most disappointing championship performances in recent memory. No team had been swept in the Stanley Cup Final since 1998, but the Oilers looked like they’d just been figured out in every facet by the Florida Panthers and were on the verge of serious disappointment.
And then with a bit of a power of friendship and an all-time performance from Connor McDavid, Edmonton has somehow found themselves on the verge of being on the other side of history.
On Friday night, the Oilers forced Game 7 with a convincing 5-1 victory on home ice to force Game 7 Monday night back in Florida.
As pointed out by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, it’s the first time in nearly 80 years that a team has forced a Game 7 after initially being down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final.
Absolute bedlam in this arena.
The Oilers are the first team in 78 years to force a Game 7 in the Cup Final after being down 0-3.— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 22, 2024
In the 1945 Stanley Cup Final, the Toronto Maple Leafs were up 3-0 in the series, before the Detroit Red Wings stormed back to force Game 7. In that case, however, the comeback attempt was ill-fated, with Toronto winning Game 7 by a 2-1 score.
The last — and to date, only — successful 0-3 comeback in the Stanley Cup Final came between those same two teams in 1942, where Toronto was trailing 3-0 before outscoring Detroit 20-7 over the next three games.
“The job is not done,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said following the Game 6 victory. “It’s a great story, but you need to finish it. Everybody will forget if we don’t finish it.”
Game 7 goes Monday night in Florida, with puck drop set for 5 pm PT/ 6 pm MT/ 8 pm ET. If nothing else, it’s guaranteed to be a fun night for someone.
“It’s been a hell of a story so far, but at the end of the day, we play to win and this is going to be the hardest game for us,” Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl said. “They’re going to come out hard, they’re going to play at home. We have to bring our game again. I’m just really proud of the way we gave ourselves a chance. That’s what it’s all about. But by no means is this going to be easy, a walk in the park. This is going to be the hardest game of the series.”