Scoring first has been crucial in Stanley Cup Final

It might sound cliché, but scoring first in a hockey game is important.

However, with one final game to determine who takes home Lord Stanley’s Cup, any advantage is key in a do-or-die game.

On Monday night, the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will face off in Game 7, in arguably one of the most anticipated NHL games in over a decade. While people can discuss all the storylines and off-the-ice chatter to the ends of the Earth, the most important thing is what will happen on the ice in Sunrise.

It will be vital for both teams to go full tilt to try and score the first goal of the game. In this series alone, the team that has scored first has won five of the first six games—Edmonton struck first in Game 2 but ended up losing 4-1.

In each of the last eight Game 7’s in Stanley Cup Finals history, the team that has scored first has won the game. The last team to fail to capitalize on getting on the board early was the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987, where Murray Craven’s goal did not hold off the Edmonton Oilers from scoring three unanswered to win the Cup.

On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk explain the importance of scoring first in Game 7.

Frank Seravalli: If Edmonton that scores first, you could see Florida fold like a cheap tent in a soft wind. If Florida scores first, not only do they have an exhale, but they’ve got confidence. Hey, this place is going to explode, and they’re right back in it. Everything that has happened in the last six games is wiped off, clean start, only need to win one game.

You can watch the full segment, and the entire episode here…