The situation is different, but the stakes are the same for Panthers in Game 6
The Florida Panthers have been dragged back to Edmonton for Game 6 on Friday night as Connor McDavid and the Oilers look to once again fend off elimination.
The Panthers went up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final and have not been able to close it out. Series-clinching games are always considered the hardest to win. While it may not be over as soon as they’d like, the Panthers are still only one win away from reaching their ultimate goal of hoisting the Stanley Cup.
On today’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli dove into what’s at stake for the Panthers and how they may be able to finally close out the series and win the Stanley Cup:
Frank Seravalli: The Panthers have never lost a game this season when leading after two (periods).
Tyler Yaremchuk: That’s an excellent point and last game, there was a play back door and Sam Bennett missed it by a hair. It missed his stick by two inches, it would have been a tie game, that was before the empty netter. So the Panthers are right there. I think it’s a lock, score first to win.
Frank Seravalli: I’m buying that all day long. I think if the Oilers score first, they have a chance to make this a rout. I could see that. Go back to Game 6 2006, what was the final score? 4-0. You had Fernando Pisani on your show yesterday.
Tyler Yaremchuk: A nine-year-old Tyler Yaremchuk was in attendance for that game, I don’t remember a whole heck of a lot, I just remember it being the loudest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Frank Seravalli: Think about this from a Panthers’ perspective, you got beat by a shortie, a McDavid fluke goal from the goal line and a play that McDavid makes once a season. If I’m Florida, I’m sitting here going I like what I’m seeing. The chances of those things happening again are probably pretty slim. And, if you’re the Panthers, you’re also going – everyone in this building, everybody in this city, maybe even the Province, expects the Oilers to win tonight. Game 6, home ice, chance to force Game 7.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Almost everyone in the hockey world thinks they’re going roll them tonight.
Frank Seravalli: They think it’s a lock and I’m telling you, this is the ultimate trap. I really think it is. If you’re the Oilers, you’ve fought so hard to get here. There’s a reason this has happened zero times in the last 80 years since. Because you can win one, you can win two, but to beat the same team four consecutive times, good luck. Especially a team as good as Florida.
For more on the Stanley Cup Final and plenty of news from around a busy NHL, you can watch the full episode here: