Edmonton Oilers force Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final vs. Florida Panthers

The GIST: Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers’ incredible 5–1 Game 6 Saturday win over the Florida Panthers, the Stanley Cup Final is heading to the best two words in sports — Game 7 — for the first time since 2019.

• History will be made in tonight’s 8 p.m. ET showdown: Either the Oilers will complete one of the biggest comebacks ever or the Panthers will hoist their very first Stanley Cup. Here are two things to keep in mind before puck drop.

It’s been 82 years since a team overcame a 3-0 hole in the Final: The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs were the last squad to win it all after losing the first three games of the final series, adding to the hype ahead of tonight’s showdown.

• However, when you zoom out, this series has technically been even. Florida dominated Games 1 through 3, outscoring Edmonton by seven goals, but come Games 4 to 6, Edmonton hit the Uno Reverse and dominated themselves, winning those three games by a 13-goal margin. All to say, Game 7 could fall either way. Unless…

Mojo makes the difference: It’s been 31 years since a Canadian team won the Cup, and with the league’s best player (center Connor McDavid) and three straight wins in their pocket, the momentum is squarely in Edmonton’s favor, even with Florida hosting Game 7 tonight.

• Not to mention, the Panthers’ top-notch goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been struggling after a piping hot series start. That said, of the 17 Game 7s in Stanley Cup Final history, 12 were won by the home team. Will the Panthers make it lucky 13?