Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after a goal by teammate Zach Hyman during game six of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Alta. on FridayBruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Oilers staved off elimination in the Stanley Cup final for the third straight time on Friday with a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at Rogers Place.
On Monday, Edmonton will try to become just the second team in 106 years to win the Stanley Cup after losing the first three games in the best-of-seven series. The only club to ever do that was the Toronto Maple Leafs of 1942 against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Oilers have won five Stanley Cups but none since 1990. They now have a chance to be the first Canadian franchise to hoist the trophy since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Game 7 will be contested at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
Five different players scored for Edmonton and Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 21 shots and also had an assist in the triumph. Sergei Bobrovskly turned away 16 of 19.
On Thursday, Snoop Dogg performed a concert at Rogers Place and told the sold-out crowd that the Oilers were going to win. “I can see the future,” the rap superstar said. He must have been rooting for the underdog.
Fans in Edmonton react as the Oilers win game six of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.Amber Bracken/Reuters
Fans filled the streets around the arena two hours before puck drop. They enjoyed a free pre-game concert by The Beaches, the all-female Toronto band named after the city’s east end neighbourhood. They pounded on drums, honked horns non-stop and chanted “We want the Cup.”
The game was Edmonton’s last at Rogers Place for the 2023-24 campaign. To this point, they have played 106 games overall. Players reported to training camp nine months ago and it has been a two-month slog since the playoffs commenced.
Warren Foegele put the Oilers ahead with 12:33 to go in the first period when he snapped the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky. Leon Draisaitl, who has battled injuries and not put up the numbers usually expected of him, got the assist with a crisp pass from near the slot to the left side of the net.
Bobrovsky had been getting taunted by the crowd since warm-ups and that did not help him any. Impenetrable at the start of the series, he came into the skirmish with a .668 save percentage in his two pervious starts.
Edmonton controlled play through much of the first 20 minutes and held an 11-2 advantage in shots at the first intermission.
Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers' Adam Henrique and Philip Broberg during first period game six.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
An official breaks up a scrum between Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers and Ryan Lomberg of the Florida Panthers during the second period of game six.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Oilers went up 2-0 only 46 seconds into the second period when Adam Henrique scored on a wrist shot from 20 feet out. Mattias Janmark and Mattias Ekholm drew the assists.
Florida appeared to respond with a goal of its own only 10 seconds later but Aleksander Barkov’s effort went for naught when it was negated by an offsides penalty following a coach’s challenge.
“You are looking for a jump start at that time,” Paul Maurice, the Florida coach, said. “It would have been a spark for sure.”
Kris Knoblauch did not hesitate to issue a challenge.
“In my mind it was definitely offside,” the Edmonton coach said. “It was something we wanted to do as soon as we reviewed the video.”
Zach Hyman then increased the lead to 3-0 on a breakaway with 1:40 left before the second break. Hyman slipped a backhand through Bobrovsky’s legs. It was his NHL-leading 16th goal of the post-season. The period ended with a wrestling match between Ekholm and Aaron Ekblad.
“It’s impressive,” Leon Draisaitl said. “He is a heck of a player and very unique. He’s like a little bull. He explodes out of the gate and he’s gone.”
Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse added empty-netters 10 second apart late in the third. Skinner was credited with an assist on Nurse’s second goal of the post-season.
Edmonton last reached the final in 2006 where it lost in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
dmonton Oilers center Ryan McLeod passes the puck against the Florida Panthers during the second period.Sergei Belski/Reuters
Skinner making timely saves to help the Oilers claw back in the Stanley Cup Final
The Oilers began the season 3-9-1, fired their coach, and from that point on had the best record in the NHL. They trailed in both the second round against Vancouver and the third versus Dallas before winning each series.
“It’s been fun and stressful,” Knoblauch said. “We’ve surprised a lot of people but nobody in our dressing room is surprised. We’ve been written off many times. These guys are having the time of their lives.”
The Oilers scored just once in Games 1 and 2 at Amerant Bank Arena but have now outscored the Panthers 17-5 while winning the last three games. They killed off three more penalties and have now stopped the Panthers on 19 of 20 power plays through six games. They have killed off 46 of the last 47 overall.
Darnell Nurse and Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers celebrate after their 5-1 win against the Florida Panthers.Codie McLachlan/Getty Images
Draisaitl had two assists over the first five games although he is second to Connor McDavid with 31 points during the post-season. McDavid was held without a point but has 42 in 24 playoff games and is almost certain to be awarded the most valuable player trophy this post-season.
Barkov got the Panthers on the board with a short wrist shot early in the third period. It was the eighth goal of the playoffs for Florida’s star centre.
The Oilers are on the verge of one of the greatest comebacks in Stanley Cup history. They are 5-0 during the playoffs while facing elimination and 3-0 in this series. The Panthers are possibly looking at a flop that will haunt the franchise for years to come.
“It has been a hell of a story so far but at the end of the day we play to win,” Draisaitl said. “Monday’s game is going to be the hardest of all. It’s not going to be a walk in the park.”
After the game, the Oilers gathered at centre ice and saluted their fans.
“This means the world to us,” Draisaitl said. “I’ve been here a long time and have been through some seemingly bad years. For us to be able to do this in front of our fans is very special.”