SUNRISE, Fla. — Welcome to the unimaginable.
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final has been played 17 times since 1942, most recently in 2019 and before that 2011, 2009, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001 and 10 times before the turn of the century.
But not since 1945 has Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final been necessary after a team took a 3-0 lead in the series.
Not until now that is, or, rather, Monday, when the Panthers and Edmonton Oilers play Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, play for everything from the Stanley Cup to history to legacies at Amerant Bank Arena (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).
“That’s actually what makes this whole thing awesome is the context of it,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.
An Oilers win and they will be the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup after falling behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. They are already the first team since the 1945 Detroit Red Wings to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 in the Cup Final.
An Oilers win and they will forever be remembered as the team that did what seemed impossible.
They will differentiate themselves from the dynastic Oilers that won the Stanley Cup five times from 1984-90.
They will differentiate themselves from every Stanley Cup winner in the NHL’s modern era, which began in 1943-44, when the center red line was introduced.
“Obviously, it’s not your ordinary game, everybody understands that,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. “But you’ve got to make it as ordinary as possible in your head. I think part of that is just sticking to your routine. Our room has done a great job of being at our best in these big moments, and I would expect no different tomorrow.”
