Oilers outlast Panthers to force Game 7

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Friday’s Game 6 to force a winner-take-all finale for the 2024 Stanley Cup.

Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, and Zach Hyman combined to give the Oilers a 3-0 advantage entering the third period. Aleksander Barkov scored early in the final frame to give the Panthers hope before Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse put the contest away with empty-netters.

The Panthers had a goal called back in the second period after an offside challenge.

Connor McDavid was held without a point for the first time since Game 1 of the series. He also failed to record a shot on goal for the first time since Game 1 of the second round.

It’s the first time in McDavid’s career that the Oilers have won without him recording a point or shot in the contest.

Stuart Skinner made 20 saves in the contest, while Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 19 shots.

Skinner moves to 10-0 in Games 4-7 this postseason with a .940 save percentage.

The Oilers are the third team in Cup Final history to extend a series to seven games after facing a 3-0 deficit and the first since 1945. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to complete a reverse sweep in the Final.

“Honestly, we’re just having fun,” McDavid told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas. “We really believe, we really believe in each other, we believe in this group. And we’re having fun with it.”

A Game 7 will decide the Stanley Cup winner for the first time since the St. Louis Blues were victorious in 2019.

Game 7 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET in Florida. Edmonton is aiming for its sixth Stanley Cup and first since 1990, while the Panthers will be looking to claim their first title in franchise history.

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