Hockey fans in Sunrise are preparing for a trophy-hoisting party inside Amerant Bank Arena tonight as the Florida Panthers aim to wrap up the Stanley Cup final series against the Edmonton Oilers.
The defending champion Panthers grabbed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven championship after whipping the Oilers 5-2 on Saturday in Edmonton.
Three of the first four games were decided in overtime, but the Panthers crushed the Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 in Sunrise.
The Panthers, who beat the Oilers in seven games last year to win their first Stanley Cup, are looking to become just the third team to go back-to-back since the NHL’s salary cap era began in 2005.
History and oddsmakers are not favouring the Oilers to bounce back. Only eight of the 44 teams to fall behind 3-2 in the final have gone on to win. Boston was the last to do it in 2011 against Vancouver, extending Canada’s Cup drought that goes back to 1993.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Edmonton will need a much better start to make sure hockey’s holy grail gets put back in its case and loaded onto a plane for a potential Game 7 in the Alberta capital on Friday.
Florida has outscored Edmonton 11-4 in the first period, including an ugly 7-0 mark over the last three contests.