“From one of the worst Stanley cup finals to the BEST.”: Hockey world reacts to Edmonton Oilers against Florida Panthers in Game 6

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The Edmonton Oilers faced off Friday night in Edmonton in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, Edmonton having clawed its way back from a three games to zero deficit, with two straight wins.

Edmonton jumped and tingled all day, nervous and elated at the same time, itching and dreading, ready to dive into that cauldron of hard work, ferocity, excellence and competition that makes such a game spell-binding.

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Things only heated up at game time. Here’s a live blog of the key social media posts:

Pre-game:

Edmonton Oilers announcer Bob Stauffer @Bob_Stauffer
It is June 21st… And the Edmonton Oilers are still playing. Best First Day of Summer…EVER! Game 6 Stanley Cup Final tonight at Rogers Place. Looking forward to seeing YOU bring it!

Oilers fan Shauna @SLShockeyfan
I bought a box of wine so I guess I’m ready.

Oilers blog The Oil Rig @oilrigEDM
Okay y’all time to be extremely tense and not breathe for the next 3 hours 😎

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Sportsnet commentator Kevin Bieksa
These games are tough because it’s hard to play your best hockey in this type of game when there’s so much on the line. You won’t want to be that guy that let your teammates down. So you see the best players, they can rise to the top. Connor McDavid has risen to the top.

Oilers fan Neal @tweetneal
Is there such a thing as too much “believe”?

The Daily Faceoff’s insider Frank Seravalli @frank_seravalli
I’m not kidding, no one is working today in Edmonton. It’s buzzing outside and we’re 4 hours from puck drop.
Because it’s the Cup.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith @ABDanielleSmith
The Edmonton Oilers mean so much to the “City of Champions” and our province! They have worked tirelessly, defied the odds, and have dragged the Panthers back for a game 6 here at home- when everyone said it was over… Every challenge is an opportunity to show your true strength and what it means to embody the Alberta spirit. To the players tonight: we are incredibly proud of you and are all behind you. Get ‘er done!

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC
Nick Cousins for Kyle Okposo is indeed the Florida change. Edmonton same lineup, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took warmups with McDavid/Hyman. Warren Foegele was with Draisaitl/Holloway

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Hockey insider Pierre LeBrun @PierreVLeBrun
It’s absolutely deafening in this rink right now. What an atmosphere. Holy mama.

Florida Panthers Pourri commentator Jacob Langsman @PTPJacob
I don’t want to be sad tonight and anxious all weekend please

NHL Insider for TSN Chris Johnston @reporterchris
The sound meter hit 113.8 decibels when the Edmonton Oilers took the ice at Rogers Place before Game 6.

Sportsnet play-by-play Chris Cuthbert
The stage is set. Where are we headed from here?

First period:

Edmonton 1, Florida 0, Foegele scores

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Oilers alumni Ryan Whitney @ryanwhitney6
There’s 1. McLovin!! What a dish by Leon holy sh*t Rogers looks like a madhouse

Senior hockey writer of the Athletic Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus
Man, the Oilers look so … confident.

Veteran hockey writer Ken Campbell @Ken_Campbell27
Barkov is getting caved in defensively. This is mind-boggling.

ESPN writer Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
Again, a crazy amount of physical forechecking by the Panthers has resulted in one shot on goal and a 1-0 deficit.

ESPN’s P.K. Subban @PKSubban1
This building is nuts 🔊🔊🔊

Oilers fan Rob Soria @Oil_Drop
Leon doing Leon things!!!

NFL football legend JJ Watt @JJWatt
What a beautiful goal to open the scoring for Edmonton. Incredible pass.

Oilers fan Paul Almeida @AzorcanGlobal
Leon is on a mission tonight. He may not be anywhere near 100% but he’s not leaving the rink tonight without trying to make an impact on this game. He’s pushing, has an assist & now has drawn a powerplay.

Hockey News writer on Panthers beat David Dwork @DavidDwork
Florida had two shots on 12 attempts during the first period. Edmonton put up 11 shots on 25 attempts. Panthers need to get their bleep together.

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Florida blog Panther Pourri @PantherPourri
There’s no way to say this without it sounding like mindless optimism, but the Panthers are 15-7 in the playoffs thus far with a negative 1st period goal differential, so I wouldn’t extrapolate based on the 1st tonight

The Athletic commentator Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus
At no point in this period have the Panthers looked remotely dangerous. They’ve generated absolutely nothing. It’s almost impressive.

Oilers fan D.Smith @DazzSmizzle
Yo, where the haters at? Canucks fans? Flames fans? Leafs fans? Where you at??? Had so much to say the first three games.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
The Florida Panthers are cooked if the Tkachuk-Bennett-Rodrigues line can’t get it going in Game 6. In the first period:
– Minus-6 in shot attempts
– Minus-3 in shots
– Minus-3 in scoring chances

End of first period: Oilers 4 Grade A shots, Panthers 0 Grade A shots

The Second Period

Edmonton 2, Florida 0, Henrique scores

Oilers fan JB @JackieBee_16
RIIIIIIIIICOOOOO 🚨

Oilers fan Karman Gill @Kgill39
Henrique, Janmark and Brown have been dynamite for Edmonton. Please sign all three again for cheap if you can

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Oilers fan Bryan @Metalpanthers
Been watching hockey for over 20 years and the panthers are so so close to killing my love of the sport forever lmfao

Florida hockey writ4er Colby Guy @ColbyDGuy
Panthers answer back immediately. It’s Sasha Barkov who finishes off a feed from Carter Verhaeghe near the front of the net 56 seconds into the second period to make it a 2-1 game.

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Ryan Whitney @ryanwhitney6
Offside??????!!!!!

Sportsnet’s Chris Cuthbert
One of the most critical talking points of the entire series and a huge break for Edmonton.

Sportsnet’s Craig Simpson
That is just so close but you credit again the video review crew of the Edmonton Oilers… What a call that is for Kris Knoblauch and his crew. What a huge momentum swing back in favour of the Oilers that one is.

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CHED commentator Reid Wilkins @ReidWilkins
Looks like it was offside by about 1/20th of the puck.

Winnipeg hockey writer Murat Ates @WPGMurat
That’s a bigger swing than “just” the goal. The momentum, the opportunity to calm down, the avoidance of a PK. Oilers got out of miserable rush coverage by a millimeter and a camera.

The Athletic’s Sean McIndoe Down Goes Brown @DownGoesBrown
Terrible rule, but can’t blame the Oilers for taking advantage of it.

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Hockey scout Dan Tencer @dantencer
Janmark in playoffs literally improving his future earnings by multiple millions.

Oilers 3, Panthers 0, Zach Hyman scores

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Winnipeg hockey writer Murat Ates @WPGMurat
I hope RNH gets his roses tonight. What a block leading to Hyman’s goal. It was his third block of the night.

Spittin’ Chiclet commentator Mike Grinnell @MikeGrinnell_
For a few hours edmonton alberta will be the funnest place on earth tonight. No question

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
The Panthers have gone from being one win away from the greatest moment in franchise history to (potentially) one loss away from one of the biggest chokes in sports history.

Panthers fan Jacob Winans @JacobWinans8
I can’t believe we’re really gonna complete this collapse. This is unreal

Panthers fan Bryan @Metalpanthers
Can’t tell you what a stain this is going to be on Paul Maurice, Sergei Bobrovsky, and every other panthers legacy. The kind of stuff that will come up in hall of fame conversations, and deservedly so. I’m going to be taking at least a few years off hockey after game 7

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek @JeffMarek
The Panthers look rattled to end the second.

Panthers fan Kirby Lupul @KJ_Lups
These consecutive mounting losses and the longgggg days in between. This has to be up there with Jack Bauer waterboarding torture

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The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn @domluszczyszyn
i don’t want to mess with the vibes but if it indeed goes seven, it has to be one of the biggest games in nhl history

End of second period (cumulative total): Oilers 6 Grade A shots, Panthers 2 Grade A shots

Third period

Edmonton 3, Florida 1, Aleksander Barkov scores

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Florida commentator Jacob Langsman PantherPourri @PTPJacob
BARKOV IS ALIVE AND THEY’RE NOT TAKING THAT ONE AWAY

Florida podcaster Kirby Lupul @KJ_Lups
The. Captain. On the board for real this time. Bad Ceci turnover

Oilers fan Raja Dhami @gretzkytokurri
Every Oiler on the ice got cooked on that Barkov goal. A clear chance to get it out, and it ends up in the back of the net. Brutal start to the 3rd period. Oilers need a pushback.

Oilers alumni Ryan Whitney @ryanwhitney6
The sweat begins…

Panther Pourri: A Florida Hockey Now Podcast
Naturally the Panthers are controlling the 3rd period. This plan might work if you’re not down 3 going into it

Detroit hockey writer George Malik @georgemalik
Florida is just getting dismantled. Edmonton has continually adapted over the past couple of games, learning from its litany of mistakes made early on in the series.

Oilers fan McNeekers @neekers_92
I hate these periods that last 20 years.

Oilers fan Sumit Tripathi @Sumit_Tripathi_
We have absolutely stopped making plays…just get the puck out of the bueline…that’s the strategy

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Edmonton 4, Florida 1, Ryan McLeod scores

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Edmonton, 5, Florida, 1, Darnell Nurse scores

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Edmonton crowd at downtown area
We want the Cup! We want the Cup~!

Florida hockey writer Colby Guy @ColbyDGuy
Panthers lose 5-1 Oilers force a Game 7.

Oilers fan Rob Soria @Oil_Drop
0-3 doesn’t matter with this group. It was the case after Game Three and still is. Oilers have done nothing to not be believed in. This comeback should surprise no one. Never a doubt. Now go out and enjoy the hell out of Game Seven. You’ve earned it!!!

Oilers fan JB @JackieBee_16
PLAYYYYYY
LAAAAAAA
BAAAAMBAAAAA
BAAAABYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙
Job’s not done.
15 down – 1 to go.

End of game, cumulative Edmonton six Grade A shots, Florida four, each team with two of the most dangerous 5-alarm shots

Bob Stauffer @Bob_Stauffer
Stellar performance from
@EdmontonOilers
support players!
Warren Foegele (1-1-2) got it started.
Adam Henrique with a beauty.
PK’ers perfect…again..3/3!
Stuart Skinner 20 saves…5-0 in Elimination games in this year’s playoffs!
Fans again brought it…and so did the Oilers!

Analytics expert Meghan Chayka @MeghanChayka
This went from one of the worst Stanley cup finals to the BEST.

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NHL.com writer Dan Rosen @drosennhl
The Oilers now have a chance to be the first team in 82 years to win the Stanley Cup after falling behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. The 1942 Maple Leafs did it.

The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus
I’m old enough to remember when we thought the 2024 Stanley Cup Final stunk.

TSN”s Chris Johnston @reporterchris
This Stanley Cup Final will go down as an all-timer. Game 7 is Monday night in Florida and the Cup will be coming out of its case.

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn @domluszczyszyn
the nhl has fucking delivered this season. truly one for the ages

Edmonton Oilers star Zach Hyman
Defensively we’re buying in. We playing mature hockey. We’re not giving them much off of our mistakes. We’re limiting turnovers, and we’re playing fast, playing forward, and we’re playing well with the lead

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