EDMONTON, Alberta — Historical past says the Florida Panthers almost certainly wrapped up the Stanley Cup by profitable Sport 3 towards the Edmonton Oilers and taking a 3-0 sequence lead.
Simply do not inform that to the Florida Panthers.
“We do not take a look at that stuff. You guys do. I am positive numerous different individuals do, however we do not,” winger Matthew Tkachuk stated Friday.
The Panthers are searching for their first Stanley Cup in franchise historical past, and the percentages are of their favor: Groups that go up 3-0 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Ultimate have received 27 of 28 sequence. The one exception was in 1942, when the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied to defeat the Detroit Crimson Wings.
Groups that path 3-0 in a sequence have averted a sweep simply eight instances. The latest two examples have been the Montreal Canadiens profitable Sport 4 towards the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 and the New York Rangers doing the identical towards the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
Even when the Oilers handle to ship the sequence again to South Florida with a Sport 4 win, solely three groups in NHL historical past have ever compelled a Sport 6 after being down 3-0 within the Stanley Cup Ultimate.
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Tkachuk stated the Panthers are ignoring that historical past.
“We have achieved such a very good job of getting that one recreation, easy mindset. Win your first interval. Win your first few shifts. It is all you have to do tomorrow,” he stated of Saturday evening’s Sport 4. “It is actually calm, sort of chill and relaxed group right this moment. We’ll use that to our benefit.”
The Panthers have performed a masterful defensive sequence, not permitting a aim by any of the Oilers’ high 5 scorers, together with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They’ve blanked Edmonton’s heralded energy play — within the groups’ 5 conferences this season, the Oilers are 0-for-22 towards the Florida penalty kill.
After the Sport 3 loss, McDavid stated the Oilers are nonetheless looking for methods to interrupt by means of that protection.
“We have not beat them in three video games. We have had stretches which might be good, stretches which might be dangerous. Yeah, we’re making an attempt to determine them out,” he stated.
Tkachuk underscored that it is a whole staff effort to cease gamers like McDavid, the postseason’s main scorer.
“It is a simply very dedicated five-man effort on the market towards these guys. They’re very gifted gamers, and it’s a must to be [committed] towards these guys if you wish to have success,” Tkachuk stated. “As many offensive guys we now have on the staff, we’re defense-first staff and that is towards whoever is on the ice.”
However coach Paul Maurice cautioned that the margins have been slim within the first three video games, which reminded him of the Japanese Convention finals.
“It is just like the Rangers sequence for us in some methods. After the third recreation, we may’ve been up three or down three. There are simply too many good gamers with good alternatives to attain that you would be able to’t say one staff has a maintain on this,” he stated. “We have three [wins]. However from the bench, it is tight on the market.”
Middle Anton Lundell would not anticipate the Oilers to go quietly.
“They’ll give all the things they’ve, and we want to have the ability to give all the things we now have,” he stated. “It’ll be a fantastic recreation tomorrow.”