The Florida Panthers are anticipating Game 7
The cliche that Game 7 are “best words in sports’’ did not apply to the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
But now that it is here, well, they need to “embrace it,’’ as coach Paul Maurice said Saturday.
The Panthers held a stranglehold on the Edmonton Oilers not too long ago, taking a 3-0 series lead.
A week ago, the Panthers were talking about bringing the Stanley Cup home from Edmonton.
Today, they are a loss away from not only seeing the Oilers win it, but becoming part of perhaps the biggest collapses in sports history.
Maurice said Saturday that his team is not only not thinking in defeatist terms but are actually looking forward to the opportunity a Game 7 presents.
“Embracing that is the key to it,’’ Maurice said. “Feeling positive about and feeling excited about it, and that’s coming. Both teams get that opportunity to feel fired up. Game 7, Stanley Cup Final, it is set for every young man’s dreams. Nobody ever dreamt about a Game 4 overtime winner. It’s always Game 7.’’
Maurice said Saturday that there is no reason to look to the past, nor harp on how his team has played in these three losses to the Oilers.
Since going down 3-0 to the Panthers, Edmonton has not only not trailed a single minute of the next three games, but they have outscored Florida 18-5.
“I’m not concerned about the past at all,’’ Maurice said. “Our plan is set. It started last night after the game. Met this morning, did video, do the same tomorrow, get ready to play. I know it’s 3-3. The concern of the previous three games certainly didn’t affect Edmonton and it won’t affect us.’’
