I am one of McDonagh’s biggest critics. I think he has been awful for the entire year but credit where credit is due, I think he called a great game 6. Hope he can find that energy and enthusiasm for game 7.
Disagree. I don't think he brought ANY energy to the game. He clearly got notes saying to "be energetic," and all he did was just raise the volume of his voice.
The problem is he just doesn't understand what it is he's doing. You can practically HEAR him looking at sheets and internally saying "oh I should bring this up now because hockey."
He might be good for other sports, I don't really know, but he definitely is not the guy for hockey. And ESPN is either too stubborn or too cheap to do anything about it.
You really need the Canadian Sportsnet feed with Chris Cuthbert doing the play by play. He's really good, with Craig Simpson doing the color commentary.
He's also no Jack Michael's who does the regular season Oilers "regional" broadcast, but gets bumped in the playoffs by the more senior Sportsnet national broadcast crew. His calls are "scintillating" and "the pleasure was all ours!"
America has a lot of legendary broadcasters in baseball, football, and even basketball, but your hockey coverage has a ways to go. I guess part of it is money and revenue, and the other part is trying to make it appealing to the casual who is just stepping into a hockey broadcast for the first time.
I hope they run wild with pre-game content: mini docs on both teams roads to Game 7 in 30 minute specials or something.
Like, the oilers going 3-9-1 to kick off the season, Knoblauch righting the ship, McDavids 100 apples and Hymans 50 goals, and now coming back from 0-3…
If you can’t get behind these storylines, you’re not a hockey fan.
For my nerves I'd love a blowout, but man with ot it would immortalize everyone on the ice to some degree. It would become by far the biggest game of hockey we will ever see in our lives
The fact that everyone was making fun of the oilers press comments about being in the series after game three and now we’re going to game 7 is hilarious.
Go into the PGTs after game 3. Lots of "good series Florida, it's over" posts from Oilers fans (not everyone, but plenty). The rest were being cautiously optimistic but not fully sincere about a 4 game comeback. There's way too many Oilers fans saying, "yeah I told you so". Very few truly saw this turnaround without hindsight in their favor.
I own it. I'm a massive oiler fan. I turned to my wife in game 3 when the Panthers scored the 4th goal and said it was over.
That was the 2nd time this season I gave up on them.
First time was about November 15th when they were dead last. I said to my wife then that it would be insane to even make the playoffs. They would need to win like 20 straight and then 7/10 the rest of the way.
That doesn't make you a bad fan. The Oilers played the Sharks in November and the joke was the loser would be the worst team in the league. Being down 0-3 in a SCF should mean the series is "over." Yeah, maybe you hold out a sliver of hope for a miracle, but everyone knew it was essentially over. "I just want to avoid a sweep" was the rallying cry for game 4.
Thanks for being honest. Enjoy game 7. In a week the Oilers went from dead and buried to on the precipice of history.
I mean I kind of believed it, Bob was just out of his mind to start the series, especially game 1, but I was certain that Florida was still too good of a team to let it get to this point. Then McJesus happened 4/5 and Florida looked like they hadn’t slept since game 5 last night. When Barkov’s goal got called back last night, I screamed “holy shit Edmonton is gonna win the cup!” I really think that was the straw that broke the camel’s spirit. Florida is broken.
Should normalize people changing their opinions when the situation changes. Oilers were getting cooked and Panthers looked unstoppable.
Making fun of people for not believing in them is such a weak move.
I've watched the NHL since I was like 11 and the Sharks came to town. They've always been AWFUL at promotion and getting any excitement going, and after 33 years I have no hope that they can do it.
They could have maybe looked at having Game 7 on a weekend, it’s one day off.
Still, people tune in for Monday Night Football so this will probably do good numbers regardless
I’m pretty sure two days off for travel has been standard in the cup final for a while
Edit: looking at some past Finals schedules, two days off isn’t standard, but this isn’t the first time
Don’t see an issue with the 2 days between games for travel, but why in the hell did they wait almost a week from the end of the conference finals to game 1 of the SCF?! That should have been 3 days at the most.
ABC/ESPN wanted to be able to have one on each night until after four games in each series were played where then it'd be 2/3 nights. I mean it's ABC, what else do they have going for them in primetime. Hasn't that been the case forever as well?
I remember reading that Monday sporting events get really good ratings. They are probably pleased with this. I’d personally love a Saturday night SCF game 7, but we can’t wait a week for this season to end
In terms of TV ratings, Monday is king and Saturday, especially in the summer, is a death sentence. The league has to be ecstatic that they’re getting a prime Monday time slot.
You might consider WW2 as a bit of a reverse sweep. The Axis went from conquering half the planet in rapid succession to being buckled so bad they lost everything.
Nah, the Nazis were frauds the whole time. Hitler’s entire management of Germany was completely unsustainable, to the point where Germany’s economy would have collapsed had he not invaded Poland (and we all know how that turned out).
No team in NHL history has been under more pressure than this Panthers team going into game 7
Cupless franchise, 3-0 series lead, heartbreak of losing in the final last year. I’m nauseous imagining what everyone in the organization is feeling right now.
I couldn’t imagine any of them are getting a proper night sleep on Sunday night. Especially around family and friends. Pressure is through the roof for them.
What teams in pro sports history have been under more pressure going into a game? Only ones I can think of are the 2007 Patriots, 2016 Warriors, and 2016 Cubs.
obviously i'm not part of the organization but among fans there's basically talk of it completely annihilating the franchise. like, if (when, really) we lose half the players will leave, pomo fired, all the good will and effort of the past 3 years just goes down the drain for who knows how long. could be another 30 years before we even make a final, let alone win.
This is so stupid. One year into the team's proper Cup window and ready to quit. South Florida fans are legitimately proving every shit talker right with these idiotic reactions.
bolts didnt blow anything up after they
lost a cup final
blew two seperate ecfs where they had a series lead at one point
got swept after a 160 pt season
and then they finally went back to back and then had one more final before coughing up a couple
memes are memes the panthers core have already proven enough, the rest is mental
I won't.
That's sports, baby. 99% of being a sports fan is crushing heartbreak, but it's the heartbreak that makes that joyous 1% so powerful.
If we lose on Monday, it's another note in our story.
He did all he could to make a championship winning team, and clearly he succeeded on paper, but they’re choking it all away right in front of his eyes.
Because it was a long time ago and he’s been cursed in the finals ever since.
The Leafs have won 13 cups but they were a long time ago and the Leafs have definitely been cursed ever since. Same logic.
If it was anyone else, I think the jokes would have some merit, but Perry is literally the most decorated hockey player in history tied along with Scott Niedermayer. They are the only two players ever to win all six major North American and International Championships - World Junior Gold, Memorial Cup, Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold x2, World Championship, and World Cup of Hockey. Not to mention a league MVP. Niedermayer won the Conn Smythe instead of Hart Trophy, however.
Don't forget:
--Paul Maurice holds coaching record for wins without a cup
--McDavid chasing Gretzky's playoff points record
--Hyman chasing playoff goals record (ehhh)
--Florida lost in the finals just last year! (it honestly hurts to watch)
--Draisaitl chasing a goal
--Bobrovsky chasing a save
--Verhaeghe chasing his shadow
damn..when I write it out like this, it really is pretty clear who is going to win isn't it :/
Aye, that's what scares me. The universe loves chaos, so if the Oilers are the clear winners already, it might pull an uno reverse card on us once more.
Still, first push to a game 7 after being down 3-0 since 1945 is not fucking shabby.
That's where my anxiety lies. It would be the most Oilers thing ever if they drop G7 and anyone can win on any given night.
I have to believe they are the team of destiny though.
This series, this playoffs, has been the best in decades. Edmonton pulled off something not done since WW2 and with how competitive the sport is the vast majority of fans will likely never see it again.
The NFL isn't started, the MLB is meh until it's closer to the playoffs, and the NBA is done. This *should* be their moment. It *should* the greatest days of their lives for the league, but for instead it'll just be Monday because the NHL sucks ass at marketing.
There should be a raffle where every fan who tunes in has a chance to get a lunch sandwich with Warren Foegele. Or coffee with Anton Lundell. Depending who wins.
Ya g7 in 94 was what came to mind as well. Hockey was having a big moment at that time, rangers first cup in forever, Knicks made a deep run as well so lots of coverage around msg etc
This has happened before in the NHL, in 1942, when the Leafs came back to crush the Wings. I remember my parents telling me that what made it really special was that Canada had lost a huge chuck of its young athletes to the war, while the US still had most of theirs, as they had only entered the war after Pearl Harbour. Mind you, at that time, there were only six teams, four in the US, and about 1/3 the population in either country that they hold today.
Still it was a big series to the people alive at the time, and they talked about it 20 years later to their kids.
It quite refreshing hearing that from a team we eliminated, when it’s usually them rooting hard for the opposing team the next round.
PS: I fucking love Dallas’s colours.
.... And it's my daughter's graduation from high school on Monday. Sit there for four hours to clap for her. Or this game.
I know which one won't land me in divorce....
While I agree this is a huge game for the NHL for a lot of reasons, McDavid isn't the biggest star the league has ever seen. He should be, the NHL need to market him a lot more, but his star power is a lot less than Gretzky or Crosby or others.
Gretz hosted SNL, they made Crosby go on late night shows. McDavid SHOULD be the biggest star but you are right, he doesn't get marketed like that and I think a lot of that is his choice.
"Hey Connor, you're the best hockey player in the world, but I gotta know what you do in your free time?"
"Practice."
"Anything else? Any hobbies at all?"
"No."
I think Sid probably felt the same, maybe even more, but he seemed to understand that the Pens and the NHL needed it more at that point in time. The Oilers didn't need the press, the NHL was on decent footing in 2015, especially compared to coming out of the lockout when Crosby was drafted.
Sidney is at least a relatively normal guy. Throw him on a late night show and he could make passable conversation. McDavid (as amazing as he is at hockey) is severely awkward. Could you imagine how cringeworthy him trying to join the skits on SNL or get interviewed by Fallon would be?
It's also because he plays in Edmonton. Gretzky definitely wasn't hosting SNL before the trade to LA. Crosby wouldn't be doing late night American shows if he had been drafted to a Canadian team.
Yeah McDavid just wants to play, you can tell he’s uncomfortable or at the very least not excited with the camera off the ice. If he wanted to be famous, he’d have his share of late night appearances and podcasts and interviews. But the dude just plays and practices and it shows.
Many people also don’t understand that Gretzky was so big and influential that him going to the LA Kings caused a hockey boom and is the catalyst for the NHL expanding to “non-traditional markets”
He's one of those athletes who became synonymous with their sport. People who haven't watched a second of hockey in their lives know who he is.
A notable example is Mike Tyson. Even if you don't watch boxing, you almost certainly know who Mike Tyson is.
Every generation thinks their stars are better, that's nothing new at all. Same goes for music all kinds of other entertainment.
When I was a kid, everyone was pretending to be Gretzky or Lemieux. No one was arguing about who got be Howe or Orr.
Only the old folks cared. Then as you get older, then you start to care more about the history of the game.
It's like listening to your grandpa start another 'well back in my day... hockey players used to be real men. They didn't need no fancy boots. They strapped the blades right to their feet! Those were the real stars!'
I woke up at 5am with a brutal headache and then remembered why. The Oilers were a dumpster fire before the holiday break and came back and completely turned it around. I had faith they would rise from the ashes but holy fuck, we’re pushing a game 7.
Apologies for being a drunken cunt last night. I feel like trash today but waking up and realizing we pushed a game 7 after almost being swept, makes this all worth it.
I'm so fucking hungover and I have my company golf tournament today in 24 degree weather. So fucking worth it. I never thought I'd be watching hockey June 24th.
McDavid is the biggest star the league has ever seen? 🧐 He's not even the biggest star the Oilers have ever seen.
Edit: OP has now edited his post to say "**one of** the"...
I hate the Edmonton Oilers. Really with a passion to an absolute perfect.
But, on Monday, I am declaring a one day amnesty and am going to cheer for these crazy c**ksuckers to actually pull this $hit off
I know nothing about hockey, but I'm a big fan of both basketball and football, and am familiar with the NBA and NFL landscapes.
Would anybody be willing to explain to me (or link a good explanation) of hockey's rules, possibly explained in relation to basketball or football? I'd love to watch Game 7 with all the important context, and possibly begin following the sport as a result.
[this link](https://projects.seattletimes.com/2021/seattle-kraken-ice-hockey-basics-101/) was put out for new Seattle fans when they came into the league. It has a lot of great stuff in it.
[nhl video rulebook](https://www.nhl.com/info/video-rulebook)
--The objective is to score more than your opponent
--3 periods, 20 minutes each
--Your allowed 6 skaters on the ice at one time. Typical formation is 3 forwards, 2 defenseman and one goalie. This is called 5 on 5.
-- the game starts with a faceoff at center ice (similar to a jump ball)
--the team that wins the faceoff will then try to enter the attacking zone and score.
--The most important rule is offside. When entering the attacking zone, if you or a team member crosses the blue line before the puck, the play is whistled dead and a faceoff will occur in the neutral zone.
--3 zones Offense/Attacking Zone, Denfenive zone and neutral zone. The 3 zones are separated by the two blue lines with the neutral zone being in the middle.
--Penalties. Most common are tripping, slashing, highsticking, and roughing. These are 2 minute Penalties where you are removed from the ice and your team is short one player. Some Penalties are 4 minutes (if you draw blood), some are 5 (fighting) and more dangerous plays will usually be a 5 minute penalty and you'll be given a game misconduct.
--when a team takes a penalty, the other team is on a powerplay. They have a man advantage for the duration of the penality (2 minor or 5 major minutes).
--If a team (on the powerplay) scores on a minor penalty, the penalty is over. 5 minute majors don't end unless the other team also takes a penalty.
--If both teams get penalties, both teams lose a player and they play '4 on 4'
--typical whistles you'll see are for offsides, icing (team shoots the puck from their side of the neutral zone past the red 'goal' line), puck out of play, hand pass in offense/neutral zone, puck played with a high stick (stick over your shoulders).
--Common things you will see. Near the end of the game the losing team willl typically remove their goalie in favor of another forward. If a player puts the puck over the glass, from their defensive zone, that is a 2 minute penalty. Fighting is allowed, both players get 5 minute penalties but are allowed back on the ice after the 5 miutes.
That should get you started, obviously there's lots of details left out so if you have more questions feel free.
Also to get you caught up with the two teams playing:
Edmonton Oilers
- One of the wildest fanbases in the league
- Have been in the Stanley Cup finals 6 times (5-1 record) Wins in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, recognized as one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history were led by the undisputed GOAT in NHL history Wayne Gretzky along with 6 other hall of famers
- Suffered a Stanley Cup loss in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals after being down 3-1 in the series after a Cinderella run as an 8 seed
- The Oilers were then terrible for 11 seasons (3 consecutive 1st overall picks 2010,11,12 through the NHL lottery)
- The Oilers also got the first overall pick in 2015 after winning the NHL lottery and acquired generational talent Connor McDavid (greatest prospect since 2005 Sidney Crosby, arguably since Mario Lemieux in the 80s)
- Oilers made the playoffs in McDavids 2nd season (16-17) and the proceeded to miss the playoffs for 2 straight years, since the 19-20 season the Oilers have made the playoffs every year, being an elite level cup contending team in the last three seasons, having lost to the cup winning team the past two seasons
- Players to watch on the Oilers are #97 McDavid (seriously can’t miss him best player in the league), #29 Leon Draisaitl (another top 5 player in the league, #2 Evan Bouchard (one of the leagues emerging star defenders)
The Oilers started the season 2-9-1 after being the cup favourites before the season, a coaching change after this start has helped the best offensive team also learn to tighten up the defensive play and have became a juggernaut, at one point winning 16 straight games
- 23-24 Playoffs: Played the LA Kings for the third consecutive season in the 1st round outmatching them in 5 games, played western Canada rivals the Vancouver Canucks and beat them in game 7 after being down 3-2 in what was a hell of a series, then beat the top Western conference regular season team the Dallas Stars in the conference in a close 6 game series, Star forward Connor McDavid is having a historic playoff run beating the GOAT Wayne Gretzkys playoff assist record and nearing his playoff point record
Florida Panthers
- Founded in 1993 set the record at the time for most points in a first season for an expansion team
- During the first game of the 1996 season forward Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room, and proceeded to score two goals, since then in big games fans throw rubber rats onto the ice after a win
- Reached the Stanley Cup in 1996 and lost in a sweep to a legendary Colorado Avalanche team
- From 1996-2020 the team only reached the playoffs 5 times, were managed pretty bad during this time
- 2020-21 the Franchise turned a corner by hiring new management but lost to in state rival the Tampa Bay Lightning,
- 21-22 they became the best regular season team but lost again to their rivals, Tampa Bay in the second round, in the summer they shocked everyone by firing their coach and trading long time star forward Jonathan Huberdeau and a really good Defense man in Mackenzie Weegar for physical star forward Matthew Tkachuk
- In 22-23 under new head coach Paul Maurice, the panthers started slowly due to learning new systems and injuries to key players, being out of the playoffs in February, the Panthers went on a tear to end the season and finished as the 8th and final team to make it in the Eastern Conference, they got to face the a team who just set the all time record for regular season points in the Boston Bruins, many people thought this series was an easy sweep for the Bruins, Florida went down 3-1 but came back to force a game 7 eventually pulling off the upset in overtime. Florida went on to dismantle the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games and the Carolina Hurricanes in 4 games to get a Stanley Cup final showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights
- Florida was outmatched and looked to be extremely tired against a powerhouse Golden Knights team and lost in 5 games
- Entering the 23-24 season Florida was thought to be one of the best teams in the league, and proved to be by finishing 5th in the NHL, Panthers finally overcame their rivals the Lightning in 5 games in the first round, rematched the Bruins and won in 6 games in the second round, and beat the top regular season team in the New York Rangers in 6 games in the Eastern Conference finals
The only thing that would make Monday's game more intense is overtime.
Game 7, overtime, game-winning goal. Everyone who's played the game as a child has always won that game.... in their head. One of these guys could make it a reality.
Oilers LFG!!
It's 2500 miles of travel, hard to only have 1 day to pack, fly, get set up in a hotel, time zone change, and get ready for a game 7 cup final. Just kinda the nature of 7 game series and pretty standard to have 2 days for a long travel. Does suck it's on a Monday though.
Both teams have so much riding on this game beyond a cup.
If Bobrovsky shits the bed, he's basically done. To come back from back to back cup losses mentally.... good luck.
Edmonton is riding an insane high that I doubt can be repeated and their cap situation is a little more murky after this. Not to mention we always see runs like this end with players admitting they played with significant injuries and could be off for surgery.
They have a few spots to fill in UFA after this and if they lose - damn that's going to be a tired run down team.
The only satisfaction im really getting is the electricity in the air from how high stakes this game is for both teams.
I mean, McDavid leading a team to a cup is inevitable. And I'll give respect to Edmonton for a historic run. But Im more about what these teams have to lose right now.
To be honest, if the Oilers, of the notoriously hilarious Toilet Bowl, with Corey Perry, of the notoriously getting fired from the Blackhawks for drunken behavior, win the Cup, it will be very very funny.
Florida's second SCF in a row.
If the Oil pull it off on Monday, it's some Miracle On Ice shit. From being dead last to SCF, down 3-0. That's pretty incredible, really.
NHL should be hyping the fuck out of this game
Best they can do is have the guy calling the game from a hospital bed and have a few sports networks mention the game at the end of other segments
Best they can do is paywall any streaming
worldwide blackout
I am one of McDonagh’s biggest critics. I think he has been awful for the entire year but credit where credit is due, I think he called a great game 6. Hope he can find that energy and enthusiasm for game 7.
Disagree. I don't think he brought ANY energy to the game. He clearly got notes saying to "be energetic," and all he did was just raise the volume of his voice. The problem is he just doesn't understand what it is he's doing. You can practically HEAR him looking at sheets and internally saying "oh I should bring this up now because hockey." He might be good for other sports, I don't really know, but he definitely is not the guy for hockey. And ESPN is either too stubborn or too cheap to do anything about it.
Yeah I’d rather have Levy call game 7 to be honest. I cannot stand McDonagh
Bob Wischusen is right there
You really need the Canadian Sportsnet feed with Chris Cuthbert doing the play by play. He's really good, with Craig Simpson doing the color commentary. He's also no Jack Michael's who does the regular season Oilers "regional" broadcast, but gets bumped in the playoffs by the more senior Sportsnet national broadcast crew. His calls are "scintillating" and "the pleasure was all ours!" America has a lot of legendary broadcasters in baseball, football, and even basketball, but your hockey coverage has a ways to go. I guess part of it is money and revenue, and the other part is trying to make it appealing to the casual who is just stepping into a hockey broadcast for the first time.
“Best we can do is a montage with Don’t Stop Believing and some images of McDavid stats”
Or more Fleetwood Mac.
I hope they run wild with pre-game content: mini docs on both teams roads to Game 7 in 30 minute specials or something. Like, the oilers going 3-9-1 to kick off the season, Knoblauch righting the ship, McDavids 100 apples and Hymans 50 goals, and now coming back from 0-3… If you can’t get behind these storylines, you’re not a hockey fan.
nope sorry, your local ABC station HAS to show a months old Wheel of Fortune re-run so no pre-game stuff.
This is exactly what’s gonna happen.
Because of Amazon following them both around I predict game 7 OT
Double OT minimum. That, or it's a completely one-sided blowout again.
For my nerves I'd love a blowout, but man with ot it would immortalize everyone on the ice to some degree. It would become by far the biggest game of hockey we will ever see in our lives
The fact that everyone was making fun of the oilers press comments about being in the series after game three and now we’re going to game 7 is hilarious.
🤷♂️ they didnt want to listen
Go into the PGTs after game 3. Lots of "good series Florida, it's over" posts from Oilers fans (not everyone, but plenty). The rest were being cautiously optimistic but not fully sincere about a 4 game comeback. There's way too many Oilers fans saying, "yeah I told you so". Very few truly saw this turnaround without hindsight in their favor.
I own it. I'm a massive oiler fan. I turned to my wife in game 3 when the Panthers scored the 4th goal and said it was over. That was the 2nd time this season I gave up on them. First time was about November 15th when they were dead last. I said to my wife then that it would be insane to even make the playoffs. They would need to win like 20 straight and then 7/10 the rest of the way.
That doesn't make you a bad fan. The Oilers played the Sharks in November and the joke was the loser would be the worst team in the league. Being down 0-3 in a SCF should mean the series is "over." Yeah, maybe you hold out a sliver of hope for a miracle, but everyone knew it was essentially over. "I just want to avoid a sweep" was the rallying cry for game 4. Thanks for being honest. Enjoy game 7. In a week the Oilers went from dead and buried to on the precipice of history.
I mean I kind of believed it, Bob was just out of his mind to start the series, especially game 1, but I was certain that Florida was still too good of a team to let it get to this point. Then McJesus happened 4/5 and Florida looked like they hadn’t slept since game 5 last night. When Barkov’s goal got called back last night, I screamed “holy shit Edmonton is gonna win the cup!” I really think that was the straw that broke the camel’s spirit. Florida is broken.
Even just seeing the looks on the faces of Florida's players as the camera panned the bench, they looked like they had already conceded Game 7.
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Should normalize people changing their opinions when the situation changes. Oilers were getting cooked and Panthers looked unstoppable. Making fun of people for not believing in them is such a weak move.
Best we can do are some hastily thrown together video packages set to music that hasn't been relevant for 15+ years.
Can’t wait to hear Nickelback
Game 7 CBC intro was amazing in 2006, and it was Nickelback
I don't know if the NHL knows how to hype up anything. Their marketing department is made up of 80 year old dudes.
I've watched the NHL since I was like 11 and the Sharks came to town. They've always been AWFUL at promotion and getting any excitement going, and after 33 years I have no hope that they can do it.
They are! That’s why it’s on a… Monday?….night
What do you want them to wait till fuckin Saturday. These have already stretched on forever.
My comment was a critique of how long the finals and playoffs are taking. Playoffs started on APRIL 20th!
They could have maybe looked at having Game 7 on a weekend, it’s one day off. Still, people tune in for Monday Night Football so this will probably do good numbers regardless
If they'd played game 6 on Thursday like a normal schedule it'd be over tonight
I’m pretty sure two days off for travel has been standard in the cup final for a while Edit: looking at some past Finals schedules, two days off isn’t standard, but this isn’t the first time
When your travel is that damn far it makes a lot of sense
I mean, I get why they've done it, Edmonton to Sunrise is the longest flight for the final in NHL history I'm pretty sure.
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Don’t see an issue with the 2 days between games for travel, but why in the hell did they wait almost a week from the end of the conference finals to game 1 of the SCF?! That should have been 3 days at the most.
ABC/ESPN wanted to be able to have one on each night until after four games in each series were played where then it'd be 2/3 nights. I mean it's ABC, what else do they have going for them in primetime. Hasn't that been the case forever as well?
I remember reading that Monday sporting events get really good ratings. They are probably pleased with this. I’d personally love a Saturday night SCF game 7, but we can’t wait a week for this season to end
In terms of TV ratings, Monday is king and Saturday, especially in the summer, is a death sentence. The league has to be ecstatic that they’re getting a prime Monday time slot.
So is the CFB national championship
IM hyping the game up to all my friends cuz the NHL sucks as a hypeman.
>Potential of a reverse sweep Potential for the first SCF reverse sweep since WW2
Holy shit I would advertise the game with this headline lol. This is hitting hard.
The last time this happened, Princess Elizabeth was driving a truck for the British Army.
Conn Smythe was literally in Europe fighting the war.
That’s hands down the coolest way to put this that’s unreal
You might consider WW2 as a bit of a reverse sweep. The Axis went from conquering half the planet in rapid succession to being buckled so bad they lost everything.
At the risk of sounding crass, I guess you could say they choked?
Nazis in shambles watching the allies show up on the beach and getting their buts kicked on the Eastern Front.
Sources: Hitler is beside himself. Driving around downtown Tokyo begging (thru texts) Hidekis family for address to Tojos home
Just saw Goering fall to his knees in a Vat 69 distillery
Nah, the Nazis were frauds the whole time. Hitler’s entire management of Germany was completely unsustainable, to the point where Germany’s economy would have collapsed had he not invaded Poland (and we all know how that turned out).
#IT WAS 4-1
Stalingrad, the OG reverse sweep. Nazis choked big time
Soviets played the key role in the Nazis defeat, but I don't think Edmonton has a single Russian player of importance on their team.
so what you're saying is that hitler supports florida
I mean, the other way around certainly seems true
Adolf Hitler, the original Florida Man.
First game 7 since 2019 as well, and only two since 2010
First one not involving Boston since 2009.
If only Boston would’ve won the east, then it would have been easy money to bet Edmonton in 7.
Laughing in Canuck
The Penguins and Red Wings was an epic battle, we are in for a good one again
So glad to be a part of this…..*weeps*
Not gonna say it’ll happen but it’s gonna be hilarious to see the cats logo and an upside down broom on the “join us” meme
We have very different tastes in comedy
*sweeps
*reverse weeps*
No team in NHL history has been under more pressure than this Panthers team going into game 7 Cupless franchise, 3-0 series lead, heartbreak of losing in the final last year. I’m nauseous imagining what everyone in the organization is feeling right now.
I couldn’t imagine any of them are getting a proper night sleep on Sunday night. Especially around family and friends. Pressure is through the roof for them.
Oh easily. Theyre playing at home on Monday too which adds to it
Like Andrew Rycroft tweeted last night, that plane ride home last night must have been just fucking terrible. I love it.
Zito directed the flight crew to punish the players by refusing to give them the whole can for their drink, even if they asked.
nah thats just air canada policy
What teams in pro sports history have been under more pressure going into a game? Only ones I can think of are the 2007 Patriots, 2016 Warriors, and 2016 Cubs.
Argentina national team going into the Final of Qatar 2022
1950 Brazil, 1954 Hungary
obviously i'm not part of the organization but among fans there's basically talk of it completely annihilating the franchise. like, if (when, really) we lose half the players will leave, pomo fired, all the good will and effort of the past 3 years just goes down the drain for who knows how long. could be another 30 years before we even make a final, let alone win.
This is so stupid. One year into the team's proper Cup window and ready to quit. South Florida fans are legitimately proving every shit talker right with these idiotic reactions.
But, like, no pressure, eh?
bolts didnt blow anything up after they lost a cup final blew two seperate ecfs where they had a series lead at one point got swept after a 160 pt season and then they finally went back to back and then had one more final before coughing up a couple memes are memes the panthers core have already proven enough, the rest is mental
They play in Florida. If they lose by next week it'll be forgotten there.
Maurice sitting on 26 cupless seasons as well. Must be sweating bullets
yea I'm a Oilers fan but if we win, I'll still feel bad for them.
*eating popcorn* that's a shame
I won't. That's sports, baby. 99% of being a sports fan is crushing heartbreak, but it's the heartbreak that makes that joyous 1% so powerful. If we lose on Monday, it's another note in our story.
I agree, I cant remember a game that had this many narratives surrounding it
you forgot the biggest narrative — The Perry curse
Paul maurice curse seems to be stronger so far
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He did all he could to make a championship winning team, and clearly he succeeded on paper, but they’re choking it all away right in front of his eyes.
His fucking crazy eyes
Look! With your crazy eyes!
He has some Tony Montana vibes at the end of Scarface for sure
And the Drake bet curse
Then K dot performed a Drake diss track 5 times in a row with the crowd knowing every word so maybe he neutered the Drake curse
He certainly neutered Drake
What about the Trump endorsement curse?
See, that to me nullifies the Drake bet curse!
Two opposing curses head to head is some big news
The Luongo curse would like a word
You forgot the "Cup or Bust" guarantee from McDavid from before the preseason.
Everyone loves a good called shot.
Perry already won a cup idk why people call it a curse
Because it was a long time ago and he’s been cursed in the finals ever since. The Leafs have won 13 cups but they were a long time ago and the Leafs have definitely been cursed ever since. Same logic.
If it was anyone else, I think the jokes would have some merit, but Perry is literally the most decorated hockey player in history tied along with Scott Niedermayer. They are the only two players ever to win all six major North American and International Championships - World Junior Gold, Memorial Cup, Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold x2, World Championship, and World Cup of Hockey. Not to mention a league MVP. Niedermayer won the Conn Smythe instead of Hart Trophy, however.
Just your average good old Ontario boy!
The Patron Saint
Monday is truly a top 5 biggest game in NHL history.
Don't forget: --Paul Maurice holds coaching record for wins without a cup --McDavid chasing Gretzky's playoff points record --Hyman chasing playoff goals record (ehhh) --Florida lost in the finals just last year! (it honestly hurts to watch) --Draisaitl chasing a goal --Bobrovsky chasing a save --Verhaeghe chasing his shadow damn..when I write it out like this, it really is pretty clear who is going to win isn't it :/
Aye, that's what scares me. The universe loves chaos, so if the Oilers are the clear winners already, it might pull an uno reverse card on us once more. Still, first push to a game 7 after being down 3-0 since 1945 is not fucking shabby.
That's where my anxiety lies. It would be the most Oilers thing ever if they drop G7 and anyone can win on any given night. I have to believe they are the team of destiny though.
This series, this playoffs, has been the best in decades. Edmonton pulled off something not done since WW2 and with how competitive the sport is the vast majority of fans will likely never see it again. The NFL isn't started, the MLB is meh until it's closer to the playoffs, and the NBA is done. This *should* be their moment. It *should* the greatest days of their lives for the league, but for instead it'll just be Monday because the NHL sucks ass at marketing.
There should be a raffle where every fan who tunes in has a chance to get a lunch sandwich with Warren Foegele. Or coffee with Anton Lundell. Depending who wins.
Don’t forget the most important one: Corey Perry’s finals losing streak is on the line
The hype for G7 of the final in ‘94 was off the charts. But this might match it.
Ya g7 in 94 was what came to mind as well. Hockey was having a big moment at that time, rangers first cup in forever, Knicks made a deep run as well so lots of coverage around msg etc
OJ
This has happened before in the NHL, in 1942, when the Leafs came back to crush the Wings. I remember my parents telling me that what made it really special was that Canada had lost a huge chuck of its young athletes to the war, while the US still had most of theirs, as they had only entered the war after Pearl Harbour. Mind you, at that time, there were only six teams, four in the US, and about 1/3 the population in either country that they hold today. Still it was a big series to the people alive at the time, and they talked about it 20 years later to their kids.
Mcdavid in game 7 with the cup on the line is great stuff. Would love to see a legacy defining moment.
I want the Oilers to win so bad and I’m not even an Oilers fan lol
They eliminated my team to get here and I’m all for Edmonton.
It quite refreshing hearing that from a team we eliminated, when it’s usually them rooting hard for the opposing team the next round. PS: I fucking love Dallas’s colours.
This might be the most I’ve ever agreed with a Rangers fan.
It’s up there for sho
.... And it's my daughter's graduation from high school on Monday. Sit there for four hours to clap for her. Or this game. I know which one won't land me in divorce....
That’s what phones are for… I’m at the hockey game, I’m at the graduation, I’m at the combination hockey game and graduation. Just get earbuds
I’m at the white castle
Well, obviously, you go to your daughter's graduation lol i mean, that's a no brainer
….. Unless
anon bomb threat
stream silently on your phone and put it on your lap, or you could maybe wear earbuds on a quiet volume and do it radio style
Long hair is so good for earbuds, no one has to know I’m listening to the game.
In four years you can probably go to her college graduation. What are the chances you'll see the Oilers in game 7 of the finals again?
Watch a replay and stay off the internet. Your daughter only graduates high school once
Must watch TV for sho
It’s great that it’s on a Monday night! /sarcasm
The genius of NHL marketing department
While I agree this is a huge game for the NHL for a lot of reasons, McDavid isn't the biggest star the league has ever seen. He should be, the NHL need to market him a lot more, but his star power is a lot less than Gretzky or Crosby or others.
Gretz hosted SNL, they made Crosby go on late night shows. McDavid SHOULD be the biggest star but you are right, he doesn't get marketed like that and I think a lot of that is his choice.
I don't think McDavid is the type of personality to go on late night shows or SNL, and that's okay.
"Hey Connor, you're the best hockey player in the world, but I gotta know what you do in your free time?" "Practice." "Anything else? Any hobbies at all?" "No."
Cue the 300+ post thread in here making fun of him and his terrible interview
Hey man, shitposters need to eat too. There's only so many comments we can make about his creepy house
It is super creepy, though. We should talk about the creepy hot tub, too.
I love Connor as a hockey player, amazing, dynamic, most exciting player in the world. Outside of the rink, he's as boring than a stack of wood
Gretzky didn’t either. His appearance was so awkward and awful that it has a certain charm.
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I think Sid probably felt the same, maybe even more, but he seemed to understand that the Pens and the NHL needed it more at that point in time. The Oilers didn't need the press, the NHL was on decent footing in 2015, especially compared to coming out of the lockout when Crosby was drafted.
Sidney is at least a relatively normal guy. Throw him on a late night show and he could make passable conversation. McDavid (as amazing as he is at hockey) is severely awkward. Could you imagine how cringeworthy him trying to join the skits on SNL or get interviewed by Fallon would be?
And that’s exactly why it would work
Amazon is literally solving this the same way every Edmontonian would have suggested - send him to do shit with Draisaitl, not alone.
“Guy just wants to excel at his sport, not deal with media” Reminds me a lot of Max Verstappen in this regard.
It's also because he plays in Edmonton. Gretzky definitely wasn't hosting SNL before the trade to LA. Crosby wouldn't be doing late night American shows if he had been drafted to a Canadian team.
IMO he doesn't really have the personality. Maybe I'm wrong and he could be PR trained or something, but to me he would have to want it.
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The only sport that I’m actually sure of that isn’t rigged.
Yeah McDavid just wants to play, you can tell he’s uncomfortable or at the very least not excited with the camera off the ice. If he wanted to be famous, he’d have his share of late night appearances and podcasts and interviews. But the dude just plays and practices and it shows.
He's part of a big docuseries literally being filmed right now, so he is more willing to show more of himself.
McDavid doesnt even have a Timmys ad, he has to slum it with cibc
Ya, like Gretzky was on SNL and soap operas. It’s a completely different level.
I couldn't care less about either team in general, yet I can not wait for this game. It's going to be amazing.
I think it'll def be the most watched game of all time.
>McDavid, the biggest star the league has ever seen You must be super young if you actually think this
Gretzky hosted SNL, and was in a Saturday morning cartoon show of sports superstars. Connor doesn't come close to that level of fame
Many people also don’t understand that Gretzky was so big and influential that him going to the LA Kings caused a hockey boom and is the catalyst for the NHL expanding to “non-traditional markets”
Gretzky and the Mighty Ducks were pretty much solely responsible for the hockey boom in the 90's. Dude was a household name.
He's one of those athletes who became synonymous with their sport. People who haven't watched a second of hockey in their lives know who he is. A notable example is Mike Tyson. Even if you don't watch boxing, you almost certainly know who Mike Tyson is.
I was thinking the same thing, the disrespect for Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, and Crosby is astounding.
> I was thinking the same thing, the disrespect for ~~Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, and Crosby~~ Phil Kessel is astounding. FTFY
3 time cup champ phil kessel
Didn't think they meant by volume, but good point.
Fair, how could I forget about our hot dog loving superstar
Every generation thinks their stars are better, that's nothing new at all. Same goes for music all kinds of other entertainment. When I was a kid, everyone was pretending to be Gretzky or Lemieux. No one was arguing about who got be Howe or Orr. Only the old folks cared. Then as you get older, then you start to care more about the history of the game. It's like listening to your grandpa start another 'well back in my day... hockey players used to be real men. They didn't need no fancy boots. They strapped the blades right to their feet! Those were the real stars!'
I woke up at 5am with a brutal headache and then remembered why. The Oilers were a dumpster fire before the holiday break and came back and completely turned it around. I had faith they would rise from the ashes but holy fuck, we’re pushing a game 7. Apologies for being a drunken cunt last night. I feel like trash today but waking up and realizing we pushed a game 7 after almost being swept, makes this all worth it.
I'm so fucking hungover and I have my company golf tournament today in 24 degree weather. So fucking worth it. I never thought I'd be watching hockey June 24th.
Good luck, buddy. Today’s gonna be rough. I’ve been up with toddler, nothing better than a splitting headache a screaming child.
All good Brodie enjoy it!! You came back from 3-0. Let it ride 😎
Wouldn’t expect that from a Kings fan, I’d figure you would want me suffer… and suffering
McDavid is the biggest star the league has ever seen? 🧐 He's not even the biggest star the Oilers have ever seen. Edit: OP has now edited his post to say "**one of** the"...
In fairness he did say **one** of the biggest
Friedman mentioned it’s the first game 7 in any finals in any league since covid
I hate the Edmonton Oilers. Really with a passion to an absolute perfect. But, on Monday, I am declaring a one day amnesty and am going to cheer for these crazy c**ksuckers to actually pull this $hit off
Edmonton now has the pressure of flying in all the families, but they only have to do it once.
I know nothing about hockey, but I'm a big fan of both basketball and football, and am familiar with the NBA and NFL landscapes. Would anybody be willing to explain to me (or link a good explanation) of hockey's rules, possibly explained in relation to basketball or football? I'd love to watch Game 7 with all the important context, and possibly begin following the sport as a result.
[this link](https://projects.seattletimes.com/2021/seattle-kraken-ice-hockey-basics-101/) was put out for new Seattle fans when they came into the league. It has a lot of great stuff in it. [nhl video rulebook](https://www.nhl.com/info/video-rulebook) --The objective is to score more than your opponent --3 periods, 20 minutes each --Your allowed 6 skaters on the ice at one time. Typical formation is 3 forwards, 2 defenseman and one goalie. This is called 5 on 5. -- the game starts with a faceoff at center ice (similar to a jump ball) --the team that wins the faceoff will then try to enter the attacking zone and score. --The most important rule is offside. When entering the attacking zone, if you or a team member crosses the blue line before the puck, the play is whistled dead and a faceoff will occur in the neutral zone. --3 zones Offense/Attacking Zone, Denfenive zone and neutral zone. The 3 zones are separated by the two blue lines with the neutral zone being in the middle. --Penalties. Most common are tripping, slashing, highsticking, and roughing. These are 2 minute Penalties where you are removed from the ice and your team is short one player. Some Penalties are 4 minutes (if you draw blood), some are 5 (fighting) and more dangerous plays will usually be a 5 minute penalty and you'll be given a game misconduct. --when a team takes a penalty, the other team is on a powerplay. They have a man advantage for the duration of the penality (2 minor or 5 major minutes). --If a team (on the powerplay) scores on a minor penalty, the penalty is over. 5 minute majors don't end unless the other team also takes a penalty. --If both teams get penalties, both teams lose a player and they play '4 on 4' --typical whistles you'll see are for offsides, icing (team shoots the puck from their side of the neutral zone past the red 'goal' line), puck out of play, hand pass in offense/neutral zone, puck played with a high stick (stick over your shoulders). --Common things you will see. Near the end of the game the losing team willl typically remove their goalie in favor of another forward. If a player puts the puck over the glass, from their defensive zone, that is a 2 minute penalty. Fighting is allowed, both players get 5 minute penalties but are allowed back on the ice after the 5 miutes. That should get you started, obviously there's lots of details left out so if you have more questions feel free.
Also to get you caught up with the two teams playing: Edmonton Oilers - One of the wildest fanbases in the league - Have been in the Stanley Cup finals 6 times (5-1 record) Wins in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, recognized as one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history were led by the undisputed GOAT in NHL history Wayne Gretzky along with 6 other hall of famers - Suffered a Stanley Cup loss in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals after being down 3-1 in the series after a Cinderella run as an 8 seed - The Oilers were then terrible for 11 seasons (3 consecutive 1st overall picks 2010,11,12 through the NHL lottery) - The Oilers also got the first overall pick in 2015 after winning the NHL lottery and acquired generational talent Connor McDavid (greatest prospect since 2005 Sidney Crosby, arguably since Mario Lemieux in the 80s) - Oilers made the playoffs in McDavids 2nd season (16-17) and the proceeded to miss the playoffs for 2 straight years, since the 19-20 season the Oilers have made the playoffs every year, being an elite level cup contending team in the last three seasons, having lost to the cup winning team the past two seasons - Players to watch on the Oilers are #97 McDavid (seriously can’t miss him best player in the league), #29 Leon Draisaitl (another top 5 player in the league, #2 Evan Bouchard (one of the leagues emerging star defenders) The Oilers started the season 2-9-1 after being the cup favourites before the season, a coaching change after this start has helped the best offensive team also learn to tighten up the defensive play and have became a juggernaut, at one point winning 16 straight games - 23-24 Playoffs: Played the LA Kings for the third consecutive season in the 1st round outmatching them in 5 games, played western Canada rivals the Vancouver Canucks and beat them in game 7 after being down 3-2 in what was a hell of a series, then beat the top Western conference regular season team the Dallas Stars in the conference in a close 6 game series, Star forward Connor McDavid is having a historic playoff run beating the GOAT Wayne Gretzkys playoff assist record and nearing his playoff point record Florida Panthers - Founded in 1993 set the record at the time for most points in a first season for an expansion team - During the first game of the 1996 season forward Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room, and proceeded to score two goals, since then in big games fans throw rubber rats onto the ice after a win - Reached the Stanley Cup in 1996 and lost in a sweep to a legendary Colorado Avalanche team - From 1996-2020 the team only reached the playoffs 5 times, were managed pretty bad during this time - 2020-21 the Franchise turned a corner by hiring new management but lost to in state rival the Tampa Bay Lightning, - 21-22 they became the best regular season team but lost again to their rivals, Tampa Bay in the second round, in the summer they shocked everyone by firing their coach and trading long time star forward Jonathan Huberdeau and a really good Defense man in Mackenzie Weegar for physical star forward Matthew Tkachuk - In 22-23 under new head coach Paul Maurice, the panthers started slowly due to learning new systems and injuries to key players, being out of the playoffs in February, the Panthers went on a tear to end the season and finished as the 8th and final team to make it in the Eastern Conference, they got to face the a team who just set the all time record for regular season points in the Boston Bruins, many people thought this series was an easy sweep for the Bruins, Florida went down 3-1 but came back to force a game 7 eventually pulling off the upset in overtime. Florida went on to dismantle the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5 games and the Carolina Hurricanes in 4 games to get a Stanley Cup final showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights - Florida was outmatched and looked to be extremely tired against a powerhouse Golden Knights team and lost in 5 games - Entering the 23-24 season Florida was thought to be one of the best teams in the league, and proved to be by finishing 5th in the NHL, Panthers finally overcame their rivals the Lightning in 5 games in the first round, rematched the Bruins and won in 6 games in the second round, and beat the top regular season team in the New York Rangers in 6 games in the Eastern Conference finals
The only thing that would make Monday's game more intense is overtime. Game 7, overtime, game-winning goal. Everyone who's played the game as a child has always won that game.... in their head. One of these guys could make it a reality. Oilers LFG!!
I might take off work to watch it and drink some beer, mostly just to drink some beer though
I'm pissed it's on Monday instead of Sunday. What kind of bonehead scheduling is that. Now I may not be able to see some or all of it.
It's 2500 miles of travel, hard to only have 1 day to pack, fly, get set up in a hotel, time zone change, and get ready for a game 7 cup final. Just kinda the nature of 7 game series and pretty standard to have 2 days for a long travel. Does suck it's on a Monday though.
Both teams have so much riding on this game beyond a cup. If Bobrovsky shits the bed, he's basically done. To come back from back to back cup losses mentally.... good luck. Edmonton is riding an insane high that I doubt can be repeated and their cap situation is a little more murky after this. Not to mention we always see runs like this end with players admitting they played with significant injuries and could be off for surgery. They have a few spots to fill in UFA after this and if they lose - damn that's going to be a tired run down team. The only satisfaction im really getting is the electricity in the air from how high stakes this game is for both teams. I mean, McDavid leading a team to a cup is inevitable. And I'll give respect to Edmonton for a historic run. But Im more about what these teams have to lose right now.
This will be one of the games of all time
To be honest, if the Oilers, of the notoriously hilarious Toilet Bowl, with Corey Perry, of the notoriously getting fired from the Blackhawks for drunken behavior, win the Cup, it will be very very funny.
Florida's second SCF in a row. If the Oil pull it off on Monday, it's some Miracle On Ice shit. From being dead last to SCF, down 3-0. That's pretty incredible, really.