June 24, 2024 by Ryan Lotsberg

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Few words can elicit the emotions of hockey fans quite like those particular words. One game with the hardest trophy to win in all of sports on the line. Jubilation awaits one side, and the agony of defeat lurks for the other. The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will play a Game 7 in their Stanley Cup Final series this year.

Monday’s Game 7 at Amerant Arena in Sunrise is the first Stanley Cup Final Game 7 since 2019 when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden in Boston. Let’s take a closer look at the Game 7 histories of this year’s combatants.

Panthers

The Panthers have only played in three Game 7s in their franchise’s history. They have a 2-1 record in those games. The Panthers are 2-0 on the road in Game 7s, but they are 0-1 at home.

Their first came in the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 1, 1996. John Vanbiesbrouck made 39 saves in a 3-1 win for the Panthers. Petr Nedved tied the game at one for the Penguins with a powerplay goal early in the third period, but Tom Fitzgerald scored the game winner and Johan Garpenlov added an insurance marker to send the Panthers to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

Their second Game 7 came on April 26, 2012. It was the deciding game in the first round series between the Panthers and Adam Henrique’s New Jersey Devils. The Devils had a 2-0 lead entering the third period, but Stephen Weiss and Marcel Goc scored in the third frame to tie the game at two. The game would require double overtime, and it was Henrique that played the hero that night, sending the Devils on to the second round. Martin Brodeur made an impressive 43 saves for the Devils, while José Theodore made 30 saves for the Panthers.

The Panthers’ most recent Game 7 came in last year’s first round against the Bruins. It was a back and forth affair. The Panthers got a 2-0 lead thanks to a first period powerplay goal from Brandon Montour, and an even strength goal from Sam Reinhart in the second period. However, the Bruins scored three straight goals to give them the lead early in the third period. Montour forced overtime with his second goal of the game with one minute left in regulation time. Carter Verhaeghe scored the overtime winner to complete the Panthers’ comeback from their 3-1 series deficit.

The Panthers have never played a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. That will change on Monday night.

Oilers

The Oilers have played in twelve Game 7s in their history. They have an all-time record of 8-4 in Game 7s. They have a record of 4-1 in Game 7s at home, and a record of 4-3 in Game 7s played on the road.

The Oilers have played the Calgary Flames in three Game 7s. The provincial rivals faced each other in the 1984 Smythe Division Final, which the Oilers won. Their Game 7 in the 1986 Smythe Division Final was the game in which the infamous Steve Smith incident occurred. The Oilers beat the Flames in the Smythe Division Semi-Final in 1991 as well.

Wayne Gretzky broke the hearts of Oilers fans in the 1989 Smythe Division Semi-Final, as if his leaving town the previous summer didn’t cause Oilers fans enough pain. Gretzky recorded three points in a 6-3 Kings win. The Oilers would have to wait until 2022 to exact Game 7 revenge on the Kings. Connor McDavid came up with a highlight reel goal to seal a 2-0 Oilers win in Game 7 of the first round of the 2022 playoffs.

The year after Gretzky broke their hearts, the Oilers faced the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of the Smythe Division Semi-Final. The Oilers won that by a convincing score of 4-1.

Who could forget Todd Marchant dashing down the right wing to score the overtime winner in Game 7 of the first round of the 1997 playoffs? That was the first of their two straight years with first round Game 7 wins in the late 1990s. They beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 in Game 7 of the first round in 1998.

McDavid’s Oilers have played in two other Game 7s besides the first round in 2022. They made it to Game 7 of the second round against Corey Perry and his Anaheim Ducks in 2017. Perry assisted on Nick Ritchie’s series winning goal in the third period of that Game 7. Their other one came this year. They defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2 in Game 7 of the second round. The Oilers had a 3-0 lead in the third period, but they let the Canucks back in the game thanks to a furious third period rally.

Related: Oilers vs Panthers: Recent Game 6 history

The Oilers have played in two Game 7s in Stanley Cup Finals. They have a 1-1 record in those games.

Their first came in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers. The teams exchanged goals in the first period. Jari Kurri scored the Stanley Cup winner for the Oilers, and Glenn Anderson provided the insurance marker in a 3-1 victory.

The Oilers’ most recent Stanley Cup Final Game 7 came in 2006 against the Carolina Hurricanes. That game also ended in a 3-1 score, but not in favour of the Oilers. The Cinderella run of the eighth seeded Oilers came to an end in Game 7 Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission. Fernando Pisani scored a minute into the third period to give the Oilers hope, but Justin Williams got an empty netter with a minute and one second left to seal the Stanley Cup for the Hurricanes.

Wrap

It’s certainly fitting that this series is going the distance. The Panthers and the Oilers are both tremendous hockey teams. They have both been tested in Game 7s in recent seasons. The hockey in this series has been incredibly entertaining, and I’m expecting Game 7 to offer more of the same. If nothing else, this run down of historical Game 7s is a fun way to reflect on the past and to build excitement for the game, as if it needs anything else to add to its excitement.

Game 7s don’t happen all that often, and it’s truly a special occasion when your team gets to play in a Game 7, especially in the Stanley Cup Final. Enjoy the game. Appreciate every single second of it because it might be a long time until it happens again.