The Florida Panthers are one victory away from their second straight Stanley Cup.

 

If the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the final on Tuesday, they will have won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year. Following a great performance in Game 5 in Edmonton, they will get their first opportunity to win the franchise’s second championship at home. “It’s a great opportunity,” stated forward Matthew Tkachuk. “Our fans have given us so much love and support and momentum this year that they deserve this type of game at home.”The Panthers have won 32 of 50 games at their arena on the border of the Everglades since the first night of their title defence. They have the chance to defeat the Oilers at home thanks to their NHL record-tying 10-game winning streak on the road this season.

 

“We don’t really try to think where we are, where we play, but obviously it’s fun to be at home — have the home energy, have the home crowd, and be able to play in front of them,” Anton Lundell, our centre, said. “I’m sure it’s going to be a loud building, and we’re looking forward to it.” They gave up their first try on the road last year, then allowed two more to slip away before winning Game 7. Players think that going through that helped them prepare for what’s coming up. “Everything we’ve kind of gone through, we just have more experience, so you get a little bit more comfortable in the situation,” forward Evan Rodrigues explained.”Whenever you can gain experience and feel like the moment’s not bigger than it is, it helps and it helps the nerves and, yeah, you just go out and play your game.” According to captain Aleksander Barkov, the team should concentrate on the here and now. “Experience helps with that kind of stuff, but the most important thing is to stick with your game,” Barkov stated. “That’s the problem. Nothing needs to be changed on your end. All you have to do is be as good as you can. And we’ve had that mentality throughout the playoffs: You have to improve a little bit from the last game every time you play.”

 

The season of his squad is at stake when Stuart Skinner gets the call. With Edmonton facing elimination, the Oilers goalie will start on Tuesday, the sixth. After giving up three goals on 17 shots in the first period of Game 4, Skinner was substituted out. After taking over, Calvin Pickard made 22 saves to help the Oilers win 5–4 in overtime.The seasoned journeyman scored in Game 5 but gave up four goals on 18 shots as Florida defeated the Panthers 5-2, bringing them within one win of their second consecutive Cup title after defeating Edmonton in seven in June. The Oilers will also make two more lineup changes: John Klingberg will replace Troy Stecher on defence, while winger Kasperi Kapanen will replace Viktor Arvidsson. If needed, Game 7 would take place in Edmonton on Friday.