‘We have belief:’ Edmonton Oilers back from the brink as Stanley Cup Final set for historic Game 7

When history is on the line no matter what the outcome, a game becomes more than the sum of the minutes played, it becomes more than a sporting occasion. In the words of Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, it becomes “everyone’s dream.”

When history is on the line, a game becomes more than the sum of the minutes played, more than a sporting occasion, it becomes a story. In the words of Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, the Stanley Cup Final has become “everyone’s dream.” The Edmonton Oilers have come back from the brink, igniting imaginations and creating a unique chapter in NHL history. Three times they have staved off potential elimination from the championship, and now here they are, from 0-3 down in the best-of-seven series to 3-3 and with the momentum ahead of Game 7 on Monday in a winner-takes-all, winner-makes-history tie. “Game 7, so everyone’s dream, and that’s why we need to be ready for Game 7,” Barkov told reporters. A 5-1 victory over the Panthers on Friday has turned this season’s finale into an unlikely tale with everything now on the line for both teams. “It’s crazy,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said after the game, while teammate Leon Draisaitl described it as “a (heck) of a story so far.” A victory for the Oilers would not only end Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought, but make Edmonton the second team – the first being the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942 – to win the championship from 0-3 down, completing one of the greatest comebacks in sport.