The fascination of sports comes from the drama and excitement of watching athletes break barriers, push limits, and get the better of their opponents. Sports provide a welcome escape from the mundane and monotony of everyday experiences, and provide an exceptional atmosphere in which one can be immersed in the feeling of belonging to a wider community.

The stakes are sometimes very high, and the uncertainty of the outcome creates an air of anticipation that few other situations can equally parallel. Last Monday night (June 24), Game 7 of the National Hockey League (NHL) Finals provided one such situation for which, whatever the result, the outcome would have been historic.

The Florida Panthers crowned themselves champions at the end of an epic seven-game series, with a 2–1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. That hard-fought win came nine days after the Panthers were leading the series 3-0, and it appeared they would sweep the Oilers to capture their first-ever hold on the Stanley Cup, but it was not to be, at least not in that manner.

The series started on June 8 with Florida shutting out their opponents 3-0, then won the next two games 4-1 and 4-3, respectively, with Game 3 being played in Edmonton and the Oilers appearing undermatched. However, with their backs against the wall, the Oilers ripped through the Panthers’ defence in three consecutive games to even the series 3-3.

By all indications, the series had turned on its head, as Edmonton outscored Florida 18-5 in Games 4, 5, and 6 (8-1, 5-3 and 5-1) after Florida held an 11-4 advantage through the first three games. The Oilers are the first team to draw the final level after falling behind 0-3 in the series since the Detroit Red Wings achieved that feat in 1945, but the only team to complete a comeback and win from 0-3 down in the NHL Finals were the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.

Last Monday, the Oilers were in search of their sixth title and first since 1990, while the Panthers were seeking their first hold on the coveted trophy. Additionally, there was the opportunity to end Canada’s three-decades-long Stanley Cup drought and, therefore, history was in the making whichever way the chips (or puck) fell.

Having blown three opportunities to close out the series in the three games prior, the Panthers took the early initiative in Game 7 and landed the first blow on a Carter Verhaeghe goal in the first period. However, not to be outdone, Mattias Janmark scored the equaliser less than three minutes later, ensuring that this Game 7 of the final — unlike all 17 of the previous such games — wouldn´t end 1-0. However, that was the only time Edmonton got the puck past Panthers’ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 23 saves in Game 7.

Sam Reinhart scored what would be the decisive goal in the second period and, with the Panthers having an NHL-best 44-0-3 entering Monday when leading after two periods this season, they managed to stave off relentless waves of attack from the Oilers in the third period to register their first hold on the NHL’s ultimate award, the Stanley Cup.

In a historically familiar twist, Oilers star Connor McDavid was declared the Most Valuable Player and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy after recording three goals and eight assists in the Stanley Cup Final, becoming just the sixth player — and second for a non-goalie — from the losing team to win the honour.

As stated in the opening, the language of sports is universal. It teaches teamwork and resilience. It instils discipline and dedication and is best summed up by the words of South African leader and former President Nelson Mandela, “Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire.” He added, “It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”

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