They tried so onerous and acquired to this point, however ultimately, the Edmonton Oilers and their followers have been left with a way of déjà vu.
For the second 12 months in a row, Edmonton misplaced within the Stanley Cup last to the Florida Panthers, extending Canada’s three-decade lengthy drought.
The Panthers defeated the Oilers 5-1 on home ice, to secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise historical past.
“Misplaced to a very good group,” a muted Oilers captain Connor McDavid stated after the Recreation 6 in Florida with a shrug of defeat. “No person give up. No person threw the towel in… They’re a heck of a group.
“They’re Stanley Cup champions again to again for a cause.”
Some 4,100 kilometres away in downtown Edmonton, a hush fell over the packed crowd within the Moss Pit watch celebration outdoors Rogers Place area, because the clocked ticked down and the rating remained too far aside.
Dejected followers who had positioned such excessive hopes on their group patted one another on the again, consoled each other with hugs, and commenced clearing out early and quietly.
“We put all of it on the ice. It was good,” stated Taygen Mercier. Her good friend Jordyn Soucy feels Edmonton ran out of fuel early.
“I believe we had extra momentum final 12 months – this 12 months, we had numerous ups and downs,” Soucy stated.
Regardless, each girls stated they’re very happy with each the group and Edmontonians.
“It’s our metropolis — we’re proud to dwell right here, we’re happy with our boys,” Mercier stated. Soucy agreed.
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“That is the most effective a part of Edmonton, the most effective half about being in Alberta — the most effective time of the 12 months by far. There’s nothing like downtown in Edmonton in playoff season.”
Publish-game, it was a sombre scene within the Moss Pit after weeks of gatherings outdoors the world introduced collectively passionate followers from all walks of life, united by one frequent purpose.
“I believe it’s cool for the town — like, everyone’s sort of tied collectively,” stated fan Tyler Burns. “No person cares about backgrounds or something or the place you’re from, so it’s a reasonably cool, good expertise right here.”
Regardless of the loss, many followers noticed the intense aspect to the marathon that’s the quest to the Stanley Cup last.
“The town was so alive,” stated fan Yasmine Soufli. “This sport, this playoffs actually introduced Edmonton collectively.
“All of us, it felt like a group, and I’m so happy with how linked this group turned, it meant the world, and we must always have gotten the cup.
Followers far and broad tuned into the sport.
“Win or lose, each member of the Edmonton Oilers ought to maintain their head excessive. Was one heck of run!” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated on social media.
“Alberta is happy with you and also you’ll be again combating for the Cup once more quickly!”
The Oilers are the primary group to lose consecutive finals to the identical group because the Boston Bruins fell to the Montreal Canadiens in each 1977 and 1978.
The final time a Canadian group gained hockey’s most coveted trophy was in 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens introduced it north of the forty ninth parallel.
Canadian groups have had their possibilities at ending the curse. They’ve appeared in seven finals since 1993, together with the Oilers beforehand in 2024 and 2006, however none have been capable of finish the nation’s prolonged Cup lockout.
Groups within the U.S. Solar Belt have gained it 5 of the previous six occasions — 4 of them in Florida.
Burns and his good friend Ben Hilliar suspect the lack of Zach Hyman, who dislocated his wrist in Recreation 4 of the Western Convention last and was completed for the season, damage the group within the finals.
“Dropping him was horrible. We actually wanted him,” Hilliar stated.
“Hyman was sort of the one bodily participant we had on the group for some time there, particularly towards Florida final 12 months, he was the one one who might play their sport and never get penalties,” Burns stated.
“Dropping him was fairly heartbreaking.”
The Oilers will now return to the drafting board and see if their proficient solid, together with superstars McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, can take one other shot at main Edmonton to its first title since their dynasty days led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and others.
Edmonton took the Stanley Cup residence 5 occasions between the 1983-84 and the 1989-90 seasons.
“I’ve been an Oilers fan for years they usually had good efforts, they’d good video games in the course of the season. I gained’t neglect all these good moments and I nonetheless give them credit score as a result of they tried their greatest,” stated fan Crystal Tremblay.
“All we will do is hope for subsequent 12 months.”
— With information from The Canadian Press
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