The Edmonton Oilers have mounted a remarkable comeback, staving off elimination for the third consecutive game in the Stanley Cup Final. On Monday, their 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 6 at Rogers Place sets the stage for a thrilling Game 7 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
This historic series has captured the attention of sports fans worldwide, including former NFL star JJ Watt.
Watt, known for his outspokenness both on and off the field, took to X to express his surprise at the desk setup for the Stanley Cup broadcast analysts. He tweeted:
"This desk setup remains baffling. It’s the Stanley Cup Finals… (Steve, Mess & PK are crushing it regardless)."
The tweet highlighted his surprise at what he perceived as a less-than-ideal setup for such a prestigious event.
The caption was along pictu͏re of Steve͏ Levy, Mark Messi͏er, and P.K. ͏Subban͏. Steve Levy is noted as the ͏an͏cho͏r for t͏he Stan͏ley͏ Cup Final broa͏dcast͏ with Mark Messier, a s͏ix-time Stanley Cup champion, and P.K. Sub͏ban, who reached the͏ Stanle͏y Cup Final͏ in 2017 with the Nash͏vi͏l͏le Predators.
Many fans took to X (formerly Twitter) with humor and agreement, noting the importance of the occasion and the oddity of the broadcast setup. One user quipped:
"They banned desk imports in Canada"
Another fan added a touch of humor with a witty remark.
"This is so Canadian it hurts"
Other fans also chimed in on JJ Watt's commentary:
"Looks like they grabbed one from the local habitat store," one fan said.
"The finals should be on TNT. ESPN coverage is horrible," another fan commented.
"There are MORE baffling things about this too...," one fan reacted.
"It does seem like a small desk," another fan said
"It's the most hockey thing ever!," one fan chimed in.
"They don't need fancy stuff, just good commentating," one fan pointed.
Watt is known for his NFL accomplishments, including three Defensive Player of the Year awards, which are only matched by legends such as Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor in football history. Watt's interest in the NHL's pinnacle event underscores the broad appeal of the Stanley Cup Final. He further expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming Game 7, tweeting:
"Game 7 Stanley Cup Final. No better words for sports fans. Let’s Go!!!"
This Game 7,͏ scheduled ͏at Amerant Bank ͏A͏rena i͏n S͏unrise, Florida, marks t͏he 18th in Cup͏ ͏Fina͏l history an͏d holds a unique distinct͏ion. It ͏features a team, the͏ Oiler͏s, that has rallied ͏from a 3-0 deficit for the fi͏rst͏ ͏time in 79 years t͏o compete͏ i͏n the ͏ulti͏ma͏te sh͏ow͏do͏wn for͏ the champ͏ionsh͏ip.
Edmonton Oilers stage historic comeback, force Stanley Cup final game 7
Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, Zach Hyman, and Ryan McLeod all found the net, supported by Darnell Nurse's goal, while Stuart Skinner turned away 20 shots. The Oilers' comeback bid now stands as historic, aiming to become the first team in 82 years to win the Stanley Cup after trailing 3-0 in the Final, a feat last achieved by the 1941-42 Toronto Maple Leafs.
With their third consecutive win, Edmonton has become only the third team in NHL history and the first since the 1945 Detroit Red Wings to force a Game 7 in the final after initially falling behind 3-0. Should they prevail in Game 7, the Oilers would join a select group as the fifth team ever to win a best-of-7 series in any round after dropping the first three games.
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