First period — 15:53
Panthers’ forward Carter Verhaeghe opens the scoring just over four minutes into the first period, giving Florida 1-0 lead over the Oilers.
First period – 20:00
And we’re underway! Again, chants of “Let’s Go Oilers” and “Let’s Go Panthers” clash with one another.
8:19 p.m. EDT / 6:19 p.m. MST
Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette is tonight’s anthem singer. The Grammy Award-winning musician sings the Canadian anthem first, joined by the Edmonton fans in attendance.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 24, 2024“>
“Pretty healthy mix of Panthers and Oilers fans here for Game 7,” Johnston said in his post.
7:22 p.m. EDT / 5:22 p.m. MST
Edmonton Police Service have asked fans to refrain from congregating near Rogers Place unless they’re attending the watch party.
“The fan parks have reached full capacity,” EPS said.
Edmonton Police congregate near Rogers Arena ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers on June 24, 2024. (Sean McClune/CTV News)
Pregame notes
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers go into Monday night looking to make history.
The Oilers, at one point down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers and looking dead in the water, managed to string together three wins and force a deciding Game 7 that, regardless of the outcome, will make history.
Follow CTVNews.ca for Game 7 updates throughout the night.
Edmonton is looking to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0, and the first since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to do so in the Stanley Cup Final.
The 27-year-old McDavid has been dominant throughout the Stanley Cup Final, scoring three goals and eight assists for 11 points against the Panthers. He leads the post-season in assists (34) and points (42), becoming just the third player in NHL history to hit the 40-point mark in a single playoff season.
The other two were Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
McDavid, who already broke Gretzky’s record for most assists in a single playoff season, is also five points away from tying “The Great One’s” record for most in a single post-season of 47, which he set in 1985.
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid breaks down ice during practice on June 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla., the day before taking on the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Another Edmonton player has made history this post-season. Defenceman Evan Bouchard broke Oilers’ legend Paul Coffey’s record for most assists by a defender in a single playoff season, now with 26.
The 24-year-old Bouchard, only in his third full NHL season, also became the fourth defender in league history to record 30 points in a single post-season. The other three are Coffey, Brian Leetch and Al MacInnis.