The Oilers have been champions before, but not since 1990. They are playing for all of Canada, which invented this sport but has not won the Cup since 1993. And they have the widely regarded best player in hockey in Connor McDavid, who for all the hype and the nicknames (McJesus, The Chosen One, the Next Gretzky) has yet to lead his team to the coveted crown.

This will mark the 18th Game 7 in South Florida’s sports history played by the Miami Heat, Marlins or Panthers, and the 12th played at home. But this will be only the third Game 7 (all at home) with championship-or-bust stakes:

— October 26, 1997 – The then-Florida Marlins defeat the Cleveland Indians, 3-2 in 11 innings at what then was Pro Player Stadium, for the club’s first of two World Series trophies.

— June 20, 2013 – The Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 95-88, at the then-AmericanAirlines Arena, for the most recent of the club’s three NBA Finals trophies.

— Now, June 24, 2024 – The Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. Winner takes all. Loser takes a lifetime of regret.

The Panthers have skated through what might be the most daunting gauntlet in NHL postseason history to get this far: The rival and recent double-champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, the physically brutal Boston Bruins in the second, and a New York Rangers team that had the league’s best season record in the Eastern Conference finals.

Now it’s “McJesus” himself, the hockey god, Edmonton’s McDavid. Except he didn’t get on the scoresheet in this crucial Game 6. He had help. Plenty of it.

Now the Florida Panthers need that. Help.

Edmonton has all of the momentum in this Final entering Game 7, and the sport’s best player, and the nation of Canada rooting for an end to its championship drought at long last. Oh, and an impenetrable penalty kill that has stopped 46 of the opponents’ last 47 power play chances.

Florida, battered, reeling, has its arena, and its home fans, and once last chance to avoid historic ignominy.

Monday night will be momentous, and exhilarating, and terrifying and, for better or worse, something you’ll not forget.

Game 7.

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