The Edmonton Oilers have a second chance to win on home ice Saturday as they face off against the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final.
The Panthers can win the NHL championship in Edmonton if Connor McDavid’s Oilers don’t make a comeback from a three-game deficit in the series Saturday.
“We’ve got to get ready for a game, get ready for Game 4 and get a win — that’s all we can do,” said McDavid on Thursday after Game 3.
The game starts at 6 p.m. MT, and will be broadcast on CBC.
Despite the odds being against the Oilers, the team has not given up hope.
“Two of the three games probably could have went either way,” said Leon Draisaitl, after Thursday’s loss. “We could be up 2-1 right now, but that’s not the case. It’s not how this league or how this sport works, unfortunately.
“We’ve just got to find a way to dig ourselves out.”
Canadian music icon Shania Twain will serenade fans at a Festival at the Final concert series at the Scotiabank Fan Park outside Rogers Place. No tickets are required to view the performance, which begins at 4 p.m. Doors for game ticket-holders will open at 4:30 p.m.
The last time the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup final was 2006, when a game win saw thousands of fans spill into Whyte Avenue and riot. Oilers ultimately lost the series in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee, during an unrelated media event Thursday, said there will be a strong police presence to handle the Stanley Cup crowds.
“We’re optimistic that people are going to behave and if they don’t, then we’ll deal with it accordingly,” McFee said. “But we will definitely have a strong, visible presence.”
CBC Alberta will be broadcasting the Stanley Cup final action live, including a pre-game chat with fans on the CBC Alberta YouTube channel. The excitement will also be delivered on CBC Edmonton’s TikTok account, @cbcedmonton.