Panthers seek first Stanley Cup, flirt with historic collapse in Game 7

No matter what, the Florida Panthers will make history Monday night.

Why it matters: A win would mean the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup.

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Yes, but: A loss would make Florida the second team ever — and the first in more than 80 years — to blow a 3-0 series lead in the final.

Catch up quick: After beginning the series against Edmonton with a shutout victory, the Panthers cruised in Game 2 and won a hard-fought Game 3.

• On the precipice of a championship, they took an 8-1 thrashing by the Oilers on the road in Game 4.
• The team looked outclassed in the next two games, including on home ice in Game 5. Now, the series comes down to Game 7 at Amerant Bank Arena.

Flashback: The only reverse sweep in Stanley Cup Final history came in April 1942, with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming back from the brink against the Detroit Red Wings.

• FDR was president. The U.S. had recently entered World War II. And a big-band song by Glenn Miller topped the charts.

The Lansing State Journal's headline on the Red Wings' collapse. Photo: Newspapers.com

To avoid joining those Red Wings in hockey infamy, Florida needs to rediscover the confidence and control it showed throughout the playoffs.

Seeking a hero: The Cats have sorely lacked on offense as the series turned against them. They'll need better play from captain Aleksander Barkov and forward Matthew Tkachuk.

• Sergei Bobrovsky, the team's usually stout goalie, has struggled mightily during the three-game slide. They need a shutdown performance Monday.

The other guy: Oilers center Connor McDavid has been near-unstoppable, with a goal and three assists in Game 4 and two more scores in Game 5.

• He enters Game 7 as the 35-to-1 favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Stress level: Judging by online videos, Panthers fans are somewhere between distraught and clinging to cautious optimism entering the Game 7 showdown.

What they're saying: Meanwhile, the players and coaches emerged from a "lengthy" meeting after Friday's loss proclaiming confidence, per ESPN.

• "We need to get ready for the Game 7," Barkov said. "Obviously, no one's happy to lose the game, but that's it. We know we can get better, and we need to get better."

How to watch: Going to Game 7 at Amerant will cost you more than a grand per seat.

• But you can watch from home — where no one can see you squirm — at 8pm on ABC or ESPN+.