Nerves, anxiety, frustration surround Panthers fans ahead of Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final

SUNRISE — It’s often said the two greatest words in sports are “Game 7.”

For Florida Panthers fans, who once watched their team lead the Stanley Cup Final series against the Edmonton Oilers, 3-0, those sound like the two worst words in sports right now.

The Panthers lost their third straight in the series, 5-1, in Game 6 Friday night in Edmonton. Fans at about a two-thirds full Amerant Bank Arena took it in at a watch party that was anything but a party as the Oilers took command from the start and the one bit of momentum the Panthers appeared to gain was snatched away by an offsides penalty in the second period.

Now, it all comes down to a Game 7 back in Sunrise on Monday night.

The Panthers faithful is a combination of devastated, preparing for impending doom and nervous, but still with some hope and understanding their dreams of watching this team hoist its first Stanley Cup is there for the taking.

“You’re in euphoria land, and after the 8-1 loss (in Game 4) it’s downhill from there,” Panthers fan Nicholas Iliopoulos said Friday night. “I’ve never witnessed a momentum change like this in a playoff series in my life. It’s kind of wild to see.”

“Nerves,” said John Benedict, a fan for all 30 years and season-ticket holder the last 18. “If they get behind Monday night, they’re going to be in trouble, just like (Friday) night.”

Said Jeremy Jackson, 25: “I’ve been coming to Panthers games since I was probably 4 years old. I’ve seen them lose many games in my life. But this is probably the worst string of losses they’ve ever had in their history.”

But optimism still surrounds the most dedicated believers, like Isaac Abreu, who had a rubber rat hanging from a big chain he wore over his Aleksander Barkov jersey Friday.

“We’ve been through the struggle,” Abreu said. “We know how to play under pressure. I believe in them. I have not once doubted them. I believe that they have it. They just have to play how they came into the series. Play with speed. The Oilers have the speed the entire game. It’s what’s been killing us the last three games.”

Some fans are crossing South Florida sports history and fandom in determining their emotions.

“This is tough,” said Irv Lustig, who was born and raised in South Florida and remembers watching the undefeated 1972 Dolphins before moving to New Jersey and back.

“As a Dolphins fan, you get used to these collapses, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s South Florida; it’s a disease.’ But then you remember last year, when the Heat went up 3-0 and then they won Game 7 in Boston. So you never know.”

There’s worry from the fan base the Panthers may become the first team in 82 years to blow a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida looks to avoid the fate of the 1942 Detroit Red Wings, who fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“You play Game 7, you’re at home, you should close the deal,” Ray Martinez said. “If they don’t, it’ll be the biggest choke job in 82 years. And (coach) Paul Maurice should be questioned.”

Some, like Lustig, purchased Game 7 tickets upon exiting Friday’s watch party — a pair of $2,000 club seats for him.

Abreu also made the call to attend Monday night.

“If they win it here, it’s going to be unbelievable. I’ll shed a tear,” he said. “I’ve already said it: I’m getting the Stanley Cup tattooed on me.”

When the Panthers found themselves down two goals early in the second period, they appeared to get within one. The arena erupted with its patented horn blaring, but a collective groan followed when the Barkov goal was nullified by an offsides call.

“That was horrible,” Martinez said. “It’s 50-50, if there’s no replay, you can’t do that. It got called a goal on the ice. I think that there wasn’t enough clear evidence there to overturn it. That was a bad call.”

“Shouldn’t have been overturned. It’s too close to call,” said Hank Ruppel, a fan since 1996 who took in Game 6 wearing an Olli Jokinen jersey.

Benedict countered it looked like the right call.

Down 3-0 by the start of the third period, a Barkov goal that did count gave observers some life at Amerant Bank Arena, but as time dwindled down on Game 6, the Oilers scored twice more on an empty net to put the Panthers away.