In the final series

Historic comeback! Are there NHL miracles now?

Edmonton equalizes in the series.(Bild: AP/JASON FRANSON)

After a historic comeback, the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers comes down to a showdown in Florida. On Saturday night, Edmonton won game six of the North American Hockey League (NHL) play-off final 5-1, becoming the third team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the series. The game will be decided on Tuesday night CEST in Florida.

"It's an incredible story, of course. But at the end of the day, it's about winning the title. I'm very proud that we've given ourselves this chance," said Germany's ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl. If it works out, a team from Canada would win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993.

"We've always gone on a winning streak this year when we've needed to. We believe in ourselves. And that unshakable belief keeps growing," said Edmonton forward Connor Brown. The last time there was such a comeback miracle in the NHL was in 1942, when the Toronto Maple Leafs went on to win the title.

Dominant from the start
The Oilers dominated game six from the start and recorded a shot ratio of 11:2 in the first period. One of these shots found its way into the opposing goal: after a strong pass from Draisaitl (21st assist in the play-offs), Warren Foegele scored to make it 1:0 (7th). Zach Hyman made it 3:0 shortly before the second break (39'). The third period was similar to the second: Florida went on the attack, Edmonton defended strongly and could rely on goalie Stuart Skinner. He only had to reach behind him once when Aleksander Barkov scored to make it 1:3 (42').

Three minutes before the end, the Panthers took goalkeeper Sergej Brobovsky off the ice. The Oilers took advantage of this and scored within twelve seconds through Ryan McLeod (57th) and Darnell Nurse (57th) to make the final score - there were celebrations at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Oilers won their fifth and so far last Stanley Cup in 1990, for Florida it would be their first success ever.