Here we are then, winner takes all. Before the series began I predicted Florida in 7. Got the '7' right, although it probably hasn't panned out the way I expected. But will it be the Cats?
Has to be different mental approaches from the two teams. Oilers are riding the wave, and just have to keep their momentum going, playing the way they have been in the last week and believing as they have done all along that the summit of the mountain they're climbing, however steep it's been, is now within reach. Whereas Florida simply have to forget about the last few games, as hard as that may be, forget that they've blown a 3-0 lead, and treat this as just one game where it's do or die for both teams. They know they can beat Edmonton, just as they've beaten all other comers this year. The Cup is in the house, so go get it.
I'll stick with my original pick. I think Florida can steady the ship and pull out one last big effort on home ice. But what I'd prefer to see, and what is surely the bigger and more exciting story, is McDavid hoisting the Cup and the Conn Smythe (which he may well get regardless), cementing his greatness, capping the most remarkable come back, ending three decades of Canadian pain and putting the Oilers back on top of the hockey world.
For a contest featuring two teams who have no real shared history, one of which is very much in a non-hockey market, this has turned out to be quite a series and a solid win for the NHL in terms of drawing wider interest. Looking forward to seeing how it ends!
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