“We know what they’re about. It’s nice to get a shot at getting some revenge,” said Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl. The German forward’s Oilers offensive line buddy, Connor McDavid, likes their chances this year. He said that their journey to the final has been “Smooth and steady,” compared to last season. However, after two hard-fought games that went to overtime, Game 3 saw things swing in their opponent’s favor.

The Oilers handled the Cats to pull off a win in Game 1. However, things got a little dicey for the Oilers in Game 2. “Well, tonight it was puck execution. I know our passes weren’t sharp. We gave away a lot of pucks,” Kris Knoblauch said after the double overtime loss. Unfortunately for Edmonton, things only got worse in Game 3. The Florida Panthers dominated the challengers, winning the game 6-1. And with an opportunity at a unique record, went out the window.

What’s that record, you ask? Well, TSN Pierre LeBrun revealed it just ahead of the pivotal game. “Only once in NHL history has the first three games of the Stanley Cup final all gone to OT, back in 1951 (Habs-Leafs). Can Oilers-Panthers join that historical mark tonight?” wrote the hockey insider. Unfortunately, after forcing both Game 1 and 2 to go into overtime with late equalizers, the Edmonton Oilers failed to join that exclusive club 74 years later.

Ironically, LeBrun himself hoped the third game wouldn’t go into overtime. That was despite posting about the historical record. “With an 8:20 pm ET puck drop and a post-game column to write, I’m hoping not!” added the TSN columnist, and he got his wish. However, what he didn’t mention was that the 1951 Stanley Cup final between Toronto and Montreal saw more than three OT games.

In fact, all five games of that series went to overtime. The Maple Leafs won Games 1, 3, 4, and 5 to win the ultimate prize. Thankfully, this series is already red-hot. The fans are witnessing players create some other unique records. Take Brad Marchand, for example. He just became the oldest NHL player to score in the first 3 games of a Stanley Cup Final. That being said, there’s a different long-standing record that the Edmonton Oilers are desperate to break.

The Edmonton Oilers want to break a long-standing curse

While this one hasn’t lasted as long as 74 years, it’s safe to say the Oilers and every other Canadian NHL team hope it ends this year. What am I referring to? Well, it’s the 32-year-old wait for Canada to see the Stanley Cup return to a great hockey nation. The last time a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup was when the Montreal Canadiens won the ultimate prize on June 9, 1993.

They defeated the LA Kings in a 4-1 dominant display to hoist the Stanley Cup. What’s more? That year, the Canadiens took down two more American teams, the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Islanders, on their way to the cup final. However, the wait has been even longer for the Edmonton Oilers. While it’s far from the 58-year wait Toronto is on, they last won the cup in 1990.

So the Edmonton Oilers are determined to take the Stanley Cup back to Canada and avenge last year’s loss. And you can see the anticipation of the Canadian hockey community in the things they’ve done before the final kicked off. Take the ‘This is our Ice’ initiative, which delivered ice samples from six different hockey stadiums across Canada to Rogers Place.

It was a gesture of unified support for the Edmonton Oilers’ quest for that elusive Stanley Cup. “When the puck drops at Rogers Place for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Canadians across the country can claim this is our ice,” said Rogers’ chief brand and communications officer for the initiative, Terrie Tweddle, ahead of Game 1. Unfortunately, the Game 3 blowout was a serious blow to the Oilers’ ultimate goal that they must recover from in Game 4.