Huw Mills and his wife had to pinch themselves as they made their way to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., Monday.
“It’s mind blowing,” said Mills, who’s been a fan of the Panthers since moving to Florida from the U.K. last summer. “Everyone knows the Stanley Cup. Everyone knows it’s the biggest cup you can ever win.”
The excitement has hit a fever pitch for both Florida and Edmonton fans, even after the first game left the Oilers down one in the series.
“They played well,” said Oilers fan Andre Gaoiran in Florida. “You can do all the right things and still come out not on the right side of the outcome.”
“That’s life. And you have another opportunity to play the game and we’re going to take this series.”
WATCH | Oilers fans in Florida hoping for a Stanley Cup final series split tonight:
CBC Edmonton’s Sam Samson reports live from Sunrise, Fla., ahead of the second game of the Stanley Cup final, where the Oilers and their fans are hoping for a series split against the Panthers.
Nadir and Shalina Rajan, Oilers fans who travelled from Edmonton for Game 2 are also eager to see the Oilers hoist the trophy for the sixth time in franchise history.
“They deserve it, and we all deserve it as a city,” Nadir said.
Dressed in Panthers gear ahead of puck drop were Canadian expats Elizabeth Sena, her son Lucas and daughter Isabel Sena.
Lucas, 7, who plays goalie, gushed about Panther goalie Sergei Bobrovsky‘s Game 1 shutout.
“Bobrovsky is his favorite player, so I’m wearing a Florida T-shirt,” said Elizabeth. “But in my heart, I’m going for the Canadian team and it’s the Oilers.”
Puck drop for Game 2 between the Panthers and Oilers is set for 6 p.m. MT.