Obviously knowing a severe storm was coming, it's a curious decision that the Panthers didn't fly out of Florida earlier. In a follow up tweet, George Richard of The Hockey News said that Fort Lauderdale is experiencing flooding and serious drainage issues.
As of now, the plane still hasn't taken off, and has been delayed several times now. The storm is showing no signs of slowing down as of now, and with a 4+ hour flight to Edmonton, it's possible the Panthers could have their flight seriously delayed into the night.
The Flight was scheduled to leave shortly after noon today, but has now been delayed several times. The plane is now hoping for a 2:37 takeoff time, but that could be delayed as well.
This could end up being a serious obstacle to the Panthers players. Professional hockey players are notorious creatures of habit, and sitting in an airport for delayed flights through a storm is a serious disruption to their schedule. If they get into Edmonton extremely late tonight or even tomorrow morning, it could be a tough start to the game for the Panthers tomorrow.
Hopefully the Panthers have a safe flight to Edmonton, but this kind of delay in schedule could have real effects on the ice. On the other hand, it could give the Panthers some fun off the ice adversity to rally around. Regardless, game 3 in Edmonton is a must-win for the Oilers if they want a real chance to come back in this series.
POLL | ||
JUIN 12 | 330 ANSWERS Florida Panthers flight to Edmonton disrupted indefinitely by monsoon Do you think the delayed Panthers flight will have any affect on game 3? | ||
Yes, it will disrupt the Panthers routine | 93 | 28.2 % |
No, it won't disrupt them at all | 220 | 66.7 % |
See Results | 17 | 5.2 % |
List of polls |