Panthers player has tense answer to media, showing nerves before Game 7
Having blown the 3-0 series lead and forced into a Game 7 in the Cup Final, all the pressure is on the Florida Panthers tonight, and one media answer from Kevin Stenlund showed the tension in the team right now.
Stenlund was asked if he's leaning on the experience of Vladimir Tarasenko who has played a Game 7 of the Cup Final, and Stenlund quickly shot it down.
STENLUND: «Not really. We all know how to play the game.»
It was a layup question for Stenlund, and it's strange to see a player avoid such an easy answer. Usually a player would at least pretend to value the experience of a Cup Champion veteran teammate, but instead Stenlund, with only 206 NHL games, says he knows what it takes to win a Game 7 of the Cup Final.
Plenty of fans online also felt like it was a strange, tense, and overconfident response from Stenlund. For a team that's just lost the last three games and on the brink of the biggest collapse in NHL history, this answer gives a peek into the Panthers team attitude right now, and it doesn't seem great.
In the final moments of Game 6, the broadcast cameras panned by the Panthers faces, and it looked like doubt was beginning to truly sink in for the team.
Tonight may be one of the most significant NHL games played in the history of the game, if the Oilers can complete the comeback and bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time in 31 years. Hockey fans, and even non-hockey fans, will be locked into tonight's game, with many hoping for McDavid's Oilers to make history.
Source: Greg Wysyhnski on X
Kevin Stenlund answers question on Tarasenko's experience.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 24 | 304 ANSWERS Panthers player has tense answer to media, showing nerves before Game 7 Do you think this answer shows the Panthers are already tense and nervous before Game 7? | ||
| Yes, they're clearly doubting themselves | 221 | 72.7 % |
| No, they're at their best and can still win | 60 | 19.7 % |
| See Results | 23 | 7.6 % |
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