SUNRISE, Fla. — In under 24 hours, fans will be outside of Amerant Bank Arena cheering on the defending champs, hoping to watch them take a 2-1 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers.
Excitement levels for Panthers fans are high; it's been over a week since the Panthers last played a game here at Amerant.
WATCH: Florida Panthers in full practice mode at Baptist Health IcePlex
At practice today, players say leaving Edmonton is a great place and tell the best team will win this physically grueling series.
Sunday morning was the calm before the storm as the Panthers returned to the Baptist Health IcePlex.
While the Panthers would love to be up two games to none on the Edmonton Oilers, they know the Oilers are too hungry of an opponent for that to happen.
"These guys are the best players in the world. You know you're not going to shut them down. It's inevitable,” said left winger Brad Marchand.
He's right. The Oilers have one of the most potent offenses in the NHL, led by two of the game’s best in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
However, Marchand knows you can't stop the duo from scoring, but you must make it hard on them.
"It's just about how you can defend as a group and how you try to limit those opportunities. You don't want to make it easy or give them too many power plays or open looks, and you don't want to go four on four with them," said Marchand.
If the rest of the series goes like the first two Stanley Cup games, fans will be watching an action-packed, high-scoring hockey game.
It's a style the Panthers say they knew was coming.
"If you get pushed, you get pushed. That is what it is. Those guys have a knack for it. There's a couple of guys on every team who can do it, and they're some of the best in the league at it," said Austin Ekblad.
Through two games, this has been a high-scoring series that has been determined in overtime, and Head Coach Paul Maurice says this is shaping up to be a series for the ages.
"Both the teams are competing defensively; they're blocking shots, and they're back-checking. It's still a high-event game; I mean, that's some high-end skill,” said Maurice.
