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Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterJun 12, 2024, 12:40 PM ET
CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
There’s a time and a place for everything. The Edmonton Oilers know this because they’ve spent quite a bit of time these playoffs going all over the continent, whereas the Florida Panthers have had a different experience.
A series that features the largest distance between two teams in a Stanley Cup Final (2,541 miles) is also one that has now become about time. Or rather, it has become about playing games in multiple time zones.
Game 3 on Thursday at Rogers Place in Edmonton will mark the first time this postseason that the Panthers have played a game outside the Eastern Time Zone. It’s a drastic contrast compared to the Oilers, who have played games in the East, Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones.
Florida’s run throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs saw the Panthers face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Edmonton, which plays its home games on Mountain Time, reached the Cup Final after facing the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.
“They are playing in every time zone plus the monstrous mileage,” said Jonathan Charest, the director of athlete sleep services and a behavior sleep medicine specialist for the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance at the University of Calgary. “I don’t think people appreciate what they are pulling off. From a research and scientific perspective, it’s incredible.”
THE OILERS’ PATH is not unprecedented. The Vegas Golden Knights have had a similar path twice recently. The pandemic-adjusted divisions in 2020-21 meant the Golden Knights (who play on PT), faced the Minnesota Wild (CT), Colorado Avalanche (MT) and Montreal Canadiens (ET) in that playoff run. Their Cup run in 2023 saw them play the Winnipeg Jets (CT), Oilers (MT), Stars (CT) and Panthers (ET).
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Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40326498/stanley-cup-final-travel-florida-panthers-edmonton-oilers
Author : Ryan S. Clark
Publish date : 2024-06-12 17:50:34
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