EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Florida Panthers don't impress Shania Twain much despite leading the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final.
The legendary Canadian performer fired up the crowd outside Rogers Place prior to Game 4 on Saturday night and started a “We want the Cup!” chant among Oilers fans. It would take the team pulling off a comeback not made in the final since 1942 — the only time in NHL history it has happened at this stage and on only four previous occasions any time in the playoffs.
“How you guys feeling Edmonton?” Twain said between songs. “We are in the spirit of the Stanley Cup right here in Edmonton!”
Twain followed Lil Jon and Flo Rida from the games in Florida and the band Our Lady Peace earlier in the week outside Rogers Place. The Oilers are hoping to avoid being the first team to be swept in the Cup final since Washington in 1998.
Nothing to share
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was not forthcoming about lineup changes Saturday morning, hours away from his team facing elimination.
“Things are a little bit different, a little more at stake,” Knoblauch said. “In the regular season there’s not much reason to hide, er, keep anything secret. Playoffs are a little bit different. I’m going to have to make you wait.”
Neither Darnell Nurse nor Evander Kane skated Thursday when Edmonton held a full practice. Nurse played Game 3 after being injured in Game 2, while Kane was scratched for the first time all playoffs as he has been dealing with a sports hernia.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
