Maybe the weather can slow down the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. It certainly tried.
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The Panthers, who hold a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers, were forced to sit on their flight to Game 3 for around three hours thanks to some heavy storms near Fort Lauderdale. Finally, they arrived in Edmonton at 8 p.m. locally — or about 24 hours before the teams were scheduled to take the ice.
Florida leads the best-of-seven series by a 2-0 count.
The Panthers weren't the only ones stuck on the ground. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reported delays and cancellations, as standing waters flooded runways and nearby roads.
Meanwhile, the Oilers got out of dodge shortly after their 4-1 loss in Game 2.
"We didn't like the idea of getting them up early enough [after Game 2] to get in at a reasonable time in Edmonton," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters before leaving Florida. "We did not see a value in it."
As an aside, Edmonton is in the Mountain Time Zone, and the Panthers haven't played anywhere but the Eastern Time Zone since a March 12 game at Dallas. That was two months ago, for those keeping score at home.
As ESPN noted: "Their playoff series leading up to the finals were contested in Tampa, Florida, Boston and New York. All road games in the final month of the regular season were in the east."
The weather nearly kept them there. Now, it will be entirely up to the Oilers to create some chaos, in what has become a must-win Game 3 in their home arena. Game 4 will also be held in Edmonton.
