According to the tweet, the Panthers
flight was delayed several times before finally taking off, not due to land in Edmonton until Wednesday night. The Oilers, however, landed Tuesday, giving them an extra day in Edmonton before game 3 on Thursday night.
The decision to leave one day later is a puzzling one from the Panthers perspective. The team must have had some idea there was a storm in the region, so why delay the flight an extra day? The Panthers will also have to deal with the time change from Florida to Edmonton, and now they only have one night to make that adjustment.
The Oilers are certainly poised for a hot start in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, as the extra night of rest at home should give them fresh legs in the first period against the presumably tired Panthers.
The 2024 finals is unique in that it is the farthest distance ever between finalists, making the Panthers decision to wait an extra day even more confusing, but only time will tell what game 3 has in store for both teams.
