SPORTS TALK: Oilers remarkable run ends in heartbreak

By Greg Buchanan

Over the last two months, a love affair developed between hockey fans coast to coast and the Edmonton Oilers.

Whether right in the mix down at Rogers Place, out on the road in another country, watching the atmosphere at the Mosh Pit from afar, or downtown after a big win, every single moment was a gleaming showcase of what makes this fanbase so special and what sets this city apart from the rest of the league.

This run truly was something special, and on Monday night in Florida, it came to an end.

The crowd in Florida was very good, and the Panthers came out, which gave them a lot to cheer about.

We saw a Panthers team that was moving quicker and hitting harder than they have at any point this series. They recognized the moment, and the crowd really fueled them.

The Panthers got on the board early, but here's the beauty of this all coming down to one game: one moment can change everything and the Oilers took advantage of their first big moment and Mattias Janmark got loose on a breakaway and made absolutely no mistake.

The Oilers have been a wildly resilient team all season, and it's been well-documented. If there was any team that shouldn't be scared about facing a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period with the Stanley Cup on the line, it's this Oilers team.

Still, the nerves were there. The Panthers looked like their old selves, and the Oilers' big guns were being smothered.

The Oilers made a hell of a push in the third period, but they ended up one comeback short.

There were mad scrambles that didn't go their way. There were near misses that probably found a way to go in on most nights. It just wasn't going to happen tonight.

The Oilers couldn't get a sniff in the final 90 seconds, a comment on both their stars being absolutely gassed and Paul Maurice's smothering coaching style working to perfection and the rats poured onto the ice.

A remarkable run. An improbable, damn near impossible comeback on the biggest stage, and it ends in heartbreak.

We waited nearly two decades for a run like this, and it ends with heartbreak that we haven't felt in 18 years.

Much like 2006, we as a fanbase will look back on this run and find so many positives.

The emergence of Phillip Broberg. Games 6 and 7 against the Canucks. The Nuge game in Dallas. Winning the Western Conference at home. Three straight Stanley Cup Final wins.

But for now? Nothing but pain for a fan base that "Wants the Cup."