Speaking as a guy who would have gotten a few days off if the Florida Panthers had closed out the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, I normally wouldn't say I'm super psyched that they're heading back to Alberta.

But based on how we got here, how can you not be psyched that they're heading back to Alberta?

The Edmonton Oilers looked cooked. Dead in the water. Ready to be a footnote in history as the only team in the cap era to get swept in a Cup Final.

But then Edmonton dropped eight on Florida in Game 4, and that was nice. Gave the hometown fans a fun atmosphere that just a few days earlier had been funereal. At least gave the Panthers something to think about.

But the opinion was still largely that, okay, the Panthers got smoked but would probably put it behind them, pull it together to close it