Florida Heat

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Even if two teams play brilliantly, only one wins. There will always be someone who falls second. Even if it’s barely second in a game that goes into overtime. (Overtime is something we can talk about later— life sometimes feels like an OT. You are exhausted, but still in the game, fighting for your life).

But back to second place— there are ways to lose. You can lose with excellence, with humility, and you can also lose spiraling.

This year’s Stanley Cup Final is a rematch between last year’s final two. The Florida Panthers (reigning champs— reign red), and the Oilers who have forced a do-over.

If you watched the Panthers and Oilers game last night (6.9.25), then you witnessed an Oilers team that lost while spiraling. The score was Florida 6-1. The game was a stop-and-go between batches of penalties from both sides. What was obvious was that a lot of penalties were initiated by a very emotional Oilers team.

The announcers called the Oilers “responsive.” The announcers are also huge Oilers fans and have stated their bets, so what are they going to say?

If you have been here for even ten minutes, you know I am a Floridian who is rooting for the Panthers. I believe they are undeniable. And I will say this— if you listen to the Panthers’ postgame, the Panthers are gracious and humble. They say the other team played well and keep saying their focus is on the next game. (That’s why we cheer for these guys. Class). It was also Coach Paul Maurice’s 1,000th game win. When asked about it, the Coach simply said there are people much better than him, and he moved on. Another class act.

I am not a pro-Oilers announcer or a classy Florida Panthers player— so we are gonna break this down for what it was— a sore loss.

Yesterday, you would think, would be a dream for any hockey fan who loves a good fight like I do. The fights abounded. You know what, though? It wasn’t interesting. Why? The fights lacked discipline. The penalties were not a result of assertive forechecks that made sense. These were petty moves. It was like the players were throwing a tantrum. Let’s call it for what it was— they were mad at the score, and instead of collecting themselves, they slapped guys in the face with sticks and put them in headlocks. Unhinged.

Florida is like the Florida heat. It’s hot and sticky like molasses. It spills all over you. There is no escaping it. It gets on everything. You are annoyed at first, but then, before you know it, it’s a part of you. It makes you resistant. It seeps so deep into you, once there, it never leaves. The heat is a slow steady roast. For the Floridian, it feels sweet like home. For the stranger, it feels like scorched hell.

The Panthers played with heat and scorched the rink last night. The Oilers were acting like they had been attacked by mosquitoes on a hot Florida porch night, and they were slapping their frustrations out on the ice.

The Oilers allowed the Florida players to seep under their skin, and they got burned like a spring break gone wrong at Daytona Beach. They ended the game with a stung-by-a-jellyfish level of shock

There is a proverb that says: “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

Last night’s game was not about a team that was simply reactionary, as the overly botoxed commentators want you to think. No, what we saw was a team that had no control over its emotions. It was an undisciplined and entitled team who figured that if they can’t win the game with excellence, they will try and injure players on the other side to win by default.

If you apply the principles to real life, that is a dangerous game to play. It’s one you always lose.

There are still games left to play. We don’t know what will happen next. Hopefully, the Oilers can gather themselves in this break and bring us a less unhinged game. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to see them lose. All I am saying is their fans and opponents deserve better. They deserve better. They should go down fighting the right way.

Oilers should beware. Florida heat can be dangerous. If you aren’t ready for it, it will leave you shocked and riled. 😉 I think they got a taste of it.