Luongo to hype up Florida crowd before Stanley Cup Final Game 7

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The Florida Panthers have picked Roberto Luongo to lead a key pre-game ritual ahead of their do-or-die battle against the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

The former Panthers and Canucks goalie, and current Panthers staff member, has been selected to bang the team’s massive drum before tonight’s Game 7, per Fox Sports’ Andy Slater.

Luongo does not have the best Stanley Cup Final track record. The goalie was on the losing end of a terrible collapse by the Canucks during the final round of the 2011 playoffs, which included a 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7. They also blew a 2-0 series lead.

The Hockey Hall of Fame member could be on the losing side of another historic collapse tonight as his Panthers are on the edge of becoming the second team ever to blow a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. The first was the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942.

The prospect of losing two Stanley Cup Finals in such devastating fashion is a hard thing to imagine.

If the Panthers do win tonight, Luongo will become the first member of that 2011 Canucks team to claim the Stanley Cup.

The banging of the drum is a pre-game ritual the Panthers have introduced in recent years. They often have celebrities or other famous athletes get the crowd hyped with the drum.

Many big names have gotten the honour, including Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, during this Stanley Cup Final alone.

Tonight’s game starts at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET as the two conference champions battle for the ultimate trophy. It’s one of the biggest NHL games in recent memories, with a ton of intriguing storylines to follow, including the possibility of a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993.

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