Edmonton Oilers fans hopeful ahead of Stanley Cup final rematch with Florida Panthers

Edmonton Oilers fans are once again living the dream, but hopes are high that this year comes without the nightmare ending.

The Oilers completed a backdoor sweep of the Dallas Stars on Thursday — losing the first game of the series then winning four in a row — to punch their second straight ticket to the Stanley Cup final.

Standing between the Oilers and glory are the Florida Panthers, who came out on top against the Oilers last year to win their first Cup in team history.

"I'm not nervous at all," Oilers fan Nikolina Maljevic said outside the Oilers' home arena of Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton Friday afternoon.

"I think they're ready for this."

Arena staff were seen bustling about to make sure Edmonton's Ice District surrounding the rink was also ready for the rematch.

The fan park was getting a power wash while racks of T-shirts and other merchandise were being loaded into the official team store, though restocking efforts were interrupted by fans, including Maljevic, stocking up.

"I got some amazing stuff," Maljevic said, showing off two jackets from the brand owned by the wife of Oilers captain Connor McDavid, as well as a team T-shirt she got for her father.

While Game 1 on Wednesday will surely see a sell-out crowd in Edmonton, thousands more will flood the area outside the rink, dubbed the "Moss Pit" out of respect for the late and beloved team equipment assistant Joey Moss.

Maljevic said her family's game-day traditions mean she'll be cheering on from home.

CBC News Network's Heather Hiscox speaks with Oilers super fans Pete Lilly, Jake Lilly and Luke Lilly.

"My family's a bit superstitious," she said, adding that no new faces are allowed inside so as not to throw off the winning formula of family watching