SUNRISE – The historic watch party Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena started as a joyous get-together but the fans instead wound up watching a horror movie on the giant scoreboard.

Nearly a capacity crowd of 19,000 with most wearing their red Florida Panthers jerseys packed into the arena off the Sawgrass Expressway, swooped up the 10-dollar tickets and free parking. They dreamed of watching the Panthers win their first-ever Stanley Cup on the big screen in a game played 2,500 miles away in Canada.

However, history will have to wait. Thousands of fans stampeded despondently to the exits late in the second period after the Edmonton Oilers jumped to a 6-1 lead. The Oilers posted a gruesome 8-1 rout in Game 4 to avoid the first sweep in a Cup Finals since 1998.

As Patti Hofstrand of West Palm Beach headed to the arena doorways in the final minutes of the second period,  she said, “It would’ve been nice to do it tonight while they were in Canada, but we’ll be fine. We’ll come back.’’

Saturday’s empty ice will be filled Tuesday with Panthers and Oilers players as Game 5 will be staged here with Florida holding a 3-1 edge.

“Saturday night, you always want to get the sweep,’’ said Broward County’s Devon Kassal. “We were 3-0, had a lot of hope going in. But it’s hard to beat a team four times in a row. Now they got to come back here to South Florida Tuesday night.’’

The place rocked before faceoff and the beer flowed in the early going as in-house music blared.

Stanley Cup Final: Panthers fumble chance to sweep, Oilers dominate to force Game 5

To replicate a home game, the Panthers public address announcer, Andrew Imber announced the starting lineups as if they were on the Florida ice to massive cheers. The mascot Stanley C. Panther skated on the ice during some commercial breaks while the arena host, Gabby Allen, interviewed some fans.

When the audio from the telecast blared “Let’s Go Oilers,’’ the fans in Florida shot back, “Let’s go Panthers!’’ The Panthers girls dance team were on hand to add to the festivities.

But that enthusiasm dissipated soon enough as Edmonton took a 3-1 lead after one period. When it was 5-1 and the Panthers were penalized into a 5-on-3 shorthanded situation for roughing up Edmonton star, Connor McDavid with 8:05 left in the second period, the first trove of fans started their early escape. Star goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, had already been pulled early in the second period.

By midway through the third period, only about 2,000 remained.

One father in a red Panthers jersey, his face in a frown, ignored a reporter’s question completely about his thoughts about the night as he walked silently to the glass doors with his kids. His wife, Kathy, said, “He’s really sad.’’

A couple of hours before, it was a whole different vibe.

“The Panthers are going to win the Stanley Cup tonight,’’ North Palm Beach resident John Signorino said. “They’re all smart people to show up.’’

When asked if it could be better if Florida made history on the home ice, Signorino said, “It’s more fun to sweep the Oilers and humiliate them.’’

Later in the night, Signorino was still adamant the Cup will be brought to South Florida eventually.

“It will be amazing,’’ Signorino said. “The Panthers have been historically bad but the past three seasons they’ve been really good. This is the best team they’re ever going to have. They’re healthy and going to win the Cup whether it’s tonight or the next game.’’

Sophia Herrera, a 24-year-old from Miami, walked around the concourse between periods in her furry Panthers head covering.

“I think the turnout is amazing,’’ Herrera said. “It’s our season. We’ll turn it around. I would love it if they won here at home but if they had won in Edmonton, we could’ve still celebrated when they get back here.’’

Only four teams have ever come back from a 3-0 playoff hole – just once in the Cup finals (the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942). So the odds are still strong.

Before things got out of hand on the scoreboard, Christine Rogelle of Broward County,  “It’s very energetic, alive, electric. This is amazing. We’re here with a bunch of girls having a girls night.’’

A handful of fans with long faces declined to be interviewed on their way out into the parking lot.

Jonathan Harris, of Boca Raton, looked on the bright side. “It would feel much worse if we were down 0-3 than up 3-0,’’ Harris said. “But we wanted to be here for the experience in case they won. It didn’t happen tonight but we have three more chances.’’

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Panthers watch party spoiled by Edmonton Oilers onslaught