The Edmonton Oilers boast an 18-2 document in Video games 4 via 7 over the previous two playoff runs.
That’s no less than one thing the Oilers can hold their hats on after a dismal, unravelled efficiency in Monday’s 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Recreation 3 of the Stanley Cup Last.
Due to that shellacking, the Panthers — the defending Cup champions — maintain a 2-1 lead within the best-of-seven sequence heading into the subsequent conflict Thursday within the Sunshine State.
The excellent news for the Oilers is that Monday’s trouncing — wherein they had been the inferior crew in primarily all areas, particularly self-discipline — counts the identical as a nail-biting, additional time thriller. To their credit score, the Oilers have proven a superb potential to place a sport, win or lose, within the vault and transfer onward.
The issue is how the Oilers have performed on this sequence whereas wanting outclassed by Florida.
We’re not speaking about how Edmonton took a web page out of the Panthers’ playbook and Slap Shot script with the third-period shenanigans, or “making investments for the subsequent sport,” within the phrases of coach Kris Knoblauch. These antics had little bearing on Monday’s outcome and can have no bearing on what occurs going ahead.
There are different problems with concern whereas the Panthers prime for a repeat and achieve momentum.
For starters, defensive play and goaltending from Stuart Skinner have been points. Within the sequence opener, the Panthers scored three targets on their first eight photographs. Florida pumped residence three targets on the primary 15 photographs in Recreation 2 after which celebrated 4 targets on its first 15 photographs in Monday’s throttling.
As nice because the Oilers have been at flexing their offensive prowess, they have to do a greater job conserving pucks out of the web. Skinner, who obtained a mercy hook early within the third interval, can have a brief leash going ahead.
Right here’s one thing else to concern the Oilers: as superb because the scoring runs each Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand are driving, the Panthers maintain the higher hand regardless of captain Sasha Barkov failing to generate a single level and Matthew Tkachuk managing simply two second assists in three video games. If these two discover their offensive contact — akin to Sam Reinhart’s efficiency on Monday — this sequence could possibly be over very quickly.
Not that Edmonton’s dynamic duo was any higher on Monday. Whereas Connor McDavid — who’s and not using a aim on this sequence — managed simply a few photographs on web, Leon Draisaitl didn’t register a shot try, not to mention pressure Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to make a save. Everybody has an off night time, and it’s unlikely this might be repeated, however that is the mistaken time for these two to ship a dud, particularly with few others stepping ahead.
“Not our greatest in any respect,” McDavid mentioned of his crew’s efficiency. “I do not assume our greatest has proven up all sequence lengthy, but it surely’s coming. Shift the main target to discover a option to get a win in Recreation 4.”
The subsequent outing isn’t do-or-die for the Oilers, however it’s a mettle check for a membership that has posted a failing grade on this sequence in opposition to a defending champion set to pounce on one other championship at Edmonton’s expense.
