Why the Edmonton Oilers Can Only Win Close in the Finals
These Stanley Cup Finals have been weird, to say the least. The Florida Panthers, facing the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of the 2024 Finals, are only up three games against Edmonton’s two. One can say “only” because both of Edmonton’s wins were in overtime. Florida’s three wins have been by a combined 16-7. This includes a 5-4 win in two overtimes in Game Two, but also includes two blowouts in Game Three’s 6-1 win and a Game Five 5-2 win. Edmonton’s two wins, however, have only been by a combined 9-7. This includes a 4-3 Game One win and a 5-4 Game Four win. Both wins have been with a single overtime each. These observations have put into question Edmonton’s stamina, defensive effort, and goalie efficiency.
The Issue with Edmonton’s Stamina
The Oilers simply cannot keep up with the Panthers, at least not consistently. Edmonton has won under the squad’s belt, proving the Oilers can at least win, but surpassing the Florida Panthers in regulation has yet to happen in the series. In addition, getting off to a hot start is not Edmonton’s strong suit in this series. At the end of each first period in this series, Edmonton has only been ahead one time out of five games. At the end of Game Two’s first period, Edmonton was up 3-2 but would lose that game. That being said, sometimes Edmonton can harness the energy needed to catch up to the defending champions. Take Game Four for a good example. After Florida ended the first period up 3-0, Edmonton scored three unanswered goals in the second period to eventually win 5-4 in overtime. However, going to an overtime period would not have been necessary if Edmonton had performed better in that first period. Stamina, however, has not been Edmonton’s only issue.
The Issue with Edmonton’s Defense
The Edmonton Oilers have allowed 23 goals in five games. This is, for lack of a better word, awful. Given the offensive output by Edmonton has allowed the Oilers to put in 16 goals in five games, an acceptable amount in most circumstances, the attention must be brought to Edmonton’s defense and goalie work. Given Florida’s high scoring in this series, the defense needs to step up. The talent is there, with Mattias Ekholm returning to the ice for the Stanley Cup Finals after being out for nearly the rest of the playoffs. To Edmonton’s credit, their defense has consistently allowed for substantially fewer shots than the Oilers have attempted on the Panthers. With Edmonton having such masterful shooters as Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, and Leon Draisaitl, it’s tough for any team to outshoot the Oilers. Stamina plays hand in hand with defense, and the Panthers getting good shots in, to begin with, on such a regular basis is a key sign that the Oilers need to step up on defense.
The Issue with Edmonton’s Goalkeeping
Goalkeeping for the Oilers has been an issue all playoffs, yet they’ve been able to outscore opponents until now. While regular starter Stuart Skinner has had moments of brightness across the playoffs, he has also had games where he’ll allow five or even six pucks to get in the net each game. This inconsistency has allowed for a 7-6 playoff record this run in games, and Stuart stays in during most of the ice time. This is where typical backup Calvin Pickard comes into play. In games, Pickard stays in during most of the ice time, and the Oilers are 7-1. However, Calvin also has plenty of games where he allows plenty of pucks to go into the net, having four games where he allows upward of four goals each game. In just the Stanley Cup Finals series, Skinner is 1-2 in games where he stays in during most of the ice time, meanwhile, Pickard is 1-1 in that same regard.
How Edmonton Can Start To Dominate
The Oilers are down 2-3 in the Stanley Cup Finals, but making a comeback to take Lord Stanley to Canada after a long drought of Canadian victories is certainly doable. To accomplish this, Edmonton needs to improve on defense and goalkeeping and bring consistency to their stamina. They can improve on defense by being more alert to Florida’s key scoring opportunities. The Oilers can improve on goalkeeping by consistently starting Calvin Pickard. They can bring consistency to their stamina by playing with the fire of a comeback in their heart, as well as aiming to outdo the Panthers rather than keep up. It will be seen soon if Edmonton can make these improvements, and if these improvements can bring the Oilers the Stanley Cup.
