SCF: Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers (Series Tied 3-3) Hold onto your butts, Game 7, Monday 8/24 @ 8pm ET !

[Leonardo87]

**Stanley Cup Final**
Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers

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[AwesomeInTheory]

For all the complaints about the officials, the power play time in this series favors Edmonton, and that's even after they threw a giant hissy fit down late in game 2 and started belly flopping our goalie in game 3.

I commented elsewhere that I'd be real curious as to how the officiating has been for the Oilers throughout the entire playoffs. Feel like they've led a more or less charmed life simply with the Soucy suspension and dodging a suspension for Drai.

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

Yes, with that core of AHL defensemen Bob would be lit. You have 3 NHLers and 3 fringe AHLers at the blue line and one is somehow making in it to the bank with 9.25 mln salary. Desharnais who?

Vincent. His name is Vincent.

 

[HANK30]

Every year Canadian hockey fans complain that one of their teams hasn't won the cup in decades. But when a Canadian team gets to the SCF they always play like crap. I expected much more from Edmonton.

 

[dhfa]

No, he's saying that Edmonton had it easy and that's why the SCF is 3-0 right now.

I'm not sure I agree. Dallas is a great team and Vancouver, even with a fourth string goalie, was a very good team as well.

They got a banged up Dallas team that already played 2 teams that would have beat the Oilers. Just a shame the good series happened in the earlier rounds. Anyway the cats still probably win it all but I think different seeding would have made this finals more entertaining

 

[tfwnogf]

I was curious to see what Oiler fans thought were the issues and a bit surprised to see that Skinner is taking most of the heat on their board.

Maybe he's just a useful punching bag, but I'd only blame him for 1 goal last night. Meanwhile their offense has dried up but and their D continues to be extremely porous.

Skinner isn't completely to blame but he panics a lot and looks really shaky. I don't blame him as he's playing for his childhood favourite team in the cup final, but sometimes he reacts like a gun went off when the puck is near him. The defense hasn't helped him much. How many times has the puck come from behind the net right to a florida player who shoots it in with ease. Where are the defenders to break up these plays? You see Mcdavid trying things from behind the net and Florida stifles him. It's night and day compared to Edmonton.

The amount of space Florida gets in front of Skinner means he often doesn't have much help. I think every player in Edmonton deserves some blame. To pin it all on Skinner isn't fair, but the team doesn't look confident with him in net.

 

[MCR74]

The Eastern Conference sucks, Florida only played bozos.
You can't handle McDrai.
Something something empty seats.
We got goalied.
The ice in Sunrise is bad, we're going back to Canada for the good ice.
Colin Campbell
Your team doesn't have any fans.
We got goalied again.
If we traded two of our worst players for two of your best players, we'd win. <------ YOU ARE HERE
Florida isn't better, we are beating ourselves.

Give it a few days. Oilers fans might become a bit more sparse.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

They played their best game vs NYR. Before that series, I said that if they played the way they did against Boston, they would lose in six. I really thought the Panthers were just sloppy and undisciplined and generally very loose against Boston.

If Boston had better center depth, they could have taken that series.

I knew heading into the final that Skinner was going to be no challenge for Florida. Florida just overcame Vasilevski, Swayman who was playing out of his mind and then Shesterkin and they disposed all 3 of them.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Are you implying Florida had to go through an easy route playing the three best goalies in the NHL and topping it off with a matchup against the President’s Trophy winner ?

Sounds like he’s saying the exact opposite actually lol

 

[PatchesOhoulihan]

Thanks to Bettmans awful playoff seeding format.

Agreed. The first round is especially terrible

 

[BelovedIsles]

The Cats are a three-zone machine.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Agreed. The first round is especially terrible

If we had the 1-8 NBA Conference Format, Edmonton would have played Colorado in the 1st Round. That would have been fun.

 

[Outl4w]

FLORIDA is now the bestplace for hockey championships. Florida has five straight years with a team in the cup fi finals. Two Stanley cups and about to be three cups in the starr unless the impossible happens. Champa Bay showed little brother the way .

 

[Leon Crysaitl]

Rewatched the game this morning, this flop at this time of the game was unreal. I’ll shut up after this, but he could’ve raced to the puck on the boards and opened a number of possibilities. Two guys could’ve been fighting for the puck for Edmonton, instead he flops. What is this mindset?

That's just Edmonton Oilers hockey™

 

[The Crypto Guy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801421059830517996

How trashed was this Oiler's fan?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Skinner has as many goals as McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, RNH and Bouchard combined.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

The Panthers are getting their goals with the forecheck for sure. I was simply saying that forecheck advantage has been mitigated by the Oilers having more puck possession and shots. The analytics show these games pretty even in terms of xG share. The difference has been Bob is making saves and Skinner isn't. This is a big difference from the prior two series where the Panthers were absolutely dominant in every metric but Shesterkin and Swayman were dragging their teams to 6 games by the skin of their teeth.

Holland should have traded for a goalie at the deadline. It's come back to haunt them now. Skinner is a 1B goalie and isn't good enough to be a difference maker when the pressure is on. I'd even debate that Jack Campbell is a better goalie in big game moments than Skinner is. I'd take my chances with Campbell over Skinner any day of the week.

 

[DueDiligence]

I’ll say it here as well but can we stop with the idea of that Edmonton would be leading the series if the goalies were changed?

Edmonton has nothing on Florida defensively, nothing

Florida has full buy in from their players
Florida’s lineup is full of 2way forwards
Floridas Dmen can clear the damm zone

Regardless, Edmonton would be leading the series if the goalies were switched.

 

[jonlin]

he will be the greatest Panther in franchise history.

You really mean he already isnt? Who was better? 2 Selke`s, Best goalscorer, most assists etc. Who are there left to surpass?

 

[PatchesOhoulihan]

Edmonton is beating themselves - thats the frustrating part about this finals.

FLA isn't outplaying anyone - in fact they are dominated for long stretches spending them wholly in the defensive zone. Correct me if I'm wrong - but FLA has spent the majority of each game in the D-Zone I believe.

They have simply been more opportunistic when Bouchard/Nurse or Skinner f*** up. Its always one of those 3. If Edmonton can somehow get those 3 to play 4 games of lights out hockey - its a reverse sweep.

Oh my

 

[MCR74]

Skinner has as many goals as McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, RNH and Bouchard combined.

Not saying that's impressive, but that's impressive.

 

[AvroArrow]

The way they do the seeding needs to change so we can have more competitive finals series. Some teams have to go through a gauntlet while other teams get an easy path. Then when the easy path team meets the gauntlet in the finals we get a sweep. Oilers probably lose to most of the Atlantic teams. Its better to have the sweeps and blowouts happen in the early rounds rather than seeing a finals like this. Just my opinion.

Agreed, this is the most boring SCF in recent memory. The divisional playoff format sucks. In all honesty the Stars should have been in the SCF, Skinner played phenomenal in the WCF and has gone back to his normal self in the SCF.

 

[MCR74]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801421059830517996

How trashed was this Oiler's fan?

Given the price of arena beers, it must've been an expensive night.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

Skinner has as many goals as McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, RNH and Bouchard combined.

Seems his talents are wasted in net.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Skinner has as many goals as McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, RNH and Bouchard combined.

Generational?

 

[suddeninterest]

As an Oilers fan it feels very similar to the series against the Avs in 2022. Came up against a better opponent and just aren't on that level. After watching the first 3 games I think Panthers are actually BETTER than their playoff record even showed as exceptional goaltending was the main reason I'd say the Bruins and Rangers especially won any games. Obviously Skinner isn't the same as Swayman and Shesterkin, and although he hasn't been bad so far in the series, and actually has been decent since his reset against Van, he's not a Vezina calibre goalie...

Hoping the Oilers can do what Florida did this year and come back to the finals soon and win. An upgrade to the 2nd and 3rd pair RHD is the biggest need, Ceci and Desharnais simply aren't good enough. Nurse will never be worth 9.25 but I also don't think he's as bad as he's been these playoffs. Broberg has looked great since he came in and I think a full year of development for him in the NHL will help the D core a lot. Same with Holloway at forward.

On another note, if the Oilers didn't win my next choice was Florida. Assuming they close it out, will be nice to see a franchise get their first cup. It's good for the sport and growing the game. Hopefully the Oilers can win game 4 so at least they can give their home fans and win in the finals and let Florida have a chance to close at home if that's how things are gonna go.