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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[BB79]

I mean, it's only a matter of time... I thought the same for Tkachuk, luckily the Oilers were able to win his breakout game

Unless Dri is battling some type of injury?

 

[Dread Clawz]

Why is it seen as "Florida blowing it" rather than "yeah a 3-2 series between these two teams sounds about right"? Florida isn't magically going to become a 10x better team just because they have a 3-0 series lead.

This is how I feel. It's a close series between two great teams. Anyone can win it.

 

[Skolman]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803280537617924296

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Why is it seen as "Florida blowing it" rather than "yeah a 3-2 series between these two teams sounds about right"? Florida isn't magically going to become a 10x better team just because they have a 3-0 series lead.

Because a team coming back from 3-0 even to make it 3-2 almost never happens

Reverse sweep has happened literally once ever*

If that’s not blowing it then there’s no such thing as blowing it

*in the Stanley Cup Finals (@Fishy McScales)

 

[ChaoticOrange]

So it looks like Edmonton really was simply beating themselves in those first 3 games?

Not at all.

Bobrovsky was otherwordly in game 1. Game 2 was exactly the type of game the Panthers want to play against the Oilers, they gave us absolutely nothing. I've never seen a team give up 0 high danger chances in a game before but that's what Florida did in game 2. Game 3 Edmonton was the better team, but Florida did enough to win. Game 4 Edmonton blew them out, happens sometimes. Game 5 I actually felt Florida was the better team, but Edmonton (McDavid) simply wouldn't be denied.

 

[Bond]

I originally had Panthers in 6, hopefully they can get it done. I think it goes to seven now unless Bobrovsky goes god mode though.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Because a team coming back from 3-0 even to make it 3-2 almost never happens

Reverse sweep has happened literally once ever

If that’s not blowing it then there’s no such thing as blowing it

Oilers are the first team in NHL history to win Game 5 on the road after being down 0-3 in the Cup final

 

[Dread Clawz]

Oilers figured how to break the forecheck. They go figured passing lanes to get the puck behind the D. Oilers showed they can change style to overcome FLAs forecheck. Can FLA play different to counter or is Maurice what he has always been one trick pony? Doubling down on same style just relying on Bob to be superhuman is not a response. What is. FLAs move?

Panthers just have to play the way they did in the 2nd half of the game and they win. When they give up early shorthanded goals and get into penalty trouble is when they get in trouble. You can't be giving McDavid freebies .

 

[snag]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803280537617924296

Matthews and Tavares....twice the roster spots, essential twice the money for .01p/gp less production.

 

[bombers15]

Oilers have scored 15 of the last 19 goals of the series.

But it just takes a mistake or two and Florida can end it. Will be tense.

 

[Leonardo87]

Matthews and Tavares....twice the roster spots, essential twice the money for .01p/gp less production.

Let’s not bring Toronto into the conversation because it will derail the crap out of this thread, lol.

 

[rdd8771]

Only thing Florida has going for them right now is it's incredibly hard to win 4 in a row in the playoffs. Game 6 is gonna be wild. Florida has to come out swinging and quiet that crowd because if Edmonton goes up 2 quick then this series is going to 7.

 

[mkatcherin00]

He is definitely badly injured with something that would have most people admitted to hospital

He has something major because he is not even skating well, which sucks. Playoff Drai never looks as useless as he did this game. Made some D plays, but some pretty bad plays too. When he can't skate and protect pucks well, it's tough. Plus his hand injury. He's banged up good.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

I originally had Panthers in 6, hopefully they can get it done. I think it goes to seven now unless Bobrovsky goes god mode though.

Same, it looks like this is the Oilers' Cup now. Florida is completely lost and that win in Edmonton looks like an aberration. Feels terrible.

 

[Cup or Bust]

There is lots of hard work to be done yet but the Oilers have climbed high enough now that the peak of the mountain they are climbing is visible. They still have 2 wins to go.

 

[CanadienShark]

What's Bob's sv % in the last 7 quarters?

It's bad. Real bad. Is he broken? He may be

A yes, the famous game of hockey with three quarters.

 

[jeblers]

Panthers just have to play the way they did in the 2nd half of the game and they win. When they give up early shorthanded goals and get into penalty trouble is when they get in trouble. You can't be giving McDavid freebies .

Oilers were trying to protect the lead for the 2nd half of the game and honestly they are not very good at it. They get away from the game that got them there in the first place and let their foot of the gas.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I was told on HF as well as many other hockey chat programs etc. that Florida lost game 4 on purpose to win Game 5 at home. What happened?

C'mon. They lost game 5 and plan to lose game 6 so that they can win it in 7 on home ice. It's all part of the Master Plan.

Nothing like a game 7 for all the marbles and the Panthers are hip to that.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Oilers were trying to protect the lead for the 2nd half of the game and honestly they are not very good at it. They get away from the game that got them there in the first place and let their foot of the gas.

Yep. We all dread trying to play to protect a lead because we stink at it. We're much better pushing the pace and keeping the puck in the opposite zone.

 

[RMF5630]

Panthers just have to play the way they did in the 2nd half of the game and they win. When they give up early shorthanded goals and get into penalty trouble is when they get in trouble. You can't be giving McDavid freebies .

Why have they been giving up these goals in the last 2 games? You have to look at the whole game, to pick a period and say do that doesn't take the context of the game into account. EDM up 4-2 changes their style and how they attack.

In my opinion, FLA is giving up those goals because EDM is attacking the forecheck the same way you attack the Left-Wing Lock and the Neutral Zone Trap, you find the passing lanes and get the puck behind the D. That is why we are seeing FLA all of a sudden in chase mode versus taking the game to EDM. The more they press and bring their D up to the red line, the more vulnerable they are to breakaways and odd man rushes. Bob is good in this system, but without his D clearing the crease, which FLA does very well, he is average.

By the way, it looks to me that the open passing lane is up the boards on the right side. A lot of breaks seem to start there and EDM has the players to abuse it. Every system has a weakness and you can't cover everything all the time. 7 game series is tough, you are going to be found out. Unlike the season, one game every few weeks...

That is my analysis, from the last time I played was in High School too long ago than I want to admit.

Someone with more hockey X's and O's comment would be appreciated.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I definitely felt once Knoblauch was so badly overplaying him as well as Draisatl/Bouchard late in the periods of games 1-2-3 it basically ended any chance that they could come back since I was thinking they'd be gassed by any possible game 6-7 and I guess its still possible they might be

McDavid's fitness is just bonkers, I know exactly what you mean

It's one thing to play that many hard minutes, it's another to excel in almost all of them and during the SCF

This isn't some opportunistic player waiting to strike, this is a guy getting into the hard areas and challenging people all game. We focus on his skills a lot, as we should, but I think we undersell his ability to do so much of it.

 

[PaulD]

I gotta say, that move he made to set up Perry was truly beautiful. I didn't feel this way until last night but I think he's the Smythe winner even if Oilers lose

Agreed. Facing elimination in Cup finals and comes up with back to back 4pt. games!
Surround by 4 Panthers he moves right into the pack , gets them to commit ( Mario like), pulls his moves untouched and dumps it to Perry. Game winner in the net.

 

[Sgt Schultz]

I think it more so has to do with how elite the Oilers pk is.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803275778123039140

Funniest thing on the telecast last night was after Edmonton's first (shorthanded) goal, as the penalty was ticking down they said that there Kulak would be out of the box in 5 seconds.....although the way things have gone the Oilers may want him to stay in there.

I almost posted last night after a Florida power play that the Panthers had successfully killed off their power play. Neither power play has been all that great (Edmonton's came to life last night), but Panthers fans must be holding their breath every time they have one. The Oilers' PK almost sees one of their own in the box as more open ice.

 

[snag]

Let’s not bring Toronto into the conversation because it will derail the crap out of this thread, lol.

ROFL I hear ya. Just saw that list and was like....

 

[PaulD]

Why have they been giving up these goals in the last 2 games? You have to look at the whole game, to pick a period and say do that doesn't take the context of the game into account. EDM up 4-2 changes their style and how they attack.

In my opinion, FLA is giving up those goals because EDM is attacking the forecheck the same way you attack the Left-Wing Lock and the Neutral Zone Trap, you find the passing lanes and get the puck behind the D. That is why we are seeing FLA all of a sudden in chase mode versus taking the game to EDM. The more they press and bring their D up to the red line, the more vulnerable they are to breakaways and odd man rushes. Bob is good in this system, but without his D clearing the crease, which FLA does very well, he is average.

By the way, it looks to me that the open passing lane is up the boards on the right side. A lot of breaks seem to start there and EDM has the players to abuse it. Every system has a weakness and you can't cover everything all the time. 7 game series is tough, you are going to be found out. Unlike the season, one game every few weeks...

That is my analysis, from the last time I played was in High School too long ago than I want to admit.

Someone with more hockey X's and O's comment would be appreciated.

Well said. But still, on that shorty Brown required Montour to make a "stupid is as stupid does" pass.
He had Tkachuk wide open on wall directly in front of him.
Oilers have been great.
Montour and Mikkola pairing have been terrible.