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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[MikeyMike01]

You already have overlap for 3.5 months out of those 5, so adding 6 more weeks of overlap is no big deal. The regular season continues into April.

Globally speaking, the NFL is a marginal league in a marginal sport, and it's not good for the sport of hockey to be deferring to it in its scheduling. If only North Americans played in the NHL, that would be different, but a large proportion of the league's players and their fan bases is from outside North America, and we don't give a rat's *ss about the NFL, NBA, or MLB. These leagues are basically ignored by the rest of the world.

If you care about the US TV audience, you must respect the NFL. Looking at the most-watched lists it’s comical how many are NFL games.

 

[PuckLuckCup]

Nick Cousins is entering into the Stanley Cup Finals in Game 6.

He is the same guy that ended the Toronto Maple Leafs season with a Game 5 overtime goal in 2023 to win the series 4-1 for the Panthers, and consequently reduced the amount of respect that was earned by the Maple Leafs in the handshake line.

 

[Faterson]

If you care about the US TV audience, you must respect the NFL. Looking at the most-watched lists it’s comical how many are NFL games.

"Respect" is one thing, but handing out the Stanley Cup in tropical heat waves in late June is going way overboard with disrespecting the winter sport of ice hockey.

There is already enough deference to the NFL in terms of scheduling individual games (game days as well as game times) from mid-October to January.

Well, just do the same thing throughout September and the first half of October, too. No big deal! Still a better solution than dragging the NHL season deep into the summer.

(Also scientifically, astronomically and meteorologically speaking – today is officially mid-summer, the Summer Solstice, for heaven's sake.)

 

[MikeyMike01]

"Respect" is one thing, but handing out the Stanley Cup in tropical heat waves in late June is going way overboard with disrespecting the winter sport of ice hockey.

There is already enough deference to the NFL in terms of scheduling individual games (game days as well as game times) from mid-October to January.

Well, just do the same thing throughout September and the first half of October, too. No big deal! Still a better solution than dragging the NHL season deep into the summer.

(Also scientifically, astronomically and meteorologically speaking – today is officially mid-summer, the Summer Solstice, for heaven's sake.)

I agree with you if you want to schedule the season earlier, but you’re definitely going to have to defer to the NFL always.

 

[Faterson]

I agree with you if you want to schedule the season earlier, but you’re definitely going to have to defer to the NFL always.

That's fine. Just start the NHL season on the first or second day of September every year – issue solved.

(And then we could also have proper World Championships every May, nearly best-on-best, because basically everyone except for the two teams playing in the Stanley Cup finals would be free to go.)

 

[Hippasus]

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.

I think you're right, but you're more detailed than I am. Just to add, the Oilers have reigned in their borderline physical play and have typically been solid in exiting their zone. They tend to work together well in breakouts and this has been serving them well these playoffs, so they don't get hemmed in. In particular, the last two games. Their special teams is also continuing to be a real x-factor.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I consider us massive long shots right now.

Only optimisim I would have is game 7 on the road. But we gotta get to game 7

Yup, gonna be a tough game, I dont like the over confidence people have in a oiler victory.

 

[jj cale]

That's fine. Just start the NHL season on the first or second day of September every year – issue solved.

(And then we could also have proper World Championships every May, nearly best-on-best, because basically everyone except for the two teams playing in the Stanley Cup finals would be free to go.)

You would still not have a proper world championships because tons of guys would still decline. after an 80 plus game season on a hard on your body sport like hockey almost no one is interested in playing in that thing every year.

get real, this isn't soccer.

 

[IceManCat]

Yeah, as an Oilers and Hemsky fan, I don't think I've ever been as excited about NHL hockey as that post-season. It was an incredible underdog story for the Oilers and solidified their place in Edmonton. I couldn't believe they went that far. This post-season is giving that one a run for its money though.

Pronger had the most dominant season that year I have ever seen a defenseman have to this day. No one impacted the game like he did, absolutely elite.

 

[jj cale]

Pronger had the most dominant season that year I have ever seen a defenseman have to this day. No one impacted the game like he did, absolutely elite.

They had zero business being in that final if it hadn't been for Pronger's dominance. My god was he unreal, watching him out there was like watching an orchestra being conducted all over the ice every shift he was on.

 

[dhfa]

Neutral fans are tuned out by now. These long breaks have totally killed interest in watching for casual fans. This schedule is ruining the momentum for the players too.

 

[TheOne]

Neutral fans are tuned out by now. These long breaks have totally killed interest in watching for casual fans. This schedule is ruining the momentum for the players too.

No we haven't, stop projecting.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I just want the Panthers to win.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Man the NHL needs to work on their schedules

 

[CashMash]

Right now the Oilers need one win to reset this series. After that, everything is possible.

Yes. It's no longer 4 straight.
People have to remember odds do not magically affect circumstances. It's only the succession that is unlikely.

If I have flipped a coin twice and it has landed on heads both times, it's still a 50:50 chance for heads the third time as long as I've already done the two prior flips.

It's only in the beginning the odds of getting three heads in a row is 12,5%.

 

[Super Cake]

Draft is June 28th. If this goes 7, that would only leave 3 days in between game 7 and the draft....

F**king awful. Should at least be a week to give enough time to properly prep us up for the draft while still being able to celebrate the champs. Now it's all gonna be clustered in together....

Seriously I would love to be a fly on the wall when they decided this. For what reason did we need 2 days off between each finals game, and who in the world thought it would be a good idea to have draft and game 7 so close together?

Mind boggling.....borderline stupidity honestly. I don't understand.

And then Free agency starts like 2 days later.

No wonder teams wanted to decentralize the draft if this is how things are going to play out.

 

[syz]

They had zero business being in that final if it hadn't been for Pronger's dominance. My god was he unreal, watching him out there was like watching an orchestra being conducted all over the ice every shift he was on.

Pronger was dominant but the rest of the team deserves at least a bit of credit. Roloson was incredible for 3 rounds, Pisani was scoring at will, their defense as a whole was extremely stingy, and I think they won every faceoff they took those playoffs.

 

[Mr Positive]

Man the NHL needs to work on their schedules

Imo the breaks between games is correct, especially with the big distance. It's just one extra day. But I agree in that the series should have started much sooner.

There was that week+ before the finals. Plus almost everyone agrees we could push the whole season back a bit and start playoffs earlier

 

[Seattle Totems]

But the LA Sharks wasn't in the Stanley cup finals.

Technically no team has come back to win in the 3rd or 4th round after being down 3-0.

1942 Leafs vs Red Wings - 2nd round

1975 Islanders vs Penguins - 2nd round

2010 Flyers vs Bruins - 2nd round

2014 Kings vs Sharks - 1st round

It's interesting that the frequency of comebacks has increased since 2010. It's happened twice in the last 13 years.

Prior to then it had only happened twice over a period of 68 years. In the NBA there has never been a reverse sweep, and only 4 teams have forced a game 7 after being down 3-0.

Those stats make a reverse sweep seem pretty insurmountable. if the Oilers were to pull it off they would certainly own a very storied piece of history.

 

[Grifter3511]

Technically no team has come back to win in the 3rd or 4th round after being down 3-0.

1942 Leafs vs Red Wings - 2nd round

1975 Islanders vs Penguins - 2nd round

2010 Flyers vs Bruins - 2nd round

2014 Kings vs Sharks - 1st round

2033 Panthers vs Bruins - 1st round

It's interesting that the frequency of comebacks has increased since 2010. It's happened 3 times in the last 13 years.

Prior to then it had only happened twice over a period of 68 years. The NBA as well has only seen 2 teams come back after being down 3-0 in 1951 and 2017.

Those stats make a reverse sweep seem pretty insurmountable. if the Oilers were to pull it off they would certainly own a very storied piece of history.

3 cheers for parity!

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

Technically no team has come back to win in the 3rd or 4th round after being down 3-0.

1942 Leafs vs Red Wings - 2nd round

1975 Islanders vs Penguins - 2nd round

2010 Flyers vs Bruins - 2nd round

2014 Kings vs Sharks - 1st round

2033 Panthers vs Bruins - 1st round

It's interesting that the frequency of comebacks has increased since 2010. It's happened 3 times in the last 13 years.

Prior to then it had only happened twice over a period of 68 years. The NBA as well has only seen 2 teams come back after being down 3-0 in 1951 and 2017.

Those stats make a reverse sweep seem pretty insurmountable. if the Oilers were to pull it off they would certainly own a very storied piece of history.

Florida came back from 3-1, not 3-0, if you meant 2023.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Man the NHL needs to work on their schedules

yep

2 days off between games kills interest and momentum

 

[Hippasus]

Pronger had the most dominant season that year I have ever seen a defenseman have to this day. No one impacted the game like he did, absolutely elite.

He was like a commander on those breakout plays. It was sort of like the old mixed with the new. He had a lot of room for those breakout passes.

They had zero business being in that final if it hadn't been for Pronger's dominance. My god was he unreal, watching him out there was like watching an orchestra being conducted all over the ice every shift he was on.

Roloson was the other one that was pretty dominant. If he wasn't pushed back by his own defenseman, it might have been a different series. Nonetheless, MAB was awesome with his point shots, but maybe not so much for this post-season.

 

[McClelland]

yep

2 days off between games kills interest and momentum

Luckily they flying, in the bus era there had been weeks between the games

 

[trilobyte]

yep

2 days off between games kills interest and momentum

Bettman has shown for many years that his strategy is saturation. Saturating North America with teams. Expansion is the game. And while this is happening, they are definitely going to explore getting into Europe.
You might laugh, but you shouldn't.

Stretching the NHL's effective season duration is a key plank for him. He considers 3 days between games to be essential.