In Edmonton, Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers once again faced difficulties in their Stanley Cup Final matchup against the Florida Panthers, and they now find themselves perilously close to a repeat of last year’s outcome against the same team.
The Oilers went down early in Game 5, allowing two goals in the opening period, and ultimately suffered a 5-2 defeat on their home ice. Throughout the final series, they have struggled defensively, being outscored 11-4 in the first period alone.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm expressed frustration about their slow start, highlighting the challenges of facing a strong opponent like the Panthers. Ekholm, who was caught out on Brad Marchand’s opening goal, noted, “They’re a good team over there. We’re a good team. We just have to make sure we bear down early on in games. It hasn’t happened for us, and obviously, we need to go down to Florida and win a game.”
With Game 6 scheduled for Tuesday night in Sunrise, the Oilers, who initially came into Game 5 with expectations of gaining the upper hand in the series, instead found themselves outmaneuvered and outperformed by the reigning champions. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch reflected on the team’s efforts, stating that he was pleased with the early momentum but disappointed with the subsequent execution.
“I thought we got off to a great start,” Knoblauch explained. “We won a faceoff and it led to a goal against. It’s tough tonight. Like two of the goals against, we won the draws and they go down and score immediately. That’s tough. Rather than being on the attack, having the puck, getting in on the forecheck at least should happen, and what turns out is we’re picking the puck out of our net.”
The coach remained undecided about who would start in goal for Game 6, especially after Calvin Pickard allowed four goals on 18 shots. Yet, Knoblauch emphasized that Pickard wasn’t at fault, remarking, “From what I saw, I think Picks didn’t have much chance on all those goals. Breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots. There was nothing saying that it was a poor performance.”
Despite a spirited comeback from a 3-0 deficit to secure an overtime win in Game 4, the Oilers failed to maintain momentum. Oilers veteran Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lamented the difficulty of constantly playing catch-up against a formidable team like the Panthers. “Chasing the game over and over against a team like this, it’s very difficult,” he said. “It was a tight-checking game all the way through. They took advantage of some opportunities, and at the end of the day we didn’t and it ends up being a difference.”
The Oilers’ power play, featuring stars such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Perry, and Evan Bouchard, was unable to capitalize, going 0 for 3. While the penalty kill unit managed to keep Florida off the board, the inability to take advantage of power plays proved to be a significant disadvantage.
Nugent-Hopkins reflected on their missed opportunities, “We had some looks, for sure, but maybe find a way to generate some second, third looks quickly,” he mentioned. “We’ll stay confident, stay positive, take a look and see if we can correct anything.”