What went well for the oilers against the panthers in the Stanley Cup final

Edmonton – Could this final of the Stanley Cup be tighter?

Two games in overtime. A victory each. Each team takes control before the others retreats until someone won the final blow.

There have been incredible objectives and thunderous successes. There was even controversy.

The EDMONTON Oilers almost climbed 2-0 in the series, but had to settle for a split while things move south of Florida. There has been a lot to love in their performances and also certain aspects to chica.

Let’s look at three areas where they are well and three where they are not.

What went well

Go to Bobrovsky

The offensive was difficult to find for the Oilers in the first two games of last year’s final. They scored only once on 51 shots in consecutive defeats while the goalkeeper of Florida Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky, almost seemed to be in their heads.

This was not the case this time.

The Oilers scored four goals on 46 shots in each match and seem to have more books on the star goalkeeper.

Wags have been placed on the side of Bobrovsky’s gloves the first five times that the oilers have marked. Each blow that beat Bobrovsky has been raised, a good call considering that Bobrovsky is one of the best stop attempts along the ice in the NHL.

Oilers have a good chance of winning this series if they can continue to score at a rate anywhere near it.

Manage without Hyman

The absence of the winger Zach Hyman for the series due to a listened right wrist presented the possibility of a gaping hole in the range of ilers. He went from an amazement marking last year to an additional room and a strike machine this year.

It is difficult to replace this, but the oilers have done very well thanks to a largely By-Committe approach.

Kasperi Kapanen was great in match 1, just like the fourth line of Vasily Podkolzin, Mattias Janmark and Viktor Arvidsson. Evander Kane was everything you thought could be: playing physical, acting as an antiparasitic fight against the most boring panthers and score a goal in match 2.

We cannot forget Corey Perry.

He has a goal and a decisive pass. The first was the last bond in the final history of the Cup when he marked 17.8 seconds to play in the regulation of match 2, and the second contributed to the winning count in match 1.

Perry has up to eight goals in 18 games, seven more he produced in 19 competitions during the race in 2024.

“He had only one goal last year, but we wanted (him back), knowing in the playoffs, it is difficult to score and you need guys around the net and find ways,” said coach Kris Knobauch. “It is as good as anyone who finds ways to score.”

The oilers also tilted ice when they loaded the upper line with Perry, 40 and their two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. According to Natural Stat Trick, the oilers surpass the 19-8 panthers and exceeded them 37-16, and they have a percentage of objectives expected in 22:25 minutes together for five against five.

Third period defense and late return

Here is the number of shots that the Oilers authorized in the third period in each of the last two games: two in games 1 and five in match 2. This five -point point had to have a lot of things since the Oilers had not returned more than four shots in each of the four previous competitions.

Of course, the Oilers followed the third period of the two games in the Stanley Cup final, but it certainly helps try to make an offensive push when you defend well. In addition, Mattias Ekholm scored 6:33 in the third period of match 1, so things were from there.

“We find our way, we are better throughout the match,” said defender Jake Walman between the first two games. “Perhaps in Crunchtime, we compose it a little more, but ideally, we would like to do it since the start of each match.”

The way the oilers billed offensively during the third period also deserve to mention. This is something that they did all the playoffs, dating from their first victory in match 3 against the Kings of Los Angeles.

The opening of the final of the final was their seventh victory at the head. They could have made it eight when Perry forced the overtime in match 2. it would have equaled a franchise set in 1987 and 1991.

“We all understand that it’s never over with this group,” said McDavid.

What went wrong

Protect the fold

The panthers are in and around blue paint more than any team that the oilers have been faced with the playoffs. This was a problem during the first two games.

The former Nemesis of Calgary Sam Bennett was the ultimate irritant. Bennett was launched by Brett Kulak in the first period of match 1 before falling into goalkeeper Stuart Skinner. The washer cut it on the way to the net. The Oilers challenged for the interference of the goalkeeper, but the objective was confirmed. Panthers have marked on the subsequent power game.

“I would challenge it any day,” Knoblauch said after the match. “In fact, I disputed it. I was on the bench, and I even looked at him. I was preparing for the following lines, and I see the player falling. I was told that he was stumbled.

“If this game would happen again, I would challenge it. What I saw in the NHL this year on the challenges of the goalkeeper’s interference, I had a lot of confidence and I would challenge it again.”

In match 2, Bennett was again. He was contacted by Ekholm during the first period and overthrew Skinner. This time, with Skinner on the ice in apparent pain, Bennett was sent for interference despite any referee – Chris Rooney or Jean Hebert – originally raising his hand to report a penalty.

During the second period, another former Flames rival, Matthew Tkachuk, was hit in Skinner while a punctual shot from the former Oiler Dmitry Kulikov escaped the goalkeeper. Oilers have chosen not to challenge, and the panthers equalized the score at 3.

It is not easy to keep Bennett, Tkachuk and others far from their goalkeeper, but it is something that the ilers must be more aware.

“We know that they have players who want to drive the net,” said Oilers defender John Klingberg after match 2. “He comes to try to block earlier. But we are also trying to drive the net.

“These are a team of high shooting volumes, and if you are that, they also bring people on the net.”

Second period blues

The environment in the middle was not kind to the Oilers for two games, and this was particularly the case in Friday defeat.

The oilers were upgraded 2-0 in the second setting of match 2, and they were outdated 14-9. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Panthers exceeded them 31-13 to five against five and had double the number of high danger (8-4).

“We just lost our legs a little,” said Draisaitl after the prolongation defeat. “We were not so quick to recover the washers, and they will have their push. This is something to look at.”

After match 2, Knoblauch stressed a few areas that the ilers must improve to resolve their misfortunes in this regard.

“It was the execution of the washer. I know that our passes were not sharp and we gave many rings,” he said. “If you cannot make this first pass, you are stuck in the defensive zone, and you could return it to the neutral area.

“But especially in the second period, if you do it right in the neutral zone, you cannot change, then you are stuck, and that’s what happened.”

Overall, the Oilers were upgraded 3-1 during the second period while the series moves to Florida. They were surpassed 31-17.

“You are never going to play 60 minutes perfect,” said Klingberg. “If you can control the washer most of the time of the second period, you will have fresh legs and have an easier way to change.”

Power game sparkle

Oilers have experienced exceptional moments on the advantage of man in the first part of the series, with two of Draisaitl’s three goals as such.

Draisaitl scored the winner in match 1 at 19:29 extensions after the penalty of the Tomas Nosek washer. This is not more important than that. Oilers can also add style to the substance. Aleksander Barkov, winner of the Selke trophy, the winner of the Selke trophy, then undressing Aaron Ekblad before feeding Draisaitl for a first period of match 2 was simply a decision of another world.

“There is a player in the world who can do this (playing),” said Draisaitl.

For all the good with the power game, he had trouble after this McDavid masterpiece.

The Oilers failed to capitalize on a two seconds of 33 seconds a few minutes later. They ended up going 1 for 6 during the power game on Friday. Worse, Brad Marchand marked his first of the two escapes when the panthers disagreed in the second period.

“As good as our power game is, and as much as I would like to mark each time, it’s unrealistic,” said Knoblauch. “As long as they get quality looks – and the majority of our power games, I think we have it. But we will certainly see things that we can try to exploit if there are things.”

(Photo by Corey Perry celebrating after having marked during the third period of game 2: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)