The Edmonton Oilers entered Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals looking for any type of offense against the Florida Panthers.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner had given up an average of two five-on-five goals per game in the series, and given the strength of Edmonton’s five-on-five impact and scoring special teams, that should have been enough to at least divide the first two. final matches.
Edmonton’s offense, fourth in the NHL with 292 goals in 82 regular season games, had some size. The five-on-five total (193) was third best and the power play was sixth.
The problems against Florida were known and discussed. Missed scoring chances, dangerous passes and turnovers, attrition and roster depth, unnecessary penalties, slow starts and goaltending issues in the Florida net.
There were many theories on how to resolve the issues, but it was coach Kris Knoblauch who was tasked with making the decisions. Here’s what happened Thursday night.
To score goals
Edmonton’s first two games in the final had some good elements. During the games in Florida, the Oilers had an advantage in scoring chances, high-danger scoring chances, slot shots, and inside shots, via analytics guru Meghan Chayka .
These numbers suggest that Knoblauch simply had to find a way for the regression to arrive around game time on Thursday night.
The problem? Everyone knows the Oilers will score again, but there is no guarantee there will be a surplus of goals during this series.
The Oilers got their share of shots during Thursday’s game, and winger Warren Foegele scored for the home team to tie the game 1-1 in the first period.
Youngsters Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod also scored in the third period as Edmonton was in chase mode, but it wasn’t enough to send the game into overtime.
Dangerous passages
Exit passes from the defensive end and cross passes to the opposing blue line are danger zones for the Oilers.
For much of the playoffs, the team suppressed these high-danger giveaways, but there was some drift against the Panthers.
Early in Game 3, Broberg sent a pass behind his net intended for an outlet, but it was intercepted and gave Florida a first chance.
It was a sign of things to come.
Evan Bouchard (on Florida’s first goal) handed the puck to Aleksander Barkov without any other defender being able to return. The result was a jailbreak, a goal and the beginning of the end for Edmonton in Game 3.
Bouchard has been an impact player this season, but he had to know it was Barkov and move the puck to safety.
Vladimir Tarasenko’s goal was reminiscent of Ty Conklin’s gaffe in front of the Edmonton net in Game 1 of the 2006 final. Skinner couldn’t handle the puck, which flew toward Tarasenko in the enclave, and the Oilers gave up a free goal.
Darnell Nurse was caught giving the puck away on Sam Bennett’s goal, his turnover led directly to an absolute dagger. Nurse had one of the toughest postseasons by a defenseman in the history of the game.
By the end of the second period, the Panthers no longer needed any giveaways or dangerous passes. Their cup overflows.
Wear
When this series is over, fans and media will find out exactly how much Edmonton’s players are suffering.
Every player on both sides is hurting, but on the Oilers side, it’s easy to see who’s hurt just by looking at the ice time totals game by game.
Nurse wasn’t 100 percent for much of this series and tough winger Evander Kane ultimately left the lineup with a nagging injury.
Penalties
The Oilers took some unnecessary penalties in the first games of the series (Bouchard on Matthew Tkachuk, for example) and took the team out of any five-on-five rhythm.
This is an aspect of the game where Edmonton seemed to correct in Game 3.
Slow start
In the two road games of this series, it was Florida who won the early battles and set the tone. Winning pucks and stifling offense early in games are key elements of the Panthers’ style, and Edmonton has failed to overcome the problem in two games.
Through the opening minutes of Game 3, the Oilers dominated most of the play. An early chance from Connor McDavid seemed to set the tone for Edmonton.
However, the Oilers struggled to control the puck and go in the right direction, with the aforementioned Broberg turnover an early sign that the turnovers would continue at home.
In the opening minutes, Edmonton was outshot 5-2 and Florida had two high-danger chances at five-on-five. Edmonton’s best chance was shorthanded.
It wasn’t a particularly slow start, but the Oilers didn’t come out swinging like many fans thought they would.
Solve the goalkeeper
Through the first two games of the series, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 39 shots at five-on-five and was beaten just once on 51 shots in all game states.
In the third game, it was pretty much the same.
In two periods, Edmonton managed 29 shots, but only one goal.
The two goals in the third period brought the score closer, but the Panthers lead 3-0 in the games and Bobrovsky is surely the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Power play
Edmonton is getting power play chances in this series, but Florida’s penalty killers have been effective at penetrating lanes and intercepting passes.
Specifically, the pressure placed on Bouchard seemed to disrupt Edmonton’s power play unit, which was normally functioning smoothly. The turnover at the blue line by Barkov is representative of both the turnover problem and Edmonton’s problem on the power play.
Florida coach Paul Maurice pressured Bouchard all series and it had a major impact.
The Oilers had four minutes with the man advantage while the game was still in doubt, making five shots and a high-danger chance.
Not enough.
Conclusion
The series was based on the result of the first match. It was Edmonton’s best game and the club didn’t score a single goal.
If the Oilers lose the series, and that seems likely, they will have plenty of time to review what went wrong.
The most surprising thing so far is that the Oilers have done so little offensively against the Panthers.
For now, there is no room for error in the Stanley Cup Final.
The phrase “Cut or bust” has been the Oilers’ mantra since last year’s playoff loss.
A loss in Game 4 like the previous three games, with a team unable to show what they are capable of on the biggest stage, would undoubtedly be a major motivating factor next season.
It would be a bitter pill for everyone involved if it were to come true.
Is there hope for this Oilers team? A shine certainly, but no more.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)