“Cup or Bust”
The Edmonton Oilers had a tough start to the season with a 2-9-1 record, leading to the firing of Head Coach Jay Woodcroft. However, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch took over and led the team to a remarkable turnaround, including a 16-game win streak. In a crucial game on Sunday night, the Oilers secured a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers with a mature 2-1 win, despite being outshot 35 to 10. Two goals from superstars Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid were instrumental in the victory, and goaltender Stuart Skinner’s outstanding performance, stopping 34 out of 35 shots, sealed the win. Credit is also due to Calvin Pickard for his crucial role in the comeback against Vancouver, ultimately leading to the Oilers’ advancement to the WCF. The team’s “Cup or Bust” mentality is being put to the test, and they are set to face a tough challenge against a deep hungry Panthers team on Saturday night in South Florida.
“Penalty Kill Merchants”
The Oilers have been facing criticism in the hockey world, being labeled as “Power Play Merchants”. However, their penalty kill has been outstanding, having killed off 28 consecutive penalties and not giving up a power play in the Western Conference Final Series against Dallas. The team has shown a strong defensive performance throughout the playoffs, proving many critics wrong. Although they still have a tough challenge ahead with the lethal Florida Panthers team, the maturity displayed by the Oilers is commendable. Darnell Nurse, who faced early criticism from the media, turned his performance around in the final 3 games of the series, showcasing exceptional defensive play and contributing significantly to the series-clinching win on Sunday night. Edmonton’s special teams on the power play and penalty kill have been crucial to their success in the playoffs, and they will need to maintain this level of performance moving forward.
Matchup vs Florida
The Edmonton Oilers are set to face off against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, kicking off this Saturday night. This year’s final is set to make NHL history, as the distance between the two cities is a whopping 2,543 miles, marking the furthest distance ever in the league. If the series goes the distance to 7 games, both teams will have traveled an incredible 33,000 miles. It’s shaping up to be an epic battle that will go down in the history books, as both teams are determined to claim the Stanley Cup. The Panthers are seeking their first-ever Stanley Cup win, having come close with a final appearance last year, while the Oilers are aiming to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time in 30 years. After the Oilers’ 2-1 victory in Game 6, fans erupted into chants of “We Want the Cup,” a sentiment that even made its way into Dallas Head Coach Pete Deboer’s post-game press conference. This upcoming Stanley Cup Final is one that all hockey fans won’t want to miss.
