The Edmonton Oilers are on the verge of one of many biggest comebacks in sports activities after defeating the Florida Panthers in Recreation 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Ultimate at Rogers Place on Friday (June 21).
Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, Ryan McLeod, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse all scored for Edmonton, whereas Aleksander Barkov had the Panthers’ lone purpose. Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner made 20 saves, outduelling Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 16 of 19 photographs that he confronted.
Edmonton has now gained three consecutive video games to tie the best-of-seven sequence at three victories apiece. Recreation 7 is ready for Monday (June 24) at Amerant Financial institution Area in South Florida, the place the Oilers could have an opportunity to make historical past.
Solely as soon as has a staff gained the Stanley Cup Ultimate after trailing 3-0: the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942. There has by no means been a staff that has rallied from a 3-0 sequence deficit to win the NBA Finals or World Sequence.
Edmonton has fully flipped the script on this sequence, outscoring Florida 20-5 because the finish of the second interval in Recreation 3. The Oilers haven’t trailed at any level within the final three video games.
On Friday, the Oilers have been forward 1-0 after 20 minutes and took a 3-0 lead into the second intermission. Florida scored early within the third interval to chop Edmonton’s result in 3-1 earlier than the Oilers put the sport away with a pair of late empty internet targets.
Friday’s victory was a complete staff effort for the Oilers, who are actually only one victory from capturing the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup. Listed here are three causes Edmonton gained Recreation 6.
Depth Made the Distinction for the Oilers
Connor McDavid had 4 factors in every of Edmonton’s final two victories, bringing his whole within the 2024 postseason to a league-leading 42 factors. With out their captain’s sensational efficiency in Recreation 5 on Tuesday (June 18), the Oilers doubtless aren’t taking part in on Friday.
Associated: McDavid Units 5 Data as Oilers Rating 5 Targets in Recreation 5 Win
However for all his brilliance, McDavid wasn’t going to have the ability to put up 4 factors each evening. If Edmonton was going to power Recreation 7 and in the end win the sequence, it will want others to step up. And on Friday, that’s what occurred.
Edmonton obtained one purpose from a participant on every of its 4 ahead traces, whereas veteran defenceman Nurse chipped in with a purpose from the backend.
McDavid, in truth, didn’t also have a level. Nor did blueliner Evan Bouchard, who’s second to McDavid for many factors within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The third-leading level scorer this postseason, Oilers ahead Leon Draisaitl, had only one help.
The one one in every of Edmonton’s prime seven goalscorers within the 2024 Playoffs to gentle the lamp Friday was Hyman, who ranks first amongst all gamers this postseason with 16 targets.
McLeod now has three targets within the Stanley Cup Ultimate, tied with McDavid for the staff lead. Foegele and Henrique have every scored twice within the sequence. Henrique has 4 profession Stanley Cup Ultimate targets, and three have been game-winners.
Florida’s Disallowed Objective Was Turning Level
Henrique tallied simply 46 seconds into the second interval on Friday, giving Edmonton a 2-0 lead. Earlier than the purpose may even be introduced, nevertheless, Florida responded on the following shift, with Barkov placing the puck behind Skinner at 0:56.
Similar to that, Florida was proper again inside one purpose and had probably flipped the momentum at some extent within the sport when Edmonton may have taken management.
However maintain the cellphone: On the replay, it appeared that Florida ahead Sam Reinhart might need crossed the blue line simply earlier than the puck. ABC and Sportsnet broadcast a number of angles of the play, however none confirmed something conclusive sufficient to present confidence that the decision would doubtless be overturned.
However Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch, who has demonstrated a sixth sense for this stuff within the playoffs (recall that he elected to not problem a purpose by the Vancouver Canucks in Recreation 6 of Spherical 2, and it proved a vital choice in Edmonton’s victory) and determined to problem Barkov’s purpose.
Positive sufficient, the officers discovered that Reinhart was offside, and Barkov’s purpose got here off the board. Rogers Place erupted when referee Chris Rooney introduced, “after video assessment, the play was offside at 19:09, no purpose.”
To say the least, it was a gutsy problem by Knoblauch. If the ruling on the ice had not been overturned, Edmonton would have been assessed a penalty that means that Florida could be trailing 2-1 and happening an influence play (PP) with an opportunity to tie the rating. Oilers followers will shudder to assume at how otherwise issues might need unfolded in that situation.
However Knoblauch felt assured, or not less than that’s what he mentioned, telling reporters afterwards that “the one hesitation was perhaps there wasn’t the correct video. In my thoughts, it was positively offside, however I suppose you by no means know.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice acknowledged that if the roles had been reversed, he wouldn’t have challenged the decision, based mostly on the angles he noticed.
“I don’t know. It could properly have been offside,” Maurice additionally mentioned throughout his postgame media availability. “The linesperson knowledgeable me that it was the final clip that they obtained the place they made the choice that it exhibits it’s offside. I don’t have these. So I used to be upset after the decision, based mostly on what I see at my ft and what my video particular person appears at.”
Edmonton’s Penalty Kill Shuts Down Panthers Energy Play
Maybe an enormous motive that Knoblauch risked being assessed a minor penalty is well-founded confidence in his staff’s means to kill off mentioned infraction.
Edmonton’s penalty kill (PK) was excellent once more on Friday, going 3-for-3 towards Florida’s energy play. The Oilers have now gone eight consecutive house video games with out permitting a purpose whereas shorthanded, tied for the third-longest such streak in a single postseason.
How good has Edmonton been on the PK? Over their final 16 video games (going again to the beginning of Recreation 2 towards Vancouver), the Oilers even have scored extra shorthanded targets (3) than they’ve allowed power-play targets (1).
Energy-play output has been key to Florida’s success each within the common season and within the first three rounds of the playoffs when the Panthers had power-play success charges of 23.5% and 23.3%, respectively. However the energy play has been largely a non-factor for Florida on this sequence, going simply 1-for-19, negated by Edmonton’s historic penalty kill.
The Oilers now have a penalty-kill success charge of 94.1% within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s the most effective ever in a single postseason by a staff that advances to the championship spherical.
Edmonton’s penalty kill efficiency is reflective of an general staff dedication to defence, which was on show once more Friday, because the Oilers blocked not less than 22 photographs for a 3rd consecutive contest. Additionally they held Florida to its second-fewest photographs within the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Florida’s three lowest shot totals in 23 video games this postseason have all come towards the Oilers.
If the Oilers can sustain this stout defensive play, get one other couple of targets from down the lineup, and perhaps have a bounce or two go their manner, then they very properly may very well be celebrating with the Cup in Dawn on Monday evening.
