It is a concerning trend for the Edmonton Oilers this season, as they have the most come-from-behind victories in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with eight. Edmonton has two of those victories in the Stanley Cup Final, coming back from 3-1 down in Game 1 to win 4-3 in overtime and Game 4 trailing 3-0 after the first period to win 5-4 in overtime.
However, the Oilers are doing this to themselves, as they have been outscored 7-0 in the first periods in the last three games. While head coach Kris Knoblauch has chalked it up to power-play goals in a couple of the games, the Panthers only scored three power-play goals in the first period of those games. The Oilers have given up four goals at even strength. So it isn’t just a power play thing. Edmonton is not getting off to a strong start in the first period, and that needs to change.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Thrive Under Pressure
As the players have stated, there is no discernible reason why they keep falling behind in games. But for whatever reason, the Oilers put themselves in another difficult position as they look to claw back again one more time against the Panthers tonight in Game 6.
“Excited opportunity, as you said, talk about that all the time, but for whatever reason, we put ourselves in another difficult spot,” Connor McDavid said.
The Oilers, earlier in the playoffs, trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in their Round 1 series. Edmonton found itself with its back against the wall, trailing 4-3 after two periods in Game 3 and being dominated by the Kings. However, Los Angeles sat back and allowed the Oilers to find their game as they rallied to win 7-4. Once again, the Oilers had to rally in Game 4 down 3-2 late in the third period.
A failed clear by Quinton Byfield allowed Evan Bouchard to tie the game late in regulation, forcing the game to overtime. There, Bouchard got his second of the game in overtime as the Oilers evened the series and they never looked back. Edmonton found that belief in Game 1, as they rallied from 4-1 and 5-2, with four goals in the third period, ultimately led to a 6-5 loss. However, the belief was that the team could be pushed and still come back, even if they fell short.
And being down in a series is nothing new either. Dating back to last year, the Oilers will be in their seventh elimination game. They are 5-1 in their previous six Game 6 and 7 wins in Round 2 of 2024 against the Vancouver Canucks. Remember, the Oilers rallied from a 3-0 deficit last year in the Stanley Cup Final to force a Game 7. Edmonton just ran out of steam and fell one goal short of their goal.
The Edmonton Oilers Depth Are Carrying Them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
There is a lot of experience to draw from, being in a familiar situation against a familiar opponent.
“I think for our group, we got a lot of guys for whatever reason, like adversity, like the competition, like being pushed, and tomorrow is the epitome of that,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “It’s not a situation we haven’t been in before. So, there’s a lot of experience to draw on, but perhaps we just have to enjoy the moment. Enjoy the game, enjoy taking it one day at a time.”
However, this is not an ideal situation to be in all the time. It is hard to win a series when you are constantly chasing the other team. And the Edmonton Oilers have been chasing the Panthers since the start of Game 1. And as Kris Knoblauch says, it is a trend this Oilers team has been dealing with since the day he took over as bench boss.
“I think our guys are resilient. That’s been a term that’s been used to describe these guys for a long time. Last year, this year, how many elimination games that we’ve had. Just for some reason, when their backs are up against the wall, and they hit rock bottom, or they’re facing no elimination. That goes back to pretty much my first day with an organization. Near the bottom in the standings, and couldn’t get much worse, and didn’t look like they were going to make playoffs. And of course, they respond and play extremely well. Won a ton of games last year in the playoffs, Numerous elimination games against Florida, Vancouver. Again, backs against the wall, they play their best and they don’t panic. The mood out there on the ice was fantastic. They’re embracing the challenge. They love challenges.”
Evander Kane is a Playoffs Difference Maker for the Edmonton Oilers
As NHLRumors.com has documented, their top players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, thrive on pressure. This is as pressured a pack situation as it gets. The Stanley Cup is in the building for Game 6 as the Florida Panthers have a chance to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.
The Edmonton Oilers need to come out with their best start of the series, or else they will be chasing Florida once again. Edmonton was able to come back twice in this series. It will be a tall task to do it three times, especially if the Panthers can smell blood in the water.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final takes place Tuesday night as the Oilers look to extend the series to a seventh game.
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