Puck Stops Here: Oilers’ Only Option To Survive in Florida Is Defense

The Edmonton Oilers boast an 18-2 record in Games 4 through 7 over the past two playoff runs.

That’s at least something the Oilers can hang their hats on after a dismal, unravelled performance in Monday’s 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Thanks to that shellacking, the Panthers — the defending Cup champions — hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into the next clash Thursday in the Sunshine State.

The good news for the Oilers is that Monday’s trouncing — in which they were the inferior team in essentially all areas, especially discipline — counts the same as a nail-biting, overtime thriller. To their credit, the Oilers have shown an excellent ability to put a game, win or lose, in the vault and move onward.

The problem is how the Oilers have played in this series while looking outclassed by Florida.

We’re not talking about how Edmonton took a page out of the Panthers’ playbook and Slap Shot script with the third-period shenanigans, or “making investments for the next game,” in the words of coach Kris Knoblauch. Those antics had little bearing on Monday’s result and will have no bearing on what happens going forward.

There are other issues of concern while the Panthers prime for a repeat and gain momentum.

For starters, defensive play and goaltending from Stuart Skinner have been issues. In the series opener, the Panthers scored three goals on their first eight shots. Florida pumped home three goals on the first 15 shots in Game 2 and then celebrated four goals on its first 15 shots in Monday’s throttling.

As great as the Oilers have been at flexing their offensive prowess, they must do a better job keeping pucks out of the net. Skinner, who received a mercy hook early in the third period, will have a short leash going forward.

Here’s something else to concern the Oilers: as amazing as the scoring runs both Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand are riding, the Panthers hold the upper hand despite captain Sasha Barkov failing to generate a single point and Matthew Tkachuk managing just two second assists in three games. If those two find their offensive touch — akin to Sam Reinhart’s performance on Monday — this series could be over very soon.

Not that Edmonton’s dynamic duo was any better on Monday. While Connor McDavid — who is without a goal in this series — managed just a couple of shots on net, Leon Draisaitl didn’t register a shot attempt, let alone force Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to make a save. Everyone has an off night, and it’s unlikely this will be repeated, but this is the wrong time for those two to deliver a dud, especially with few others stepping forward.

“Not our best at all,” McDavid said of his team’s performance. “I don’t think our best has shown up all series long, but it’s coming. Shift the focus to find a way to get a win in Game 4.”

The next outing is not do-or-die for the Oilers, but it is a mettle test for a club that has posted a failing grade in this series against a defending champion set to pounce on another championship at Edmonton’s expense.

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