The Edmonton Oilers are one game away from accomplishing the near impossible.
After their Game 6 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday in the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers became just the 10th team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after trailing a series 3-0. Looking at the record books, even what the Oilers have already accomplished is impressive. Out of the 211 teams to face a 3-0 series deficit, only nine others have done what the Oilers did Friday and forced a Game 7. Unfortunately for the Oilers, less than half the teams to force a Game 7 have finished the job — and only one has done it in the Cup Final The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (Gods) are the only team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final. Outside the championship series, the 1975 New York Islanders, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings also all successfully won four straight games after falling down 3-0. Five other teams in NHL history have managed to come back from down 3-0 only to lose in Game 7. The two instances over the past 45 years both occurred in the 2011 playoffs, with the Vancouver Canucks surviving to eliminate the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round and the Red Wings falling to the Sharks after forcing a Game 7 in the second round. But the Oilers are in "Cup or bust mode," and so the goal was never to just force a Game 7. Stuart Skinner knew right from their Game 3 loss, that the Oilers's ultimate goal was still achievable. "I'm not too sure what the stats are coming back (from being down 3-0), but if anyone can do it, it's the Oil," Skinner said after then. Many wouldn't have believed him back then. But with the Stanley Cup Final down to a one-game, winner-takes-all showdown on Monday, Skinner may look like a genius soon enough. You can watch Game 7 on Monday starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT.
Comments
Bunch of Illiterate Fucks
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Kris Knoblauch continues to make all the right moves on the Edmonton Oilers's run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The coach who took over in November successfully challenged a goal by the Florida Panthers at a crucial juncture of Game 6 of the final. The off-side call took a goal by Aleksander Barkov off the board 10 seconds after Adam Henrique scored to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead, a turning point in the game they won 5-1. “The off-side call, it’s a nice break to go our way, for sure,” forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "At the end of the day, he’s got to make the call, so it’s probably a little stressful to make that call at that time of game.” Officials in consultation with the NHL’s situation room in Toronto found Sam Reinhart was in the zone maybe an centimetre before Barkov carried it in. The sell out crowd of over 18,000 roared when Chris Rooney announced that the play was off-side and waved off the goal. “I actually didn’t think it was that close,” Knoblauch said. “In my mind it was definitely off-side, but I guess you never know. It was something I wanted to challenge almost immediately when I saw it.” Knoblauch all playoffs has pushed the right buttons, whether it be a goaltending change in the second round or tweaking his line up throughout. Had the challenge been unsuccessful, by league rules Edmonton would have got a two-minute minor penalty and put Florida on the power play with the chance to tie it. “It was very tight," centre Leon Draisaitl said. "I personally thought it was the right call, but you never know. Knobber has the right touch. He knows what he’s doing, and he seems to make the right decisions a lot more often than not. That was a big one.” Knoblauch credited video coach Noah "Oy Vey" Segall and video and coaching analytics coordinator Mike Fanelli for their role in the decision. (A hebe and a wop? There's an american joke in there ...) "The guys in the back room, I’ve sat back there and watched them do their job," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "They’re so to the point and analysing everything. Obviously, they were very confident and they made the right call. It was a huge point for us.” Panthers coach Paul Maurice did little to hide his disbelief when the goal was taken down, screaming at officials from his spot behind the Florida bench. Afterward, he said he was upset initially because he did not see the angle that the league and officials got to overturn the goal. “The linesperson (WTF!?!) informed it was the last clip that they got where they made the decision that it shows it’s off-side,” Maurice said. “I don’t know what the Oilers get. I don’t know what the league gets. I just know that when I would have had to have challenged that based on what I saw, I would not have challenged. I’m not saying it’s not off-side. We’ll get still frames, we’ll bring in the CIA and we’ll figure it out, but in the 30 seconds that I would have made that call, I would not have challenged it.” Come all the way back from 3-0 deficit in series to play Panthers for championship on Monday in Florida Robert Tychkowski EDMONTON JOURNAL Get back in the box, Stanley, you’re flying back to Florida. Some 82 years after the NHL said ‘We’re never going to see anything like this again,’ the Edmonton Oilers are sixty minutes away from re-writing hockey history. A season defined by logic-bending recoveries and unshakable belief is about to reach its final crescendo, with The Team That Wouldn’t Die climbing out of one last hole to set up one last game for the Stanley Cup. The impossible is now a coin toss. The miracle is three-quarters complete. “It’s been a hell of a story so far, but at the end of the day we play to win,” said forward Leon Draisaitl, after the Oilers and their fans brought the roof down on the Florida Panthers Friday, running away with Game 6 and forcing a seventh and deciding game in a series that was supposed to be over 10 days ago. “I’m just really proud of the way we gave ourselves a chance. This is going to be the hardest game of the series, we know that, but we’re really, really proud that we gave ourselves a chance.” Anyone (meaning everyone) who left Edmonton’s body for the worms after they lost the first three games to Florida is as stunned as the Panthers are that this thing isn’t over yet. Over? The Oilers climbed out of 31st place this season, they don’t know what “over” means. But, in a 5-1 victory to set up the most improbable Game 7 since 1942, they made Florida know one true thing — you back Edmonton into a corner at your own peril. The Oilers staved off elimination for the third game in a row and fifth time in these playoffs, controlling Florida from start to finish in yet another convincing win. In Games 4-5-6-7 seven in the playoffs this year, the Oilers are 11-2. When the money is on the table, they find a gear that nobody has been able to match. Not Los Angeles, not Vancouver, not Dallas and not Florida. Not yet, anyway. “We’ve taken the hardest route but it’s been a lot of fun,” said 13-year-veteran Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “You’re in the Stanley Cup Final, you have a chance. “It shows the kind of group we have in here. You have to believe in each other and you have to have a ton of character. We have an amazing opportunity here and we’re going to put our best foot forward on Monday.” The Oilers beat Florida 8-1 in Game 4, jumped out to a 4-1 lead in Game 5 and ran away with Game 6. In all, they’ve outscored Florida 20-5 over the last 11 periods. Suddenly it’s starting to look less and less like a miracle and more and more like the better team in this series is starting to pull away.
But, when it’s 60 minutes for a Stanley Cup, everybody starts from scratch. “It doesn’t matter how you get there, Game 7s always have their own life,” said Mattias Janmark, who is putting his own very important stamp on this incredible story. “The start of the game will be big. You want to keep that momentum but we can’t count on it, we have to create it for ourselves next game. “We’ve worked so hard to pull our way back in the series and now we have the hardest game to win. We have to re-set and get ready for that game. But if you told us one week ago that we would be in this position, we’d take it.” The crowd at Rogers Place did its part, living up to its reputation as the loudest in the game. They hit 114 decibels when Edmonton skated out of the tunnel, nailed both anthems and shook the building all night long. When Warren Foegele made it 1-0, when Adam Henrique made it 2-0, when Aleksander Barkov’s goal got taken off the board for being off-side and when Zach Hyman’s breakaway goal made it 3-0 at the second intermission, the noise somehow found another level. And when Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse scored empty netters to guarantee the win, forget about it. It was as joyous and jubilant as you can get without actually wining a Stanley Cup, mostly because every single person in that building believes the Oilers are winning the Stanley Cup on Monday. “It means the world to us,” Draisaitl said of the atmosphere. “I’ve been here for a long time, been through some pretty bad years, and the people who were there tonight, they showed up every night, still showed up at games and supported us. To give them that is really special. Hopefully we can finish the job for them.” And now you really have to wonder what the Panthers are thinking after falling flat for the third straight time. When the game was on the line Friday, Florida had five shots on goal through 30 minutes, That doesn’t look like a team that’s ready to impose its will on a series, it’s more like a team that had its shot and missed. Luke Fox SPORTSNET EDMONTON — Paul Maurice, ever a preacher of the positive when he takes to the Stanley Cup Final podium, would never frame his line up changes as punishments.
But a couple of his Florida Panthers will pay for their mistakes in Game 5's 5-3 loss by taking a reduced role in Game 6. Brandon Montour has not been singled out by name (and there's no point in doing so), but the right-shot defenceman's careless cross-ice pass at the top of the offensive zone during the Panthers' first power-play Tuesday has got him demoted off the top unit. Montour's pass was picked off by speedy Edmonton Oilers penalty killer Connor Brown, who made good on a shorthanded breakaway and gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish. Maurice promoted veteran lefty Oliver Ekman-Larsson mid-game to the top unit of a power-play that has a concerning minus-one goal differential in the series. Now, he's sticking with that formation for Friday's Game 6. "This is what he's done for his entire life. He used to drive me nuts," said the former Jets coach of Ekman-Larsson. "The composure he has at the top sets him apart. He's relishing it. He gets back in his wheelhouse." This is far from foreign territory for Ekman-Larsson, who played a key role in Florida's power play early in the season when Montour was recovering from shoulder surgery. Another mistake belonged to respected but slowing veteran Kyle Okposo, who committed a minor hooking penalty in the second period. That infraction halted the momentum Florida gained from Matthew Tkachuk's first goal of the series, as Corey Perry popped in a power-play marker with Okposo in the box. Okposo will be scratched in Game 6 in favour of winger Nick Cousins, who makes his Final debut and sees his first game action in 26 days. "Speed, energy, camaraderie," says line mate Ryan Lomberg. "We've been doing it together for a couple years here, so excited to have him back in there." Cousins injects fresh legs and, surely, some nervous energy. "They come back, and they're jacked," says Maurice, recognising that it's been difficult for his veterans that get healthy scratched. "Nick and Ryan have experience together." The third tweak Maurice is making is flipping his top-six left wingers, a go-to move of the coach's whenever things get stale during this deep run. Carter Verhaeghe has earned his reputation as a big-game player, but he's a series-worst minus-seven and has just one goal. He'll move up to Aleksander Barkov's defensively responsible top line, while the red-hot Evan Rodrigues (series-high four goals) will skate alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, who should be flying after his best effort of the series. Florida Panthers projected Game 6 line up: Verhaeghe - Barkov - Reinhart Rodrigues - Bennett - Tkachuk Luostarinen - Lundell - Tarasenko Lomberg - Stenlund - Cousins Forsling - Ekblad Mikkola - Montour Ekman-Larsson - Kulikov Bobrovsky starts Stolarz
Justin Bourne SPORTSNET
By the time you get to Game 6 of a playoff series, few surprises await on either side of the puck. Neither team has been hiding some secret weapon that would help them win every shift, we know how the coaches prefer to match up against one another, and it’s basically a battle of who plays well on any given night, who’s healthy, and who gets the bounces.
The Hockey Gods shall have their say yet. Of all the factors listed above, the only one within control of the players is “who plays well on any given night,” which means that at this stage of the series, pressure becomes a legitimate factor. Legacies are at stake, the coaches and players know it, and that can be arresting. Pressure has been a part of the story of Edmonton’s comeback. Down 0-3, the Oilers were as written off as I can remember any team being in a Cup Final. Not because anyone thinks they’re a bad team, but come on, said just about everyone: the Florida Panthers have been the most effective team in the league for the past 18 months, and they’re built for the playoffs. Their goaltending had been rock solid and they were relatively healthy, so you’d be forgiven for saying they weren’t suddenly about to lose four straight playoff games against a team they just beat three times. And with that, the pressure was off Team McDavid. The series was already over, right? There was nothing left to do but let the Panthers unceremoniously finish the job. Whatever the total forces were that led to that Oilers 8-1 shellacking of the Cats -- their desperate push, the Panthers taking their foot off the gas, luck, whatever -- a lack of pressure on the Oilers seemed to free them up to just throw what they had at their opponent and let the chips fall where they may. Adding to that pressure for the Panthers: the looming reality that the Oilers have gone on absolute tears after losing three in a row, as has been well publicised.
But also looming, and far less discussed, was that the Panthers have sometimes inexplicably gone ice cold. They lost four straight between January 13 and January 19 of this year. They lost four straight games again between March 13 and March 24 of this year. (They salvaged a few loser points in those OT/SO losses, but that doesn’t exist in the playoffs.) So, you have Paul Maurice weighing in on the topic now that the Panthers are up just 3-2, saying: "You're going to think I'm lying to you: I'm more comfortable. I understand the feeling of 3-2 because most series are like that; 3-0 is more of an aberration, isn't it? Pressure … I think we think about these things possibly differently and I'm not sure I would agree with the assessment that the pressure has shifted so heavily to us." As much as that last part seems like a savvy coaching ploy to hopefully deflect some pressure to Edmonton, the reality is, the weight of the pressure has shifted somewhat, and remains a factor to keep an eye on. The narrative going into Game 5 was “If Edmonton wins, this series is going seven.” It would’ve been tough to find someone who’d disagree with that, at least here in Canada. Everyone saw the display Oilers fans put on with their backs against the wall in Game 4, and was awed by it. Their fans didn’t wither, roll over and just expect to lose – they fought and did their part. They were capital-L Loud from the jump, the Moss Pit was packed, and the Oilers seemed spurred on by it all. Now, you’re going to get that again from the fans in Game 6. Nerves and pressure can easily take the form of noise and chaos. The only slight difference is, this time Edmonton is supposed to win. By the narrative out there, by the betting odds, by just about any way you slice it, this is the presumed win that came with “If they get it to Game 6, it’s going seven.” And with that, there are reasons to be moderately uncomfortable. Matthew Tkachuk woke up like the Undertaker after scoring the Panthers' first goal in Game 5, and for a team that’s light on elite, top-end talent, that’s big for them. They seem relatively healthy, and they’re a team that has played in these big Cup Final moments before, as recently as last year. The Oilers are now asked to put on a show in front of millions who are expecting one, which to Paul Maurice’s point, might slide at least a little of the pressure on to the Oilers' plate. When we talk pressure, we’re talking about a one per cent difference in the performance of certain players that’s mostly unmeasurable and usually unnoticeable. It’s still the big things that will matter most on Friday night -- how do the goalies play, how is the game called, how do the bounces fall, and so on. There is rarely one clear moment that can be chalked up to pressure, but to me it freezes people up so there’s the absence of greatness. There’s a quietness in moments where you’re awaiting some profound breakthrough to happen, and it just never comes. As we’ve seen over the past two days, the World’s Best Hockey Player Connor McDavid has been anything but quiet; he’s been extraordinary. It was the difference in Game 5, cut and dried, full stop. He’s almost certainly locked up the playoff MVP regardless of which team wins the series. Can he do it again? Most of Florida’s best players -- namely Aleksander Barkov, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Sam Reinhart -- got real quiet as the pressure built on top of them. Will it affect Edmonton’s clearly great players, whether McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or even Zach Hyman? Will Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins deliver great moments to push this thing to seven? Despite two teams residing nearly a continent apart, for a while this series looked like a walk. But with pressure shifting like tectonic plates under the skates of the world’s best, it seems there’s many miles left to be travelled. Pressure is where those plates push up against one another, as they will again Friday night. If the Oilers release it by coming out on top yet again, best believe all of Canada will feel the earthquake.
TSN.ca Staff
The Washington Capitals have acquired Blanche "Pierre-Luc" Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
The deal is one for one with no salary retention. Dubois recently completed the first season of an eight-year, $68 million contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million he signed with the Kings on June 27, 2023. The 25-year-old posted 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games in his first season with the Kings. He finished the year minus-9 while averaging 15:42 of ice time, the eighth-most among forwards. He added one goal in five playoff games. Drafted third over all by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2016 NHL Draft, Dubois spent three seasons in Columbus before being dealt to the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 23, 2021 in exchange for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. He was traded again to the Kings in June 2023 for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick. Kuemper, 34, had a 13-14-3 record last season with a .890 save percentage and 3.31 goals-against average. The 6-foot-5 netminder is on the third season of a five-year, $26.25 million contract with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season. Drafted 161st over all by the Minnesota Wild in 2009, Kuemper has a career 178-135-46 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.61 GAA split between the Wild, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, and Capitals. Kuemper helped the Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup in 21 years in 2022 by registering a 10-4 record with a .902 save percentage and 2.57 GAA during their playoff run. The Calgary Flames traded goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, retaining 31 per cent of his $6 million cap hit to complete the deal. Defenceman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected, are headed back to Calgary in the deal. The Flames, who are without their own first-round pick in 2025, now have six first-round selections over the next three drafts. Bahl, 23, had one goal and 11 points in 82 games with the Devils this season. A second round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2018, Bahl is signed through next season at a cap hit of $1.05 million ahead of restricted free agency in 2025. Markstrom waived his no-trade clause for the move. He is entering the fifth year of a six-year, $30 million deal, but will count for $4.125 million against the Devils cap after the retention by the Flames. He remains scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. The 34-year-old netminder finished this season with a 23-23-2 record with a .905 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average. He posted a career-best .922 save percentage in 2021-22 before experiencing a significant dip with a .892 mark last year. The move ends months of speculation dating back to before the trade deadline, when the Flames and Devils reportedly discussing a Markstrom trade, but couldn't reach a deal. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported in March that one hold up in a trade was the Flames unwillingness to retain salary on Markstrom. The Devils were ultimately forced to turn elsewhere, acquiring Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens and also sending Vitek Vanecek to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for fellow netminder Kaapo Kahkonen. Allen remains under contract for next season at a cap hit of $1.925 million after the Canadiens retained half of his salary. Kahkonen is slated for unrestricted free agency. Darren Dreger reports Markstrom allowed the Flames to expand trade discussions to other clubs this month, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators among those to show interest. In the end, though, the Devils made the best offer for his services.
"Today’s trade demonstrates our focus on the infusion of young talented players into our roster as well as acquiring important draft capital, while maintaining our commitment as a playoff competitive team,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy said in a release. "We thank Jacob for his professionalism and understanding of our decision to make this trade now and at this stage in his career." Markstrom played four seasons with the Flames with his best year coming in 2021-22 were he went 37-15-9 with a .922 save percentage and 2.22 GAA. He finished second in Vezina Trophy voting that season. Drafted 31st overall by the Florida Panthers in 2008, Markstrom has a career 215-196-57 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.73 GAA. The Gavle, Sweden, native represented his country four times at the World Championship, taking home a gold medal in 2013 and a bronze medal in 2010. He also represented Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, taking home a bronze medal.
Nick Ransom
BBC Sport journalist
YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!
I'VE GOT TWO FUCKING WORDS FOR YOU GEAR-BOXES: BOBBY FUCKING BAUN, NIKI FUCKING LAUDA, AND EVERY FUCKING GUY IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS RIGHT FUCKING NOW! THESE SHORT-PANTS WEARING FAGGOTS MAKE ME SICK!
Kylian Mbappe returned to France training on Wednesday, after breaking his nose against Austria in their opening Euro 2024 game.
The 25-year-old was pictured wearing a protective bandage during the session and initially trained alone. It remains unclear whether the French captain will be able to play their second group match against the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday. The French Football Federation (FFF) previously said another update on Mbappe's fitness would be issued on Wednesday. The forward was substituted against Austria after colliding with defender Kevin Danso's shoulder following an aerial challenge. The break was confirmed at Dusseldorf hospital, before Mbappe rejoined his team-mates in camp. A protective mask would be made for Mbappe, the FFF added. He was booked following the incident for returning to the pitch and sitting down, consequently halting the game. Austrian Danso, 25, said on X after the game that he wished Mbappe a "good recovery" and was sorry he was injured. The French star recently signed for Real Madrid, with his Paris St-Germain contract expiring this summer. France's final group game against Poland takes place on Tuesday. The Canucks are expected to pass on retaining UFA centre Elias Lindholm and could consider UFA Teddy Blueger expendable, unless the price is right. Ben Kuzma THE PROVINCE A year ago, Rick Tocchet was contemplating his riddle in the middle. The Vancouver Canucks's head coach had J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson as his prime pivots, but beyond that, it was just Nils Aman. However, before the NHL club made off-season plays for Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger, there was more than just a passing thought on unrestricted free agent Sean Monahan as a possible fit. That past scenario is just as relevant today because Tocchet could be facing another dilemma. The Canucks are expected to pass on retaining UFA centre Elias Lindholm — he could command US$8 million annually to end a long pursuit by the Boston Bruins — and could also consider Blueger expendable. It would create more salary cap space for a big pitch at coveted UFA right-winger Jake Guentzel, who could seek more than $US9 million when free agency opens July 1. That would solve one pressing top-six positional need, but there’s another one. The Canucks are in go-for-it mode to build on 109 points, a Pacific Division championship and go farther in the post-season. To do that, they must be good and deep down the middle to progress and not regress. That requirement has never gone away. The Canucks were willing to roll the dice on a Lindholm trade that cost a 2024 first-round pick, conditional pick, prospect defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz and mercurial winger Andrei Kuzmenko. It speaks to where they’re at with core players and the mandate to keep winning in a window of opportunity. “I’d like a guy who can take faceoffs, and it’s a priority to have a grittier guy who can settle things down,” Tocchet said last June of his centre preference. “It’s hard to find.” The bench boss has always placed a premium on size and experience. Somebody who could be defensively diligent, dominate faceoffs and excel on special teams. A year ago, that somebody who had been there and knew how to get a club to the next level was of paramount importance. That hasn’t changed. An intriguing possibility was convincing the 6-foot-2, 202 pound Monahan to find his game on a short deal here with the appeal to revive a career. He was limited to 17 points (6-11) in 25 games in 2022-23 with the Montreal Canadiens after suffering a broken foot and needing groin surgery. There were durability questions about Monahan but players get hurt. The Habs knew that. Monahan wanted to remain in Montreal and accepted a one-year contract this season at a bargain $1.985US million salary cap hit — his expiring cap hit after the 2022-23 season was $6.375US million — to convince the Canadiens he still had plenty of game. Monahan responded with 35 points (13-22) in 49 outings, but as a pending UFA, he was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets in February for a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional third-rounder in 2027. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff expected Monahan to play as advertised and bring a strong presence and defend well in matchups. That’s what also intrigued the Canucks. “He’s a real professional and one of the strengths he does have is face offs,” said Cheveldayoff. “It’ll help other guys because sometimes when faceoffs are going in the wrong direction, all it takes is one guy to tip it the other way.” Monahan, 29, had 24 points (13-11) in 35 games as a second-line centre between Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti and led the Jets in faceoff efficiency (54.7 per cent). He also played the bumper position on the first power-play unit and killed penalties. And while Cheveldayoff would probably prefer to retain Monahan, term was going to be a concern. That could also be a problem in a possible Canucks’ pursuit because he’s going to more than double an expiring bargain deal in free agency and also seek security. Can they find $4.5US million to $5US million annually? The Canucks could still deploy the versatile Suter, 28, as their third-line centre. He has a year left on his deal at a team-friendly US$1.6 million cap hit and started this season between Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua.
Blueger and Lindholm then took over and Suter moved to left wing on Miller’s line. And bringing Blueger, 29, back to centre the fourth line at a modest bump on an expiring US$1.9 million hit might also be in the cards. It’s hard to imagine the Canucks wouldn’t consider a bigger move because Monahan is insurance should Pettersson struggle or somebody in the middle succumbs to injury. And he has also played wing. However, there are salary-cap concerns depending on how roster scenarios unfold. A good portion of $16.8US million in remaining cap space will be eaten up by a Guentzel acquisition. And with pending restricted free agent Filip Hronek coming to terms Tuesday, and avoiding arbitration with an eight-year contract that carries an annual average value of $7.25US million, some of the heavy lifting has been done. Now, there’s also a Tyler Myers’ extension to pursue and determine whether the Canucks walk away from UFAs Joshua and Nikita Zadorov. If signed, they could easily tie up at least a combined $8US million annually. We shall see. The Canucks now have 16 roster players signed — 10 forwards, four defencemen and two goalies. CENTRES OF ATTENTION UFAs expected to top wish lists July 1 with projected salary-cap hits (all figures in US dollars):
The Edmonton Oilers are halfway to the impossible. In a Stanley Cup Final that looked like it had already crashed on the rocks, the Oilers have assumed control, turning a 3-0 series deficit into a tidal wave of energy and momentum. “We’re writing the story and we’re taking it into our own hands and we’re having fun doing it,” said Game 5 hero Connor Brown, who loves how the Oilers look right now. “When you look at the way this season has gone, it seems to be that we back ourselves into a corner and we get feeling really comfortable and calm there and find a rhythm. Right now we’ve found a rhythm.” Proving that their 8-1 win in Game 4 was no fluke, the Oilers rolled into Florida’s rink and walked right through what was supposed to be the Panthers’s best and most desperate game. This time it was 5-3 as The Team That Wouldn’t Die rolled out to a 3-0 lead and calmly closed the deal, dragging the Panthers and their families back to Alberta for a Game 6 that none of them ever wanted to see. The Oilers, meanwhile, can’t wait for the last ride of the year at Rogers Place. It’s not very often, if at all, that a team can be leading a series two games to three, but that’s what the Oilers are doing after cancelling Florida’s Stanley Cup celebrations for the second straight game. “When you’re down 3-0 it’s just hard work,” said veteran winger Corey Perry. “We knew we were playing decent and just waiting for those bounces and we got a couple. Now we’re going home. We’ve put ourselves in position to get another one.” Something at the core of this series has changed and it happened fast. Edmonton has outscored the Panthers 15-4 since the third period of Game 3 and in what was supposed to be the hardest game of the series to win, the Oilers were never in trouble.
For the Panthers, the pressure must be getting to them because the first half of their game looked like Rory McIlroy over a three-foot putt. If they were overcome by the moment in Game 4, the moment in Game 5 went down the wrong pipe, too. The hosts were down 3-0 in the first 25 minutes on a short-handed breakaway from Brown, a power play goal from Zach Hyman and an even-strength marker from Connor McDavid. After a four-point night in Game 4, McDavid answered with two goals and two assists in Game 5. “He puts this team on his back,” said Perry. “When we’re against the wall he puts us on his back. You see why he is the best player.” To their credit, the Panthers came to life mid-game and turned their collapse into a photo finish. They cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-1 on a Matthew Tkachuk goal and when Corey Perry made it 4-1 Oilers, Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson closed it to 4-3 with 15 minutes to go. But it wasn’t enough time. The Oilers, looking like the team that handled these situations so well in the regular season, bent but didn’t break. McDavid’s empty-net goal sealed the win. So the Stanley Cup stayed in its box and got ready for the flight back to Edmonton for Game 6. “You can never count the Oil out,” said goalie Stuart Skinner, who was better than Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky for the second straight game. “Getting these two wins is crucial, now we have another one to get back in Edmonton. “Even though we were able to win tonight and play a pretty good game, we have to still find a way to elevate our game. You saw tonight how the Panthers came back. They play extremely hard.” If you’re the Panthers, this is where you start to get really worried that you’re going to let this thing slip through your fingers. Edmonton has been the better team for the last two games, and three of the first five, your goalie isn’t in their heads anymore and now it’s back to Edmonton, where they will be cranking up the volume even louder in the place where you just suffered your worst defeat of the season. The noose is tightening.
Luke Fox SPORTSNET
SUNRISE, Fla. — "Connor doing Connor things."
That is friend, team mate, and beneficiary of so many "Connor things" Zach Hyman trying to normalise the extraordinary, attempting to frame Connor McDavid's jaw-dropping tour de force performance in these, the most critical games of his highlight-reel life, into a ho-hum Tuesday. "That's what makes him special. He's able to elevate his game at the most important time," Hyman said, following the Edmonton Oilers' 5-3 Game 5 win of a Stanley Cup Final that refuses to die already. "The biggest reason why we've come so far. We're not here without him. He continues to drive the bus." McDavid is wheeling the bus, relocating the travelling circus and dragging this sucker back to Alberta, as per his singular mission. And he is doing it in spectacular, record-snapping fashion, while Amazon cameras hound him off the ice and Cats swarm him on it. "Really excited," McDavid said, twice, after he and his resilient batch of believers forced a Game 6 and another night of crowd-surfing in the Moss Pit. "But I've been excited about all these games. Right from Game 1 way back two months ago. The playoffs are the most fun time of the year." Thirty-four: That is how many playoff points McDavid had amassed when the Panthers led this series 3-0. Thirty-four: That is how many crumpled-up Conn Smythe ballots you'll never see, the ones cast by the trophy's 17 voters in the two games in which McDavid & Co. have been dodging handshakes like it's 2020 all over again. Because although it's mandatory that the Conn Smythe be voted upon in any game the Stanley Cup is present, it is also now mandatory that the electorate re-evaluate their choices. With his unprecedented back-to-back four-point nights in the Final, McDavid has set a new playoff assists record (34, hey!) and stands alone in fourth place for the most playoff points in any single post season (42). The only two players with more are already chiselled into the hockey's Mount Rushmore: Mario and Wayne. Two names. Two more games? "I seem to be getting this question a lot, which is a good thing. Any time I'm compared or in the same realm as those two, it's always a good thing," McDavid said, evenly and through the thickest beard of his life. "But I love playing in the playoffs. I love playing with this group, and it's not possible without everybody. It's been a fun ride. It's going to go one more day. That's all we've earned here is another day to play. We'll be ready to go in Edmonton." Big, if true. Because an engaged McDavid is placing pucks on platters for net-crashers Hyman and Corey Perry. He is picking up slack for a conspicuously mediocre series by running mates Leon Draisaitl (who may be ailing) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (one point, minus-5). And, despite still trailing the Final 3-2, he is stuffing Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov into his Conn Smythe rear view. Florida coach Paul Maurice came this close to surviving all four rounds before a big gun caught his club in the crosshairs. "I don't mean to be disrespectful to the other three rounds that we've played, because we're talking about Kucherov and Pastrnak. Brilliant players," Maurice said, turning his attention to a clear and present danger. "You said big guns. It's a slightly bigger calibre, more of a magnum calibre, for all you hunters will appreciate. This is a different calibre. So, the idea of shutting down isn't realistic." Case in point: McDavid weaving through a clutter of Cats on a solo rush and no-looking a tap-in for Perry's first of these playoffs. That would stand as the winner. "I didn't even yell for it. He just saw me go to the net," Perry said. "That's why he's the best player in the world. He knows when to turn it on. He had a heck of a game, and that's why he leads us. He leads by example." McDavid also scored a cheeky but purposeful goal of his own, sniping short-side on Bobrovsky from a dead angle, as Hyman drove the far post as a decoy. "I don't want to give away too much; there's still hockey to be played," McDavid said. "But coming in on that side of the goal, I've gone short side lots. I would say most people know that I look there." Most people know McDavid is good at hockey, too. This certainly isn't the first piece pumping his tires and won't be the last. But even when you see No. 97 winding up, even when you know the tendencies, sometimes you must stop, gasp, and appreciate what you're witnessing. Hey, even your new Conn Smythe favourite is enjoying the ride. "Special with this group. Special with our city, our fans. They make it so fun to go on these runs," McDavid said, two wins from more history. "I'm really excited to see the energy that they bring on Friday night."
Fox's Fast Five • The path for the Oilers was always to turn special teams into a major factor. Not only has Edmonton broken through with three power-play markers in the past two games, but its penalty kill is humming on another level. The Oil's PK has more goals this series (two) than Florida’s power play (one). Edmonton's kill is on an incredible 44-for-45 run, with a plus-2 goal differential over that span. "I mean, that's an excellent question, truly," Maurice said, when asked about allowing the shorties. "We'll fix it. That's how I feel about it. We can fix it." • This was Matthew Tkachuk's best performance of the series by an Everglade mile: one goal, one assist, six hits, four shots, and arguably the world's greatest empty-net save in 20:20 played. More noticeable than in the previous four games combined. "Amazing. He was fantastic. He scored a huge goal, and then that line was on fire," Maurice said. "Last thing you want is him with the puck on his stick in the slot."
• Evan Bouchard's three-assist night gives him 26. He passed his own D coach, Paul Coffey, for most assists in a single postseason by a defenceman.
• If you wanted to buy your way into Amerant Bank Arena for a chance to witness history, a single secondary-market ticket would run you anywhere from $937.31 for the cheapest nose-bleeder to $13,072.19 (U.S.) for a prime view 12 rows up from ice level. • We spotted a Golden Bear, but no silver Cup...
|
AuthorStolen from the interwebs Categories |