The Edmonton Oilers had to reset themselves after that Game 3 debacle. And let’s call it out for what it was: An embarrassing performance in which the Oilers weren’t just outplayed, but outclassed. If the same thing happens in Game 5, it’s gonna be tough for this team to build any kind of momentum in Game 6.
If there’s an upside, Edmonton rightened the ship in Game 4 following a god-awful start. The Oilers looked lost for a while there, and Stuart Skinner looked like he was already thinking about summer vacation.
Then, coach Kris Knonblauch did the right thing and benched Skinner while rolling with Calvin Pickard, and the rest, as they say, is recent history. Now, can the Oilers keep this momentum going in Game 5? Or, will those old demons rear their ugly heads?
Edmonton Oilers must understand something: They will be on the brink
No matter what happens tonight, the Oilers will be on the brink. They’ll either be on the brink of ending Canada’s Stanley Cup drought, or on the brink of letting the Panthers get the best of them for the second year running.
If they keep their heads clear and play the way we know they can, as they did in their previous two and a half periods, they’re winning this hockey game, no doubt about it. Connor McDavid, the best player in the league, isn’t settling for anything less if the Oilers even play a halfway decent game.
Meanwhile, the Oilers got Edmonton, Alberta, and all of Canada pulling for them for these last two to three games. When you have momentum, plus all the support you can get, including from many in the US who just want to see McDavid win a Cup for once, you’re out of excuses. You can’t lose your cool and let this game fizzle into a blowout.
Understand the assignment, and keep the momentum brewing when the series shifts to Sunrise
For the Oilers, the assignment tonight’s simple: Stay classy, don’t let the Panthers gain the psychological edge, and keep those demons away. That means no repeats of their Game 3 debacle.
And you know the Panthers will be looking to regain that edge. They’ll find ways to throw you off your game and hope you throw that first punch when extracurriculars inevitably develop. Be aggressive and make sure they remember it every time you hit them, but don’t lose the psychological war here.
Sure, if the Oilers take tonight’s game, they’ll feel pressure, regardless. One win away from Canada’s first headline since I was two years old? Yeah, that’s been a long time, I’ll admit. But if they lose, they’ll feel a different kind of pressure. Pressure that hockey teams playing in the Stanley Cup Final would rather not feel.
More from Oil on Whyte