3 Positives For The Edmonton Oilers Heading Into Game 7
After winning 3 straight games against the Florida Panthers the Edmonton Oilers have forced a game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Now that the Edmonton Oilers have won 3 in a row against the Florida Panthers all they need is one more win and they will win their first cup in over 30 years. While I was remembering the Cup run I wasn’t old enough to realize how important that run was, and now that the Oilers have the chance once more to win the Cup the magnitude of what is going on has reached me in my soul.
While I will be completely heartbroken if the Oilers lose, I will eventually look at this playoff run as a success. Not to mention the 2006 run was a bit of luck that the Oilers made it all the way to the finals, this Oilers team was supposed to be here as lots of analysts picked them at the beginning of the season.
For the Oilers and the Panthers, this ranks among the most important games in their franchise histories. For the Panthers, this would be their first cup and for the Oilers, this would be their first Cup in over 30 years and the first cup for them since they moved rinks and most importantly Connor McDavid’s first cup.
For the Oilers they have all the momentum in the series right now, so all the eyes will be on the Panthers as they look to not blow the 3-0 series lead. That had only been done once before, but it was so long ago that it was done back when the Toronto Maple Leafs won a cup, and that was a really long time ago.
For the Oilers to win this game they will need to keep playing as they have been the last 3 games, on top of that there are also a couple of positives that the Oilers have going for them heading into this game on top of just their regular skill set. I have come up with 3 positives for the Edmonton Oilers heading into game 7
Positive #1- All The Pressure Is On The Florida Panthers
Heading into game 7 the pressure is solely on the Panthers to close this series out. For the Oilers, they have the chance to be the first team in a very long time to overcome a 3-0 series deficit and win. They will be looked upon as heroes for overcoming that as the odds of them coming back were so low.
For the Panthers on the other side, it would come across as a massive collapse. They would have had 4 chances to hoist the cup only having to beat the Oilers once in those 4 games. If they were unable to do that it would not look good on this roster. Even though I think most people around the NHL would give the Oilers credit for the comeback, I think the people in Florida would take a look at their own team and blame the Panthers for not winning.
With all those eyes being on the Panthers in game 7 I think mentally it is going to be tough for the Panthers to turn this series around after losing 3 games in a row. Both of these teams can be streaky and right now the Oilers are streaking up while the Panthers are streaking down. The Panthers are going to need to bring their best game in order to snap the Oilers' momentum and win the game.
Positive #2- The Best Player In The World
This may be the biggest positive for the Edmonton Oilers, and it is the fact that they have Connor McDavid on their side helping towards the end goal of lifting the cup. McDavid has accomplished everything there is to do when it comes to the NHL, except this one last goal of lifting the Stanley Cup.
For that reason I would be scared if I were the Florida Panthers, a motivated Connor McDavid is a scary player to have to face in a winner-take-all game 7. We have seen in both games 4 and 5 that McDavid has the ability to take over a game a will his team to victory and I wouldn’t expect anything less for game 7.
Positive #3- Oilers Special Team’s Look Unbeatable
The Edmonton Oilers have only let in one goal while they have been shorthanded so far this series. After not allowing a single goal against the Dallas Stars the Oilers need to keep this streak going for one more game. The efficiency of this unit has to have mentally affected the Panthers' powerplay.
Not only have the Oilers not given much up while shorthanded, but they have actually added two shorthanded goals on top of only allowing the one powerplay goal. So, for this whole series, the Oilers are positive while being shorthanded. If the Panthers want to have any chance of winning they will need to crack through the Oilers' penalty kill, but the way that unit is playing I wouldn't expect anything to change for this penalty-killing unit.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch makes the biggest call of the season. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch makes the biggest call of the season. dark. Next
This is by far the most important game in the past 10 years for the Edmonton Oilers and driving around the city, you can see that all the fans feel the same way as well. I have never seen so many car flags in my life. Win or lose this team should be proud of this team, but if they win this city will be in a state which can only be brought to them by the Oilers winning the Cup.
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