How have the Oilers done it? Here's the checklist they had to tick off in order to beat the Panthers:
1) Use your video coaches and all the sharp minds on the coaching staff to figure out how to combat Florida's stifling defensive system
Check.
Thanks to the video and coaching staff the Oilers figured out their natural combination of speed and talent, combined with long passes through small holes in traffic, would be an effective counterpunch to Florida's defensive system. In previous rounds the Panthers had successfully silenced top NHL players like David Pastrnak, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider, not to mention the best collection of puck movers the NHL had to offer in the playoffs for the Rangers. The Panthers may have succeeded against McDavid, Draisaitl, et al for the first three games of the series, but have failed at this task the last three games thanks to the fantastic counter-punch the Oilers have come up with.
2) Figure out how to score on Sergei Bobrovsky
Check.
Thanks again to the Oilers' video staff, they figured out that Bobrovsky is an effective goalie from left to right but not so much up top, so that was his vulnerable weak spot. This, combined with point number one (because a goalie's performance is very much dependent on the skaters in front of him), means that we've seen the Oilers attack go high a lot on Bob, which means more chances going in. It worked.
3) Keep the Penalty Kill mojo going
Check.
The Oilers' penalty kill was 100 percent perfect against the Kings and Stars, while allowing a mere three power play goals against the Canucks, and so far have allowed but one man-advantage goal against the Panthers. Unless that changes in game seven, the Oilers will go down in the annals of history with a whopping 94.1 percent on the penalty kill during these playoffs. No, that's not a typo, read that again.
The Oilers PK has been so good, they've produced more shorthanded goals than the Panthers, power play has - 2-1 to be exact.
4) Get the mojo of the PP back
One of the annoying parts of playing a fairly evenly matched opponent is they can beat you at your own game sometimes, and this was true of the Oilers' power play, which was humming along at over 30 percent prior to the finals. Although overall it is a mere 29.7 percent overall now (ha), the Panthers' penalty kill kept it from lighting the lamp at all in the first three games, neutralising a part of the Oilers' attack which has been in their arsenal for some time now both in the regular season and the playoffs. That all changed in game four when Nugent-Hopkins lit the lamp on the power play, with Hyman and Perry also lighting the lamp since then. While three power play goals is still a bit conservative for this group, it still beats that lone one that Rodrigues has got for the Panthers.
Check.
5) Don't panic, just go out there, play your game, and stick to the plan
Check. The Oilers have been saying all the right things in the press conferences, saying we haven't won anything yet and the job isn't done and things like that. They have the balance mentally between giving respect to Florida while at the same time executing against them in near perfection the last three games. The pressure doesn't seem to be rattling anyone, even Skinner, and I'm guessing it won't for game seven.
Fate looks to be smiling down on the Oilers right now
Head coach Kris Knoblauch doesn't have to say or do much to this group at this point. They've figured out how to overcome the strengths of the Panthers, while asserting their own game on them at the same time. Momentum may not carry over from game to game but, let's be honest - if the Oilers play like they have been the last three games, is there any doubt in your mind that they can go all the way and win this thing? Not in my mind.
But personally, I'm smart enough not to count the Panthers out until the final buzzer of game seven. I think the Oilers will win, of course -- there is literally no doubt about that in my mind -- but you'd be surprised what having your backs against the wall can do for a team. The Panthers could also reverse sweep this thing, even though they've failed to do so the last three games straight.
It's not over until it's over - and that goes for both teams.