'This is a clown show': Edmonton Oilers country reacts to Game 3 loss, looks head to Game 4
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Oilers fan Burt Schoeppe バート @BurtSchoeppe
If it weren't for the game 4 history I would go with Pickard. Go with Skinner on Thursday night.
Oilers fan GrizzAlberta @GrizzAlberta
There's gotta be be lineup changes. Frederic has done nothing, Skinner in. Nurse has been subpar, needs Stecher pairing. S. Skinner needs a break, Pickard should take the net in Game 4. Oilers can't compete with Panthers greasy style need to go back to their speed, skill game.
Oilers fan Dennis King @DKingBH
Two issues with bringing Stecher back in for Nurse. First off, it's on the road and they would need to be the 3rd pair and heavily sheltered. Secondly, the Oilers are either not allowed to play Nurse on a 3rd pair or they lack basic reading comprehension:)
Oilers fan Formerly The Cynic @J_TheCynic
There is a undefeated goalie on the team. He never loses. But coach keeps him on the bench?…WE WERE LEFT FOR DEAD IN THE LA SERIES…….until. They played Calvin Pickard. Do not overthink this.
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CTV News
8 hours ago
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Obviously, we didn't do it (Monday night).' Yes, the Oilers feature two of the National Hockey League's best players in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But the Panthers are considered the NHL's fiercest and finest forechecking team. They feature the likes of Sasha Barkov, arguably the best two-way player in the game and this year's Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward, and Gustav Forsling, among the best defensively on the blueline. Tenacity is in great supply on south Florida ice, too, with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen in the Panthers' forward ranks, and Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones on the back end. Did I mention they're the defending Stanley Cup champions? Panthers vs. Oilers Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers with Eetu Luostarinen (27) during the second period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS) While the first two games of this year's Cup final are arguably among the best ever played – close, blow-for-blow battles between two of the NHL's titans ending in overtime, with each side claiming victory once – Game 3 was much different. The Oilers couldn't catch up to the Panthers this time for all the aforementioned reasons, but partly because Florida could play to their strengths and clamp down on Edmonton's attack while protecting – and adding to – their lead. Case in point: Reinhart's goal for the Panthers a minute and 20 seconds after Corey Perry got the Oilers' first, and ultimately only, lamp-lighter of the game. The Panthers pressed the Oilers immediately after Perry's marker and capitalized on mistakes and misplays to gain the puck and score. 'I don't think we have gotten up to standard where we want to be yet. 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(Lynne Sladky/AP) The Oilers' Trent Frederic said maintaining control of the puck more often – and staying out of the penalty box; Florida scored on three of 11 power-play chances in Game 3 – helps keep the Panthers in check. 'When they have a lot of power plays, even if they're not scoring, their star players are getting touches on the puck and feeling good about themselves,' the forward acquired from the Boston Bruins in late January said Tuesday. 'You never really want that to start. They're good at playing that game, and I've played them in multiple series ... It feels like they're doing more but (they're) getting more penalties (to go on the power play), so they're good at that.' 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Stanley Cup Oilers Panthers Hockey Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) watches as a shot by center Carter Verhaeghe enters the goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the first period of Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup final Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (Lynne Sladky/AP) If there's any solace in Monday's loss for the Oilers, it's that they've experienced such a low before. Just last year against the very same team in the very same high-stakes final series, never mind in other series leading up to the Final both this year and last. Face it, the Oilers faced even longer odds last June while staring down the barrel of a three-games-to-none gun held by these very same opponents. Ekholm said his team has 'played better this year to start the first three than we did last year.' 'Obviously, the result shows that, but also, we have a better understanding of what needs to be done out there,' he said. 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Winnipeg Free Press
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