Oilers GM Defends Team Goalies After Second Stanley Cup Loss
The Edmonton Oilers fell short in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year to the Florida Panthers, but general manager Stan Bowman isn't blaming the crease.
Advertisement
Despite a postseason save percentage of .888 across Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, Bowman argued that Edmonton's goaltending gave them an edge in three of four rounds.
"Just this playoff run is a perfect example," Bowman said. "In three of the four rounds, we had better goaltending than our opponent. You look at (Los Angeles Kings' Darcy) Kuemper, (Vegas Golden Knights goalie) Adin Hill, and (Dallas Stars' Jake) Oettinger, our goalies were better than theirs in each of those series."
"I think that's the reason we went to the final."
Edmonton's tandem was outplayed by Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky in the Final, and Bowman acknowledged his greatness.
Advertisement
"I'm not disputing that in the final Bobrovsky was excellent," Bowman said. "He made a lot of big saves when we had chances early in games, and we didn't get the lead."
"Credit to him, or our players needed to pick the corners better. Like, it's one of the two."
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) congratulates goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 at T-Mobile Arena.Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
For those asking for a change between the Oilers' pipes, Bowman pointed to the limited supply of elite options league-wide as the reason it's going to be hard to upgrade in net.
'The way the reality of the world is, it's not like you just go down to the corner and pick up an elite goalie,' Bowman said. 'They're not just waiting for you to join your team, right? How many are there anyway in that group?'
Advertisement
The general manager, however, admitted changes will happen and impact the roster, mostly regarding the forward lines and possibly the goalie rotation.
'We're going to examine not just our goalies, but our whole team,' Bowman said. 'It could involve the goaltending, it could not.'
Related: NHL Makes Historic Connor McDavid Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final
Related: Brad Marchand Thanks 18 Teams for Helping Panthers Win Stanley Cup
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
WWE's weekly shows have a DQ problem — and the data shows it's only getting worse
Are there too many disqualification finishes in WWE? Readers of our weekly 'Raw' and 'SmackDown' round-ups will know that Uncrowned's Drake Riggs certainly thinks so. In fact, he's become so sick of the apparently repetitive finishes that he's occasionally resorted to compiling his own "DQ of the Week" award to name-and-shame the worst offenders. Of course, anyone who's watched WWE since before the Netflix era knows that DQ finishes are nothing new. Wrestlers have been getting themselves penalized for breaking the rules for longer than referees have been wearing striped shirts. But there's definitely a sense online that a certain type of DQ/interference finish has become more common in recent months — particularly when a certain faction is around. We get that Seth Rollins and his outriders — now known as 'The Vision' — are supposed to be the most dominant grouping in the WWE, with a duo of enforcers who like dishing out beatings for their own sake. But do they have to make that point repeatedly by constantly ambushing their opponents during each other's matches? Particularly when the same thing happens again the very next week… Indeed as I watched the same dance unfold on this week's 'Raw' during the Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker match, it got me thinking: What does the data say about this supposed plague of DQs? According to WWE's official results data, we've had 322 matches thus far across the two weekly shows this year, of which 32 have finished in a DQ (about 10%). That's almost double the rate of 2024 (when we saw 29 DQs in 512 matches — or 5.7%) and quite significantly more than two years ago (when we had 20 DQs in 534 matches — just 3.7%). Interestingly, though, the jump isn't anywhere near as big when you roll the clock back into the depths of the latter Vince McMahon era. Back in 2021, the DQ rate on the weekly shows was 8% — the same as in 2016 and 2019. It isn't quite the 1-in-10 that we're seeing this year, of course, but it's not the sort of difference that should really be noticeable unless you're making a point of keeping score. At this point, it's worth addressing some other pertinent factors. If we're going on the overall viewing experience, we should take account of the fact that the overall number of matches on the weekly shows has dropped during the Triple H/TKO era. The effect is particularly pronounced on "Raw," where we've reached an average of just 4.4 matches per week, compared to 5.7 last year and 7.1 in 2021, partly to create space for more commercial content. The numbers on 'SmackDown' are less dramatic, due to the fact that most of the shows were three-hour programs this year rather than two, which meant more matches to fill time. That Triple H prefers slimmer match cards is hardly news by this point. But when you factor in the combination of fewer matches and an increase in DQ finishes, you can see why some viewers are growing increasingly frustrated at the number of matches that don't end with a clear winner. If it's inconclusive finishes that are the problem, it's also worth factoring in the number of matches that are declared a 'no contest' in WWE's official results lists. While these aren't technically counted as DQs, in many cases they might as well be — particularly when they involve multiple run-ins and interferences. If you include those matches too, then the number of non-finishes on 'Raw' and 'SmackDown' rises to an immense 14%. If we're just looking at August, the number is even higher with 22% of all matches ending in either a disqualification or a chaotic run-in situation. That's just short of one in four matches. Of course, not every DQ is alike and some can be entertaining in their own right. I doubt many fans complained about John Cena tossing CM Punk through a table in order to set up a Pipe Bomb tribute, for example. But a big problem flagged up in our weekly reviews isn't just the volume of DQs, but the fact that so many seem to be similar. Just look at the last few weeks of "Raw," where we saw three consecutive main events (July 28, August 4 and August 11) called off due to some form of interference involving 'The Vision' and their opponents. When you have that many repetitive finishes, it makes you feel like these 'Raw' main events are really just treading water. In fairness, these kinds of DQ clusters aren't new either. Both iterations of The Bloodline have also been responsible for their fair share of DQs over the past few years, as have The Judgment Day. It isn't always factions, either: Back in 2022, there was a string of DQ finishes involving Austin Theory, then being pushed as the next great heel by Vince McMahon. But then there are the DQs that just reek of indecision, due to WWE's reluctance to have their big names suffer a defeat. The fact that Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer has ended in a non-finish on two separate occasions this year, for example — would it be really so bad just to have one of them take the loss, rather than opting for another interference finish? Of course, booking trends can change and it may be that we're looking at very different numbers in a year's time. Yet as things stand, we can confirm that the DQ problem is indeed very real. Almost one in four 'Raw' matches ending in a dusty finish over the past several weeks — surely we deserve better than that?
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
MLS dominates Liga MX in Leagues Cup, but does it really prove which league is stronger?
This year was supposed to be different. The Leagues Cup format was modified before this summer's tournament, guaranteeing all four quarterfinals would pit teams from Liga MX against teams from Major League Soccer. That is, of course, the essence of the tournament, started in 2019 but fully implemented in 2023. Despite the changes, the results are the same: MLS teams have dominated, winning all four quarterfinals Wednesday night and setting up a final four that will feature familiar matchups — the Clásico del Sol match between Inter Miami and Orlando City in one semifinal and the Seattle Sounders against the LA Galaxy. Both teams already played league games against each other earlier this month. The prize at the end of the competition are places in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the regional club championship, to the top three finishers. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Yet, it is Mexican clubs' performance in that tournament that shows the "gap" between leagues may not be closing as fast as MLS' boosters hope. MLS teams regularly struggle to get past Liga MX sides in CCC play, which takes place in two-legged ties that sees each team host one game, with the winner on aggregate score advancing. The Seattle Sounders are into the semifinals after a shootout win Wednesday night against Puebla and a sterling Phase One in which they beat all three Liga MX teams they faced. That included a 7-0 romp over Cruz Azul. The teams had met earlier this year in the CCC, with the Sounders fighting to a scoreless draw at home before falling 4-1 to the eventual champion of the competition. That illustrates the difference between what has happened the last three years in Leagues Cup and what has happened over the last two decades in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. MLS teams are beginning to compete more regularly — the Sounders' title win in 2022 remains the only non-Mexican team win in the modern era but an MLS team has made it to each of the last two finals. Yet, MLS teams still struggle in Mexico, facing not only high-quality teams but doing it in intimidating atmospheres — and often coping with the high altitude of Toluca, Mexico City or Pachuca. Toluca manager Antonio Mohamed just guided his team to the Liga MX title and won the Campeon de Campeones match, played against the other winner of the short tournament in Liga MX's system that sees a 17-week season contested every six months. But with Leagues Cup taking place entirely outside of Mexico, Mohamed feels the great equalizer would be to make MLS teams hit the road. 'If we played there, we'd have a more clear parameter in the sense that each team is at home, eating, not having to come here for 10-15 days to play three matches. It's no coincidence that the four MLS teams that were always at home went through comfortably,' Mohamed said after his team's shootout defeat to Orlando City. 'They're at home, we're going from one hotel to another, traveling. 'I think it makes a big difference. The other difference is that MLS does have great players, great teams and has balanced a ton. Since everything is so equal, the conditions for everyone have to be equal as well.' Leagues Cup organizers have taken strides to make things more comfortable for traveling Mexican clubs. Mohamed's own team benefited from "hosting" at a neutral site, playing Orlando in Southern California rather than in Florida. Teams that perform well in previous campaigns are rewarded with the chance to select hub sites where they have a strong fan base and play matches in those areas rather than crisscrossing the U.S. The tournament also has been shaved down when it comes to the number of consecutive days it takes place. Teams like Toluca previously had to spend a full month away from home in the U.S. but this year participated in a week-long Phase One, then returned to Mexico and played Liga MX matches before Wednesday's quarterfinals. It isn't just about site and the comforts of home. MLS teams long have complained about the timing of some CCC matches. With a season that starts in early spring, MLS teams often play their first CCC match before opening league play, while Mexican clubs are already settled and in rhythm. While Liga MX's Apertura season had started before Leagues Cup kicked off, it was only three weeks old and, with the transfer window still open, teams are still in flux. Some Mexican teams welcome the challenge and entered this year's Leagues Cup with hopes of being the first Liga MX team to finish in the top three — and secure the CCC place that comes with a podium finish. 'We know what the rules are. We know we'll always be visitors. It's no excuse. We know we've got less rest, have traveled more kilometers than them, that's how the tournament is,' Pachuca manager Jaime Lozano said after his team's 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy. 'I think we've got to compete against that. I see it as an opportunity to compete internationally, to measure ourselves against other systems, another soccer culture.' Leagues Cup is a fun tournament, made to feel even more madcap by its rejection of ties. Matches level after 90 minutes go directly to a penalty shootout. Yet, even as fans look for a larger sample size as they debate which league is the strongest in North America, it cannot be the only barometer. MLS and its teams are the undisputed kings of Leagues Cup. Liga MX and its clubs are the undisputed kings of the CCC. Both will be eager to change that and try to exert true regional domination. Until then, fans will be able to relish the moments when their preferred team or league is on top, and to enjoy the continued showdowns the rival leagues are sure to continue to contest.
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
Ravens' Harbaugh says there's 'no damage' to Lamar Jackson's foot after it was stepped on
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh says star quarterback Lamar Jackson is 'fine' after his foot was stepped on this week. That's the same thing the Ravens told reporters Wednesday, but after Jackson wasn't at practice Thursday, Harbaugh was understandably asked for an update. 'Got his foot stepped on, like we said yesterday,' Harbaugh said. 'They did a quick X-ray, and there's no damage or anything like that. I'm sure it's a little sore today, so we just kept him in, but he's fine. He's going to be good.' The Ravens play at Washington on Saturday, but Jackson hasn't appeared in a preseason game since 2021 and there was no sign that would change this year. Baltimore opens the regular season at Buffalo on Sept. 7. ___ AP NFL:
