Oilers' Jake Walman makes bold guarantee after Stanley Cup Final Game 5 disaster
The post Oilers' Jake Walman makes bold guarantee after Stanley Cup Final Game 5 disaster appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Edmonton Oilers had recovered home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final with an improbable Game 4 comeback, beating the Florida Panthers in overtime after being down 3-0 after one period. In Game 5, however, Edmonton was unable to keep that momentum going.
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Florida suffocated the Western Conference champs right from luck drop on Saturday night in Edmonton, racing out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and running away with a 5-2 victory to take a 3-2 series lead and move within one win of winning the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year.
Despite the mess that was Game 5 and the fact that the Oilers are heading back to Florida for Game 6 on the road, defenseman Jake Walman is still confident that Edmonton hasn't played its last game in front of its home crowd, via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic.
'This was always going to be a long series,' Walman said. 'We're going to come back here after a game there, and that's it. There's no doubt.'
After seeming to find some answers near the end of Game 4, especially on offense, the Oilers had nothing for the defending champs in Game 5 at home. The Panthers limited their shots and opportunities throughout, and that allowed them to control most of the game.
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Still, the Oilers have proven that they can win on the road in this series even when they look down and out. The series seemed close to over after the first period of Game 4 with the Panthers poised to take a 3-1 series lead before Edmonton came all the way back and silenced the crowd with an incredible Houdini act.
If the Oilers want to get their revenge on the Panthers from last year's Cup Final loss and lift the trophy on their side this year, they will have to find some solutions to beat this elite Panthers squad two times in a row. The first test will come on the road in Game 6 on Tuesday night before a possible Game 7 back in Edmonton on Friday.
Related: Edmonton Oilers most to blame for Stanley Cup Final Game 5 dud vs. Panthers
Related: NHL fan goes viral for Oilers-Panthers jersey change during Stanley Cup Final Game 5
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New York Times
18 minutes ago
- New York Times
Where do the Oilers and Panthers rank among the greatest repeat Stanley Cup Final matchups?
Are you enjoying the rematch between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers? I'm guessing you are, since it's already getting some buzz as one of the greatest Stanley Cup Finals of the cap era. This comes one year after our own Chris Johnston ranked the 2024 edition as the best final of the era before it was even over. Advertisement So yeah, it's fair to say these two teams work well together. Sometimes, with the right matchup, that just happens. Where it's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese, or Bret Hart and Steve Austin, some pairings just make magic together. And that can be true even if it takes a little while to get them back together. As luck would have it, the Oilers and Panthers are the tenth iteration of the same two teams meeting in multiple Stanley Cup Final since the start of the expansion era in 1968. So today, let's put together a ranking of all ten of those pairings, from worst to best, based on how entertaining the resulting series was. The Panthers and Oilers are at a disadvantage here, since their second series hasn't ended yet. But I'm guessing they're still going to rank pretty high, and might even end up taking the crown. Let's find out… First matchup: In 1968, the two teams met in a matchup pitting an established powerhouse against an expansion team. Predictably, the Canadiens swept the series in four games, none of which anyone alive today has any recollection of. Second matchup: In 1969, the two teams met in a matchup pitting an established powerhouse against a recent expansion team. Predictably, the Canadiens swept the series in four games, none of which anyone alive today has any recollection of. Were they classics?: It's subtle, but I tipped my hand in the previous two sections. No, these were not classics. You could make a case that they're among the worst Stanley Cup Finals of the expansion era, although the first meeting at least had a couple of overtimes. Star power: This wasn't the most star-studded Canadiens team ever, but they did feature names like Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer and Serge Savard, as well as a young Rogie Vachon and an old Gump Worsley between the pipes. The Blues were basically team 'Red Berenson and pray for rain,' although they did have Glenn Hall in goal, and he was even backed up by Jacques Plante in the second meeting. Advertisement Controversy: Why are we letting an expansion team have a guaranteed path to the final? It would take the NHL one more year to fix that, resulting in a 1970 final that we'll see a bit further down the list. Most memorable moment: It probably came off the ice, as Canadiens legend Toe Blake announced his retirement from coaching shortly after the 1968 final ended. Bottom line: It's always nice when these sorts of rankings have at least one spot everyone can agree on. First matchup: In 1988, the Oilers swept the Bruins in five games. Second matchup: In a rematch two years later, the Bruins managed to win a game, but once again lost the series in five. Were they classics?: They were not. Star power: In addition to most of the Oilers legends (although Wayne Gretzky was gone by 1990), you had Boston's Ray Bourque in the first two finals of his career. We didn't know it at the time, but these series would be important building blocks for Bourque's OGWAC story. Also, the 1990 Conn Smythe winner was Oilers goalie Bill Ranford, which is fun because the Bruins had traded him to Edmonton a few years before. Controversy: Did you catch the part about the 1988 series being a five-game sweep? Yeah, this was the year that the lights went out in Boston during Game 4. The game was tied at the time, so the league just moved on to holding Game 5 in Edmonton as scheduled. The result didn't go into the books as an official tie, but the game and its stats did count. Most memorable moment: It wasn't an especially competitive rivalry, but at least they did give us a triple-OT game. That was Game 1 of the 1990 final, with Petr Klima going from the doghouse to the hero. Bottom line: Not great by any stretch, but at least the 1990 edition was weirdly memorable. First matchup: The Canadiens won their second straight Cup in 1977, sweeping the Bruins in four straight. Advertisement Second matchup: The rematch came a year later and saw the Bruins put up a better fight. But Montreal still won, this time in six. Were they classics?: First things first – remember, we said we were only doing the post-expansion era, which is why these two teams only account for two matchups. They've faced each other in the final on five other occasions from before 1968, with the Candiens winning every one of them. As far as 1977 and 1978, no, they weren't classics (even though these two teams were capable of one, as we'll see in a minute). Star power: Those late-70s Canadiens were stacked, with names like Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson and Ken Dryden. The Bruins weren't as star-studded, although they still had Hall of Famers like Brad Park, Gerry Cheevers and a 40-something Johnny Bucyk. Oh, and the coaching matchup was Scotty Bowman and Don Cherry. Controversy: Cherry let the refs have it in 1978, accusing them of favoring Montreal by only calling coincidental minors instead of giving Boston power plays. Most memorable moment: Mention these two teams from this era, and everyone remembers their classic Game 7 that featured the too-many-men call leading to the Canadiens' OT comeback win. One problem, at least for our purposes: That one came in the 1979 semi-final, not one of the finals. We'll probably have to settle for Jacques Lemaire's OT Cup-winner in 1977. Bottom line: This is arguably the NHL's greatest rivalry, including more Stanley Cup Final matchups than any other pairing. But through our post-1968 lens, featuring just these two series, they're just OK. First matchup: The up-and-coming Oilers got their first shot at a Cup in 1983 against the Islanders, who'd won three straight at that point. They made it four, delivering a strong message in a surprising sweep. Advertisement Second matchup: The rematch came one year later and this time it was the Oilers who flexed, winning in five to take the throne as the NHL's new dynasty. Were they classics?: In the big picture, maybe you'd call them that, as there may have never been a more dramatic torch-passing between two rivalries. But the series themselves were duds. Star power: Overwhelming, with the Islanders featuring Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier while the Oilers had Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Mark Messier. Mix in Hall-of-Fame goalies Grant Fuhr and Billy Smith, and Glen Sather and Al Arbour behind the benches, and there may not be a pairing that can match this one. Controversy: We sometimes say a goalie is playing out of his mind, and in Smith's case, we could mean it in more ways than one. He was great, winning the Conn Smythe in 1983. He was also a stick-swinging maniac, which added to the drama. Let's just say Sam Bennett's crease-crashing act might have played out just a bit differently if he'd tried it on 1983-era Billy Smith. Most memorable moment: Befitting a pair of series that didn't really deliver on the ice, this one happened in the hallways. According to legend, members of the losing Oilers didn't truly understand what it took to win the Cup until they walked by the dressing room of the victorious Islanders and saw how beaten up the champs were. Did this actually happen? Probably not, but fans love it, so it's become the sort of lore nobody challenges. (Until one of you sends it in for the next Contrarian.) Bottom line: All the elements were there for a legendary final or two. We did not get those, and have to settle for symbolism and urban legends. First matchup: In 1986, the Canadiens rode rookie Patrick Roy to a five-game win. Advertisement Second matchup: Three years later, the Flames got their revenge, winning their first (and still only) Cup by beating the Canadiens in six in the 1989 final. Were they classics?: Both series were good, but probably fall just short of true classic status. Star power: The first Calgary team had Lanny McDonald and Al MacInnis, and added classic Flames names like Joe Nieuwendyk, Theo Fleury and Doug Gilmour for the rematch. Meanwhile, the Canadiens were built from the back end, featuring Larry Robinson and Chris Chelios on both teams. And of course, the goaltending matchup featured Hall of Famers Roy and Mike Vernon, making these two series the second and third most famous Roy vs. Vernon battles. Controversy: There was an 'appalling' postgame brawl in the 1986 series that featured some biting, and saw the league hammer the teams with fines. Most memorable moment: For the Canadiens, I'd go with Brian Skrudland's record-setting goal nine seconds into overtime. For the Flames, it was more about finally seeing McDonald get to hold the Cup. Bottom line: Back then, it was nice to see teams other than the Oilers or Islanders in a final. And in hindsight, these were the last two all-Canadian finals we may ever see. First matchup: In 1970, the Bruins took over from the Canadiens as the established team that would sweep the expansion Blues in the final. Second matchup: Almost five decades later, the Blues got their revenge by beating the Bruins in seven to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2019. Were they classics?: The first meeting, not so much. The second series did go to seven, but probably falls just short of being one of the true greats of the modern era. Star power: Decent but not overwhelming. The 1970 Bruins were built around legends Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, while the 2019 edition had names like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand. But the Blues don't really carry their end of their bargain here, with even the 2019 winners being more than the sum of their parts. Advertisement Controversy: There was a missed tripping call in the 2019 final that was bad even by NHL playoff officiating standards. Most memorable moment: Somewhat surprisingly, it comes from the 1970 final instead of the far more recent (and far better) series. Even though some would argue that it remains one of the NHL's most overrated moments, it has to be Orr's flying Cup winner. Bottom line: This is the longest gap between series we'll see on this list, and you have to appreciate long-term booking. And it was worth the wait, with one seven-game series and another that at least produced a historic moment. First matchup: The first came in 1985. In a rare meeting of the two top teams in the regular-season standings, rookie coach Mike Keenan led his league-topping Flyers against the defending champs and won the opener, only to see the Oilers win out to take the series in five. Second matchup: Two years later, we got a rematch in which the Oilers were heavy favorites. But the Flyers gave them all they could handle, taking them to a seventh game before losing. Were they classics?: The first, no, but you could make an argument that the 1987 series was. Star power: The Oilers were stacked. The 1985 Flyers were not, with one Hall of Famer (Mark Howe) and a handful of Hall of Very Good guys like Tim Kerr and Brian Propp; their leading scorer in the final that year was 20-year-old winger Derrick Smith. The 1987 team wasn't much different, although rookie goalie Ron Hextall stole the show, winning the Conn Smythe in a losing cause. Controversy: Lots of rough stuff, as you'd expect from these two teams in that era. But my favorite controversy came in the 1985 series, when the Flyers' radical idea of letting their goalies have a water bottle on top of the net resulted in Glen Sather threatening to pull the Oilers off the ice while demanding to know whether buckets of fried chicken were next. Most memorable moment: It would be the Game 7, and probably Glenn Anderson's slapper to seal the Oilers' title. Bottom line: The Oilers sure seem to love showing up on this list. This was the best of the three options from the 1980s dynasty. First matchup: In 1971, the Canadiens followed a so-so season by upsetting the Black Hawks in seven games. Second matchup: Two years later, the teams met again, this time with Montreal the heavy favorite. They won the Cup in six. (By the way: No, you're not catching a repeated typo – they were called the Black Hawks and not the Blackhawks back then.) Advertisement Were they classics?: Pretty close. I'm not sure modern fans remember these meetings all that well, but they gave us 13 games, almost all of them close. Star power: High. We've already met most of those early '70s Canadiens up above, and they'd just added Frank Mahovlich. Meanwhile, the Hawks had Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito, plus Bobby Hull in the first meeting. Controversy: There was a big one on the Montreal side in 1971, with coach Al MacNeil benching captain Henri Richard, who responded by calling his own coach 'incompetent' while the series was still going on. It led to MacNeil becoming the only coach to be fired right after winning a Cup. Most memorable moment: It's probably the Richard/MacNeil feud, but let's work in a mention of the Black Hawks beating the Canadiens 8-7 in Game 5 of the 1973 final, which still stands as the highest-scoring final game ever. Bottom line: I'm not trying to go all old-man on you kids out there, but these are two underrated finals that deserve more respect. First matchup: Last year, the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before the Oilers fought back to force a Game 7 and everyone freaked out. It ruled. Second matchup: We're five games in as I write this, with three games being overtime classics and the other two being impressive-but-forgettable Panthers wins. Were they classics?: I'd put the first series in that category for sure. The rematch is still to be determined, although an Oilers win in Game 6 would set the table nicely. Star power: Well, both series have featured the best player in the world, who may someday even be placed in the context of being the single greatest player in the history of the sport. And in addition to Playoff Sam Bennett, there's also Connor McDavid. Plus Leon Draisaitl, Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Evan Bouchard, Sergei Bobrovsky, Brad Marchand dropping in for the rematch … you know what, I'm going to give this one a yes. Advertisement Controversy: We've had a disputed interference review, some water bottle hijinks and even some warmup weirdness with the backup goalies. But given that the Panthers and Corey Perry and Evander Kane are all involved, we've miraculously avoided anything all that bad, which means that … oh no, I just jinxed it, didn't I? I apologize to everyone for what's about to happen. Most memorable moment: If you're an Oilers fan, you're hoping it's still on the way. For now, there's been a ton of fun moments to choose from on the ice. But I really think the most memorable of them all might be McDavid's meltdown after last year's Game 3, especially since in hindsight we know it almost worked. Bottom line: I'm hesitant to rank this pairing as number one, since I'm a bit wary of recency bias and we still don't know how this year's series will end. But it's already way up the list, and we could be a few days from it moving up even further. First matchup: It came in 2008, with the veteran Red Wings holding off the up-and-coming Penguins in six games. Second matchup: The rematch came one year later, and this time the Penguins did just enough to flip the script, winning in seven. Were they classics?: They were borderline at the time, and I'd argue they only look better with a bit of distance and some historical context. Star power: Plenty, with the Red Wings still having Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk while the Penguins had Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang coming into their primes. Mix in the fun Marian Hossa factor, and even Dominik Hasek sitting on the Wings bench, and it feels like a snapshot of hockey history. Controversy: Aside from the usual questions about close calls, there wasn't much aside from a weird mix-up in one of the handshake lines. Most memorable moment: Fleury robbing Lidstrom in the dying seconds of Game 7 might be the single greatest ending to a Stanley Cup Final ever. Bottom line: It doesn't get much better than this. But check back in a few days. (Photo of Brad Marchand and Mattias Ekholm: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
CNN
26 minutes ago
- CNN
Lewis Hamilton ‘so sad' after hitting groundhog during Canadian Grand Prix as George Russell claims win
When seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton suffered damage to his car during the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, the cause wasn't initially clear. The Ferrari driver, who had started fifth on the grid, knew something had happened after suddenly losing pace early in the race but was only later told that he had hit a groundhog. The impact with the animal had damaged the floor of Hamilton's car which cost the 40-year-old around half a second per lap, resulting in a sixth placed finish. But speaking after the race, Hamilton – a vegan and animal rights activist – appeared more upset by the collision than the result. 'I didn't see it happen, but I heard I hit a groundhog, so that's devastating,' he told Sky Sports. 'I love animals, so I'm so sad about it. It's horrible. It's never happened to me here before.' Groundhogs are common at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, but it was nevertheless frustrating for Hamilton who ended up nowhere near the front of the race. Instead, it was a lonely Grand Prix for the Ferrari driver who also suffered problems with the car's brakes. 'It was feeling pretty decent until (hitting the groundhog). I got a good start, held position, and I was holding onto the group. I was managing the tires well. I was feeling optimistic,' Hamilton added. 'Given that, then we had a brake issue halfway through (the race) as well, then we stayed out probably too long in the first stop, came out behind traffic and it went from one thing to another, so I'm grateful that I could just finish, particularly with the brake issue I had and bag those points.' Meanwhile, fellow Brit George Russell had a far more positive experience in Montreal, claiming his first race win of the season. The Mercedes driver had started on pole and held the advantage for much of the race, holding off Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the process – the Dutchman was content with his second-placed finish. The pair have locked horns continually this season, but it was Russell who got the better of their fierce rivalry on Sunday. Russell's Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli also finished third in what was a brilliant day for the team. 'It's amazing to be back on the top step,' Russell said after the win. 'To get the victory and see Kimi (Antonelli) on the podium, too, is an amazing day for the team. I think it shows the strength of our cars in the cooler conditions, so let's see in the coming races.' The race, though, will likely be remembered for the pair of McLaren cars colliding during the final stages. Lando Norris attempted multiple times to overtake teammate Oscar Piastri with four laps remaining, going wheel-to-wheel in a tense exchange. The battle ended up with Norris making contact with Piastri's rear-tire, causing him to crash into the wall, ending his own race. Piastri also suffered damage to his car but managed to pit during the subsequent safety car lap and hold onto fourth place. 'I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me,' Norris could be heard saying over the team radio straight after the collision. He later told Sky Sports that there was 'no one to blame but myself.' 'I apologize to the whole team and to Oscar (Piastri) as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly,' he added. The two McLarens are currently first and second in the F1 driver's championship, with Piastri widening the gap between himself and teammate Norris to 22 points after Sunday's incident. Speaking after the race, though, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was less than impressed with that accident. 'We never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident and definitely not contact between our two cars,' he said. 'This is a situation we know is not acceptable. At the same time, we appreciate that Lando immediately owned it.' Drivers will now head to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.
San Francisco Chronicle
28 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Connor McDavid is producing in the Stanley Cup Final, but is it enough for the Oilers?
It took until 13 minutes left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for Connor McDavid to score his first goal of the series, and it was after he and the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, on the way to losing and getting pushed to the brink. Before that, he led all scorers with six assists, and only teammate Leon Draisaitl has more points than McDavid's seven. Of course, the best hockey player in the world is in the spotlight no matter what he does, and he hasn't been able to break out and put the Oilers on his back thanks in large part to Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers keying in on him defensively and slowing him down at all costs. Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a bit of an unfortunate final for McDavid given the amount of scoring chances that just haven't gone in. 'I think Connor's been one of our best players every single night, and that's what we expect,' Knoblauch said Sunday. 'I've got no issues with his game. Obviously, our team relies heavily on him and Leon and how they're playing, but I think that it's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be a midseason game against a non-playoff team when sometimes he's had 10 or 12 scoring chances. Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like Florida.' The Panthers have defended McDavid and Draisaitl 'reasonably well," according to coach Paul Maurice, who acknowledged two of the NHL's most talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities. Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been tasked with playing against McDavid, perhaps to the detriment of offense. That's the job, so Reinhart was noticeably upset to give up that late goal Saturday night. "I'm upset every time they get a goal," Reinhart told reporters in Edmonton. "It's a team effort defending guys like that. We've known all series the challenge is there for us. No one really cares in our locker room who's producing each night. It's just a matter that someone is at the right times. And that's what we've had.' McDavid led all scorers through three rounds playing with Zach Hyman on his right wing. Hyman's right wrist was dislocated with ligaments torn on a hit late in the Western Conference final, and left winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed injury during a stretch against Florida. Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together — the so-called 'nuclear option' — has not been used as often because Hyman isn't around. 'With the absence of Zach Hyman, it makes it more difficult putting those two together because of the depth of our lineup,' Knoblauch said. 'With what we have right now, to run those two together for long periods of time makes it more difficult for our depth on our team.' That puts even more pressure on McDavid in Game 6 on Tuesday night to keep the series going, as the Panthers again focus on preventing him from doing anything of the sort.
