'We haven't decided': Will Oilers go with Pickard or Skinner?
This in from TSN's Ryan Rishaug, his question of Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch on which goalies the Edmonton Oilers will go with in Game Four of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard.
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Global News
4 minutes ago
- Global News
Marchand, Bennett too hot for Oilers to handle in Game 5 of Stanley Cup final
Driving the Florida Panthers attack in the playoffs is a player in his NHL prime and another acting like he is. 28-year-old Sam Bennett and 37-year-old Brad Marchand continued to be too much for the Oilers to handle in the Stanley Cup final in Florida's 5-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Marchand scored twice Saturday — Florida's first and third goals — to reach half a dozen goals in the Cup final. Florida's second goal of the game was Bennett's fifth of the Cup final and his NHL-leading 15th of the post-season. The Panthers can close out the series at home Tuesday and become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champions since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. A new ingredient for the Panthers this post-season, however, is the five-foot-nine, 180-pound Marchand, who Florida acquired at the trade deadline after his almost 16 years with the Boston Bruins. Story continues below advertisement Marchand's six goals was the most by any player in the championship series since Esa Tikkanen in 1988. 1:43 Edmonton Oilers fans embrace rituals, superstitions during playoffs Marchand, from Halifax, seeks the second Stanley Cup of his career after lifting the trophy with the Boston Bruins in 2011 at the age of 23. He reached another two Cup finals with Boston before he was dealt to Florida this winter. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy When asked what the 2011 edition of Brad Marchand would say to his 2025 version, he replied 'man, that guy's good looking.' 'Sometimes you get bounces, sometimes you don't but definitely you'd be grateful to be in this opportunity and have another opportunity to be in the finals and be part of a really good team for sure,' Marchand continued. Bennett, from Holland Landing, Ont., pushed his road goal streak to six straight games when he wired a rebound past Edmonton's Calvin Pickard to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead in the first period. Story continues below advertisement A front-runner for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy that goes to the NHL's playoff MVP, Bennett ranks second in post-season in hits (103) to Edmonton's Zach Hyman (111). 'We've talked about it so much,' said Bennett's teammate Sam Reinhart. 'It's just his game translates so well to this time of year. He creates so much room for himself.' Marchand and Bennett each with five, or more, goals apiece in the Cup final are the first teammates to do so since Montreal's Frank Mahovlich and Yvan Cournoyer in 1973. 'They're just certainly capable of processing the context of the game,' Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. 'They don't get too high, they don't go too low. Their energy level is high, and they're very focused on the game. 'There's a mental toughness there, a mental capacity to stay within the game and not try to break it open. Just wait. Patience.' The ageless Marchand scored both his goals off draws that Edmonton won, but he got to the puck first and beat Oilers to the net to score twice. 'What he can do under duress in a small area is world class,' Maurice said.
Winnipeg Free Press
16 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oilers seek more early goals to avoid Game 6 elimination in Stanley Cup final
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers' quest for a Stanley Cup would be less uphill if they could strike first in a game in the series, says their coach. The Florida Panthers have outscored the Oilers 7-0 in the first period in three straight games of the Cup final, and 11-4 in first periods overall in the series. Edmonton trails the best-of-seven championship series 3-2 heading into Tuesday's Game 6 in Sunrise, Fla., where the defending champion Panthers will complete a Cup repeat if the Oilers can't wrest the series home to Edmonton on Friday. Early deficits and chasing Florida need to be reined in for the Oilers to avoid elimination a second straight year at the hands of the Panthers, said Kris Knoblauch on Sunday. 'Capitalizing early would be something that would be very good for us,' was an understatement by the head coach. 'I know numerous starts of games we've had quality chances very early in the games. 'If we're able to capitalize on those, playing with the lead early in the game would alleviate the pressure. We just have to be ready to start. That's so important.' After Connor Brown's semi-breakaway 29 seconds into Saturday's 5-2 loss at Rogers Place, Edmonton didn't register another shot on net for the next eight minutes. Within seconds of the Oilers launching their first two salvos on Sergei Bobrovsky, the ice suddenly tilted in the Panthers' favour. Brad Marchand was quicker to the puck off a neutral-zone faceoff the Oilers won. He beat Mattias Ekholm inside to get to goalie Calvin Pickard, and Edmonton was chasing again. The Oilers may be the comeback kings of the 2025 playoffs with eight come-from-behind wins, but going to that well again in a Cup elimination game Tuesday against the defending champions is a low-odds scenario, and also didn't happen Saturday. 'It'd be nice to have that lead and play with that, just knowing that they have to open things up when they're trailing,' Knoblauch said. The combination of a short turnaround and the travel between Thursday's Game 4 in Sunrise and Saturday's Game 5 in Edmonton further impeded the Oilers' chances of another comeback victory. Both teams get a longer breather ahead of Tuesday's Game 6, but the Oilers arguably need more time to top up the tank. The Panthers up 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 early in the third Saturday were able to hold their top three producers — Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Marchand — to a combined 45 minutes of ice time compared to Edmonton's top trio of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and defenceman Evan Bouchard at a combined 76 minutes. McDavid scored his first goal of the Cup final to cut the deficit to two goals in the third period. He and Draisaitl are the NHL playoff co-leaders at 33 points apiece. The Oilers need McDavid's offensive wizardry Tuesday while the Panthers will try to take away the captain's time and space. 'There's been a lot of good scoring chances for him,' Knoblauch said. 'I've got no issues with his game. 'Our team relies heavily on him and Leon and how they're playing. It's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be a mid-season game against a non-playoff team when there's sometimes (McDavid) has had 10 or 12 scoring chances. 'Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like Florida but I think Connor's been one of our best players every single night and that's what we expect.' Knoblauch didn't reveal Sunday whether Pickard or Stuart Skinner would be his Game 6 starter. Pickard stopped 14 of 18 shots after 22 of 23 in relief of Skinner in Edmonton's Game 4 overtime win. The coach stated his choice of goalie was 'not an easy decision', but acknowledged life would also be easier on either netminder if the Oilers weren't trying to get up off the mat early. 'It'd be nice to get some goal support and last night was a case where we were having difficulty generating offence,' Knoblauch said. The Panthers beat the Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 to win the 2024 Stanley Cup. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Florida led the series 3-0 before the Oilers won three straight to send it back to Sunrise. 'Certainly, the context changes when you get this close, but having a bit of an experience does matter,' Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. 'It does help in this. We were all pretty wired after Game 3 last year, and I think we can handle that a bit better now.' The Panthers can become the first franchise to clinch each of their first two championships on home ice since the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
29 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oilers dealing with Stanley Cup Final goalie debate. Panthers, 1 win from repeating, have Bobrovsky
When the Edmonton Oilers face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard will lead them on to the ice as their starting goaltender. The defending champion Panthers have no such debate. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky has started 63 consecutive playoff games going back to early in the playoffs in 2023, and he is a big reason they are on the cusp of winning a second consecutive title. 'He puts so much time into his focus and his ability and then the experience that he has, so there's a calmness that comes with Sergei that's spread throughout the team,' coach Paul Maurice said Sunday. 'He's the incredible, elite player that gets totally underappreciated: taken for granted, I guess, by us because he's so consistent with his game.' Bobrovsky has stopped 165 of the 181 shots on net during the final, allowing 16 goals with a save percentage of .912. Skinner and Pickard have combined to stop 141 of 163, allowing 22 with respective save percentages of .860 and .878. Many of those goals scored by Florida and allowed by Edmonton had more to do with the skaters in front of whoever is in the crease, hence a rotating door at hockey's most important position in the final. Skinner started the first four, Pickard entered Game 4 and won in relief, then lost Game 5. Skinner will probably get the nod in Game 6, but coach Kris Knoblauch is not saying which way he's leaning. 'It's not an easy decision,' Knoblauch said. 'We've got two goalies that have shown that they can play extremely well, win hockey games and we feel that no matter who we choose, they can win the game.' That confidence is even stronger around the Panthers, given how steady Bobrovsky has been. Even though Game 5 turned into a rout, Maurice credited the goalie known as 'Bob' for a handful of important early saves to make it possible. It is something Bobrovsky has done all series, all playoffs and all season for a long time. 'He keeps us in the game so many times at key moments and is making huge saves,' top defenseman Gustav Forsling said. 'He always gives us a chance to win every night. He's been amazing for us.' Bobrovsky at 36 is adored by teammates. Aaron Ekblad, who has played with him for six seasons, called him simply the best. 'We love him,' Ekblad said. 'There's no doubt about it.' That admiration has been earned. Bobrovsky has developed a reputation for his tireless work on dry land and the practice habits on the ice that have translated into results: a lot of winning. It's no coincidence the Panthers have won 10 of 11 playoff series since Bobrovsky took over for Alex Lyon three games into the first round in 2023. 'He just sticks kind of to the same routine, and his preparation is unlike anything I've ever seen while being in this league,' forward Evan Rodrigues said. 'It almost becomes routine some of the incredible saves he makes.' There is nothing routine about how the Oilers' goaltending has developed over the course of the final. Skinner and Pickard have each been hung out to dry by turnovers, mistakes and missed coverages. They have also made some unexpected stops along the way to keep this series going. 'They've both been amazing,' veteran winger Corey Perry said. 'It doesn't matter who's in the net or who's back there. We have trust in both of them.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Maurice, who has coached more games in the NHL than anyone but nine-time Stanley Cup champion Scotty Bowman, has made it clear he knows nothing about goaltending and has no interest in learning about it. But he has defended all the goaltenders in this final between 'two really powerful offensive teams' with plenty of star power. Still, Bobrovsky has the ability to swing it in Florida's direction with another of the performances his team has come to expect from him. 'His ability to focus is trained — maybe it's a talent,' Maurice said. 'If one gets by him that he doesn't like, it has nothing to do with what's going to happen next.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
