Player Grades: Florida Panthers Beat Oilers in Double OT Heartbreaker
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The Oilers lost a hard fought game in double overtime after battling back to tie the game with just 18 seconds left. This was a legendary tilt, full of all the things that make the Stanley Cup finals the greatest sporting event on the planet: Lots of hits, lots of greasy plays, a ton of skill, and a burning desire for each team to put it in the W column. Unfortunately, tonight that was not in the cards for the Oilers.
The team did well in the first period despite some chaotic moments and a rash of penalties in both directions. They struggled mightily in the second period for the second straight game. The long change is proving to be an immense challenge against Florida, it's something they need to tighten up if they want to win this series. The third and OT were much better overall. There are some real breakout challenges they need to rapidly tweak via video, and they are making way to many icings. On the flip side they played over 40 minutes of 'good enough' hockey, so they have something to rebound off of, there are just some details to polish. Given that this game went to double OT it was somewhat hard to grade, it wasn't a 'clean' game in either direction no matter if you look at the score sheet, the event sheet, or just the general flow of play. The Oilers tried to play too much Panthers hockey tonight, and they're going to get beat with experience there. If they force the Panthers to play the Oilers game, they're going to be much more successful, but that's going to take a bit more maturity.
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Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
‘He's a battler': Veteran Corey Perry playing key role for Oilers in Stanley Cup final
Mark Hunter remembers pulling Corey Perry aside for a chat. The co-owner and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights wanted to make sure his player understood the consequences. 'Grit, hitting people and punching people,' Hunter recalled of the skinny teenager's on-ice approach. 'He was like 160 pounds … 'Seriously Corey, don't be doing that. You might get hurt by somebody.' 'But he didn't want to be pushed around. There was desire to be the best.' Story continues below advertisement Not much has changed. The 40-year-old Oilers winger in his 20th NHL season is playing important minutes and making big contributions as Edmonton sits tied 1-1 with Florida in a Stanley Cup final rematch. Promoted to the team's top line alongside superstar captain Connor McDavid since Zach Hyman suffered a dislocated wrist last round, Perry forced overtime with 17.8 seconds remaining in regulation in Friday's Game 2 before the defending champion Panthers secured a 5-4 victory in double OT. The motivation remains the same as when he played for the Knights. 'To win,' said Perry, who was selected 28th overall by Anaheim at the 2003 draft and won his only Cup with the Mighty Ducks in 2007. 'I love being around the rink, I love being around the guys, I love the competitive fire that's still inside me.' The Peterborough, Ont., product joined the Oilers midway through last season following an ugly end to his brief stint with the Chicago Blackhawks. 1:36 Edmonton Oilers sign veteran forward Corey Perry Signed to mentor an up-and-coming roster, the club terminated his deal in November 2023 after alleging he violated his standard player contract and team policies 'intended to promote professional and safe work environments.' Neither the Blackhawks nor Perry were willing to provide details. Story continues below advertisement Perry apologized for his actions and said he'd started seeking help for alcohol abuse before signing with Edmonton after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The situation that happened, it happened,' Perry said earlier this week. 'I've dealt with it and I've learned from it. It was unfortunate.' McDavid said Perry's calming presence was for a team that roared back to force Game 7 in last year's final against the Panthers after falling behind 3-0 in the title series. View image in full screen Oilers forwards Corey Perry (90) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, back right, celebrate Perry's tying goal against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, on Friday, June 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck 'Makes great, subtle, little plays,' said Edmonton's No. 97. 'His gamesmanship, understands the ebbs and flows of the games, the intricacies that not every fan sitting at home understands. He's played in every big game.' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Perry was crucial in last year's run to the final that ended in heartbreak. Story continues below advertisement 'Allowed the team to settle things down,' said the second-year head coach. 'When he spoke, guys listened because of the respect that they have for him.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When he spoke, guys listened because of the respect that they have for him." Dale Hunter — Mark's brother and the Knights' head coach who had Perry in London from 2001 to 2005 — said his passion for the game hasn't wavered. 'He's a battler,' said Dale Hunter, who won the Memorial Cup with Perry in his final junior season before the Knights also climbed Canadian junior hockey's mountain in 2016 and again last month. 'He loved hockey, and it's never changed.' The Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP in 2011 with Anaheim has 448 goals and 487 assists for 935 points across 1,392 contests with six franchises over his two decades in the league. He's added 62 goals, including eight this spring alone, and 77 assists for 139 points in 233 playoff contests. Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said he and Perry, who is in his sixth Cup final and plans to play a 21st campaign in 2025-26, have talked about their past battles. 'We've had some fun moments,' said Nurse. 'He's been so important for this group – the experience and all the big moments that he's played in.' Perry, who had 19 goals and 11 assists in 81 games in 2024-25 while averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time, said getting ready each summer — especially the short ones after long post-season runs — is an increasing challenge. Story continues below advertisement 'You try to give your body some time to rest,' he said. 'But you're also like, 'Man, we've got to be back in camp in six weeks.'' These are good times for Perry. His seven-year-old son, Griffin, is a staple around the Oilers, including at NHL media day before the start of the Cup final. He's also been through some tough times. Apart from the contract termination in Chicago, he was bought out of the final two years of his long-term deal with the Ducks in June 2019 for salary-cap reasons. 'The highest of highs and some pretty low moments,' he said. 'I use that as motivation.' Mark Hunter said players — their desires and priorities — often change with age. Story continues below advertisement But not Perry. 'They lose that gleam in their eye,' Hunter said. 'If you watch him, there is excitement, passion, desire, loving the moment. It's hard to find at 40. People don't usually have that, but he does. 'Makes him special.' –with files from The Canadian Press' Daniel Rainbird
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Southern hockey surge: NHL teams thrive in non-traditional markets, from Texas to Florida
Florida Panthers fans wave towels during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Popeye Jones was an NBA rookie with the Mavericks the same season that Dallas debuted its new NHL team, and he decided to go to a Stars game after meeting future Hall of Fame player Mike Modano. 'I couldn't figure out hockey. They were jumping over and off the ice … I'm like, 'what's going on with this sport?'" Jones said. 'The puck flew up, I remember it hit somebody in the nose, blood was all over the ice and they kept playing.' Back during that 1993-94 season, before he became a hockey dad, the 6-foot-8 Tennessee native who had grown up playing basketball, football and baseball was like many people in the South: He knew nothing about hockey even as the NHL was making a push into non-traditional markets. Those days are long gone. NHL teams in the South are playing for and winning the Stanley Cup in packed arenas and there is steady growth when it comes to youth participation. Football may still be king in many Sun Belt locales, but hockey has been welcomed from Las Vegas to Texas to Nashville to North Carolina — and certainly in Florida. Catfish In this June 5, 2017, file photo, Nashville Predators fan Anna Claire Massey kisses a catfish as fans celebrate before Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) Jones has two sons who are now NHL players. Seth Jones, a defenseman for the Florida Panthers, is playing in the Stanley Cup Final after the 12-season veteran, the fourth overall pick by Nashville in the 2013 draft, was traded from Chicago to the defending champions in March. Caleb Jones played for the Los Angeles Kings, his fourth team the past seven years. The expansion Panthers came into the league with Anaheim in 1993-94, at the same time the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators were expansion teams the previous season, and the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes in 1997. Shane Willis remembers playing with the Hurricanes following the NHL's arrival in North Carolina — a process featuring a two-year transition to Greensboro before moving to Raleigh — and sometimes noticing a sparse home crowd during warmups. 'I'm like, 'Is anybody coming?'' said Willis, now Carolina's manager of youth and amateur hockey after five seasons as an NHL player. That isn't the case now, with Carolina having won a Stanley Cup in 2006 and currently on a seven-year run of winning at least one postseason series, including this year's run to the East final. Winter Classic Dallas Stars fans cheer during the second period of the NHL Winter Classic hockey game against the Nashville Predators at the Cotton Bowl, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter) Southern success This is the sixth season in a row a team from Florida has reached the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers are there for the third year in a row, this time in a rematch against Edmonton. Tampa Bay also made it to the final three straight seasons, winning the Cup the first two. The Lightning's run began by beating Dallas in 2020 in what is still the the 'southernmost' Stanley Cup Final — except that entire postseason was played in Canada after the regular season was shortened because of the pandemic. Tampa Bay Lightning Members of the Tampa Bay Lightning make their way down the Hillsborough River as they are greeted by fans during the NHL hockey Stanley Cup champions' boat parade, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP) Dallas made its third West final in a row this year, coming up short of another Cup chance. But they were the first Sun Belt team to hoist the Stanley Cup in 1999, followed by Tampa Bay in 2004. Every game in the conference finals in 2023 was played in the Sun Belt, a first. The Panthers beat Carolina in the East like they did this year, and Dallas lost to Vegas in the West. Popeye, Mo and Sakic Popeye Jones met Modano after getting invited to do an appearance during a Dallas Cowboys game. 'Not being a hockey fan, I really didn't know who he was and he didn't who I was. But we just struck up a conversation and started talking,' Jones said. 'Just general talk about sports and whatever, and he was such a nice guy and I enjoyed sitting there and talking to him.' That helped Jones become a Stars fan. They both played home games at the since-demolished Reunion Arena before Jones was traded to Toronto and later Boston, homes of two of the NHL's Original Six teams. His only season playing in Denver was 1999-2000, when the Avalanche lost to the Stars in consecutive West finals before winning the Cup in 2001. It was there that he got to know Avs star Joe Sakic, another future Hall of Fame hockey player and now the team's president of hockey operations. Oilers vs. Panthers Florida Panthers' Seth Jones (3) and Edmonton Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin (92) battle for the puck during the second period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS) Jones' oldest son, Justin, came home from school one day in the Denver area and said he wanted to play hockey, which had a significant influence on Seth, who was five or six at the time. With his sons interested in playing an unfamiliar sport , Jones sought advice from Sakic, who said the boys needed to take skating lessons. Seth Jones started playing hockey in Colorado, but was born in Texas and was on some Stars-affiliated youth teams after his dad later returned to the Mavericks. 'When I was there, you could see more and more kids starting to play in Texas,' the 30-year-old Panthers defenseman said. 'And then really the past eight to 10 years, you see kids actually moving from the northern cities down to Texas because the hockey has really grown. Where before, all the good kids out of the southern cities would move up north to Chicago and Michigan and New York and these places.' More and more players The number of players registered with USA Hockey has grown significantly in Southern states over the past 20 seasons. USA Hockey said 4,793 players registered in North Carolina for the 2005-06 season, with roughly 2,400 of those being 18 or younger. That overall number of players jumped 19.5 per cent (to 5,728) for the season following their 2006 Cup run. By the 2024-25 season, the state had 8,698 players (up 81.5 per cent from 2005-06) with 5,608 being 18 or younger (up 135.5 per cent), though Willis noted the actual number is likely higher since not all players register with USA Hockey. The total number of registrations have increased even more in Florida and Texas over the past two decades. In Florida, the total number of players has gone from 9,363 in 2005-06 to 22,888 (a 144.5 per cent increase), with the number in the 18 or younger age groups nearly doubling to 10,277. Texas went from 7,017 to 17,346 total registrations (147.2 per cent) in that same span, with those 18 and under going from 5,457 to 7,199 (31.9 per cent). Pete DeBoer, the Stars coach the past three seasons, had his first NHL head coaching job with Florida from 2008-11. He recalls the Lightning and Panthers then playing before sparse crowds with questions about whether those teams would even stay in those markets. Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer looks on during the third period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) 'To see where they're at now is really impressive,' DeBoer said (before the team fired him this past week). 'Dallas for me is a perfect example of coming into a place and, you know, getting a foothold at the grassroots level, and that the amount of rinks, ice surfaces and facilities and kids playing minor hockey here in Dallas is way bigger than I ever anticipated.' Much of that came as a result of the 1999 Stanley Cup for the Stars. 'They won, they captured the city's attention and all this stuff got done. Rinks got built,' DeBoer said. 'I think Florida didn't get that done early, but is doing it now and they're going to reap the benefits of that. I think when you get a team that wins and it's in a non-traditional market, I think the benefits roll out for decades.' Introducing the game For the Hurricanes, early outreach included going to area schools and essentially running PE classes as an introduction to the sport. The team, aided by grant money from the NHL, has more recently purchased equipment such as balls, sticks and Hurricanes-logo apparel to donate to more than 100 schools. The team this year partnered with Raleigh suburb Apex to open two public street hockey rinks. Carolina, Dallas and Florida all have tie-ins to to the 'Learn to Play' umbrella program created by the NHL and NHL Players' Association to introduce boys and girls, and even adults, to the sport. Those programs include variations of providing hockey equipment and instruction, and on-ice workouts at multiple rinks in their areas. Hurricanes Panthers Hockey A young Florida Panthers fan watches during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky/AP) 'What you have to do is not only introduce the game of hockey to people, you have to introduce your brand. You have to make both things very attractive to parents to want to get involved,' Willis said. 'I see so many parents now, they come to games and we talk about it: if you can create a hockey player, whether it's street hockey or ice hockey, you're creating three fans. Because that kid is going to come to a game with Dad, Dad and Mom, maybe a sibling. So then you're in the range of three to four fans you're creating.' Popeye Jones knows how that can go, recalling a time when Seth Jones was 11 or 12 and the family wanted him to find something else to do in the summertime. 'A kid called and said hey they had some ice, you want to come and, you know, play some pickup hockey. At first I didn't want him to, but I saw he was moping around the house,' the elder Jones said. 'I told him to get his stuff. I'll never forget it, he got this bag together so fast and got in that car and I was driving him to the rink and I looked at him and I saw this big grin and I said, 'Well, I guess I got a hockey player.'' --Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press ___ AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard, Pat Graham and Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘He's a battler': Veteran forward Corey Perry playing key role for Oilers
EDMONTON – Mark Hunter remembers pulling Corey Perry aside for a chat. The co-owner and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights wanted to make sure his player understood the consequences. 'Grit, hitting people and punching people,' Hunter recalled of the skinny teenager's on-ice approach. 'He was like 160 pounds … 'Seriously Corey, don't be doing that. You might get hurt by somebody.' 'But he didn't want to be pushed around. There was desire to be the best.' Not much has changed. The 40-year-old Oilers winger in his 20th NHL season is playing important minutes and making big contributions as Edmonton sits tied 1-1 with Florida in a Stanley Cup final rematch. Promoted to the team's top line alongside superstar captain Connor McDavid since Zach Hyman suffered a dislocated wrist last round, Perry forced overtime with 17.8 seconds remaining in regulation in Friday's Game 2 before the defending champion Panthers secured a 5-4 victory in double OT. The motivation remains the same as when he played for the Knights. 'To win,' said Perry, who was selected 28th overall by Anaheim at the 2003 draft and won his only Cup with the Mighty Ducks in 2007. 'I love being around the rink, I love being around the guys, I love the competitive fire that's still inside me.' The Peterborough, Ont., product joined the Oilers midway through last season following an ugly end to his brief stint with the Chicago Blackhawks. Signed to mentor an up-and-coming roster, the club terminated his deal in November 2023 after alleging he violated his standard player contract and team policies 'intended to promote professional and safe work environments.' Neither the Blackhawks nor Perry were willing to provide details. Perry apologized for his actions and said he'd started seeking help for alcohol abuse before signing with Edmonton after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. 'The situation that happened, it happened,' Perry said earlier this week. 'I've dealt with it and I've learned from it. It was unfortunate.' McDavid said Perry's calming presence was for a team that roared back to force Game 7 in last year's final against the Panthers after falling behind 3-0 in the title series. 'Makes great, subtle, little plays,' said Edmonton's No. 97. 'His gamesmanship, understands the ebbs and flows of the games, the intricacies that not every fan sitting at home understands. He's played in every big game.' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Perry was crucial in last year's run to the final that ended in heartbreak. 'Allowed the team to settle things down,' said the second-year head coach. 'When he spoke, guys listened because of the respect that they have for him.' Dale Hunter — Mark's brother and the Knights' head coach who had Perry in London from 2001 to 2005 — said his passion for the game hasn't wavered. 'He's a battler,' said Dale Hunter, who won the Memorial Cup with Perry in his final junior season before the Knights also climbed Canadian junior hockey's mountain in 2016 and again last month. 'He loved hockey, and it's never changed.' The Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP in 2011 with Anaheim has 448 goals and 487 assists for 935 points across 1,392 contests with six franchises over his two decades in the league. He's added 62 goals, including eight this spring alone, and 77 assists for 139 points in 233 playoff contests. Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said he and Perry, who is in his sixth Cup final and plans to play a 21st campaign in 2025-26, have talked about their past battles. 'We've had some fun moments,' said Nurse. 'He's been so important for this group — the experience and all the big moments that he's played in.' Perry, who had 19 goals and 11 assists in 81 games in 2024-25 while averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time, said getting ready each summer — especially the short ones after long post-season runs — is an increasing challenge. 'You try to give your body some time to rest,' he said. 'But you're also like, 'Man, we've got to be back in camp in six weeks.'' These are good times for Perry. His seven-year-old son, Griffin, is a staple around the Oilers, including at NHL media day before the start of the Cup final. He's also been through some tough times. Apart from the contract termination in Chicago, he was bought out of the final two years of his long-term deal with the Ducks in June 2019 for salary-cap reasons. 'The highest of highs and some pretty low moments,' he said. 'I use that as motivation.' Mark Hunter said players — their desires and priorities — often change with age. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. But not Perry. 'They lose that gleam in their eye,' Hunter said. 'If you watch him, there is excitement, passion, desire, loving the moment. It's hard to find at 40. People don't usually have that, but he does. 'Makes him special.' — With file from Daniel Rainbird in Rimouski, Que. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
