Oilers' Jake Walman scores meme of the game to open Stanley Cup Finals
Leon Draisaitl might have scored the goal of the game as the Edmonton Oilers struck first blood in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
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(https://x.com/producerdrew_/status/1930481597922394285?s=46)
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The 29-year-old Oilers defenceman could be clearly seen grinning like the Cheshire Cat in the face of Panthers forward Thomas Nosek, who had errantly flipped the puck over the glass to draw a delay-of-game penalty in overtime that led to Draisaitl's power-play winner.
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While trash talk doesn't tend to get discussed by players who prefer to leave that part of the conversation out on the ice, the game within the game on display between whistles — both physical and mental jousting — could go a long way to helping determine the winner of this series.
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'Obviously, there's probably a level of gamesmanship that goes on, and that's not only it this series, it goes on throughout the playoffs,' said fellow Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse. 'Any series when you're playing four to seven games, there's going to be those moments where the edge takes a hold of the game.'
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Especially in overtime of a hotly contested battle of attrition, where it took a mental lapse by one team to finally make the difference, 79:29 later.
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'It lived up to the hype, for sure, for me, just dreaming about that,' said Walman, who only had one prior playoff game under his belt before joining the Oilers at the trade deadline, having reached the post-season with the St. Louis Blues during his first full NHL season in 2020-21. 'The biggest thing is I probably got a lot more texts from friends and family this game than any other.
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'But it's a great experience. Cool. I wouldn't want to be doing it with any other group of guys, they've been great to me since I've been here and I'm looking forward to keeping that going. Every game is going to be a challenge, especially against the team we're playing.'
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Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors So, it goes without saying that the Florida Panthers didn't make it to three-straight Finals because they wilt in the face of uncomfortable pressure. But the Panthers said it anyway. With the Edmonton Oilers poised to take a 2-0 stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final and move two wins away from the first title of the Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl era, the Panthers rolled into Rogers Place and flexed some of that championship muscle. They overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits Friday, shrugged off Corey Perry's tying goal with 17.8 seconds left in regulation and won it 5-4 in double overtime, evening the series and stealing away the home ice advantage that some feel could be the difference in this thing. 'Tough one to swallow, but this is the Stanley Cup Final, it's not supposed to be easy,' said Perry, who plans on putting the dejection to bed as soon as his head hits the pillow. 'You can think about it, dwell on it, but what's it going to do? It's not going to do anything for you now. Get some rest, get on the plane and get ready for Game 3. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's frustrating, but we're in the Final for a reason.' That's the only way they can look at it, but the Oilers know they let one slip away. Teams that open the final at home and jump out to a 2-0 series lead are 40-3 all time. Those odds fall dramatically when the road team gets the split. 'There's going to be some disappointment,' said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. 'but we've had the mentality that whatever happens — bad game, close game, overtime, heartbreaking, easy, whatever it is — we put it behind us and get ready for the next one. 'In the playoffs things don't always go your way. But we've done a pretty good job of responding and putting whatever happens behind us and focusing on the next game.' Florida also knew the math and they answered with a vengeance. Instead of being dead, they're dead even after Brad Marchand's breakaway winner 8:05 into the second extra period. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a good one to win, I like the way we played tonight,' grinned Marchand, who had his fingerprints all over this game with two goals and all of his usual extra-curricular antics. 'It was pure excitement, adrenaline for the whole group. It was a very important game for our team.' While the Oilers have shown all playoffs that they are stronger, deeper and more determined than the team that came up short in seven games last year, it's pretty clear that the Panthers juggernaut is also on another level. And now everything we thought about this epic final is playing out the way we thought it would. Two games in it's taken almost nine periods to determine the winners. This is going to be a long, drawn-out battle, as much a war of wills as a clash of systems and talent. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Every game is tight at this time of the year,' sighed Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. 'It's two really good teams. It's never going to be easy. We need to regroup and be ready for Game 3. 'At this time of year, you've got to move on. There's no time to think about it for too long. Obviously it stings right now, but we've got to move on.' This is just the sixth time in NHL history that the first two games of the finals went to overtime, and it was a wild one right from the start. The first period featured five goals, 11 minor penalties and saw the Oilers and Panthers go at each other like hungry dogs. Sam Bennett made it 1-0 Panthers on a power play goal at 2:07. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored at 7:39 and 9:19 to give Edmonton the lead. Seth Jones tied it again at 11:37, and then things reached a boiling point when Bennett took another run at Stuart Skinner, hurting but not injuring the Oilers goalie at 12:13. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Edmonton made him pay, scoring in the ensuing power play to take a 3-2 lead into a much-needed first intermission that gave everyone watching a chance to catch their breath. It was the Oilers themselves who needed to take a deep breath during the second intermission because two Florida goals, one of them a shorthanded breakaway by Marchand, put them down 4-3. The Oilers, who spent most of the period hemmed in their own end trying to avert disaster, were lucky to get out of it with just two goals against. For the second time in two games, Edmonton entered the third period trailing by a goal. Just like Game 1, they found the equalizer, but not the OT winner. 'Each game could have gone either way,' said Knoblauch. 'When you win the first one you're disappointed that you don't follow up and win the second one, but we're going there with a split and that's fine with us. We're comfortable playing on the road.' Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Canucks Business
CTV News
an hour ago
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'No matter what happens … we put it behind us' and prepare for Game 3: Kris Knoblauch
Edmonton Watch Edmonton Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch talks to media after losing Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. He says the game could have gone either way but despite the "heartbreak," the team has to put it behind them and look toward Game 3 in Florida.
