Latest news with #PacificDivision
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet Discusses What Went Wrong In 2024–25
Why The Canucks Should Not Consider Signing Jonathan Toews This Off-Season The Vancouver Canucks have a lot of work to do during the 2025 off-season. After missing the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, GM Patrik Allvin and his team need to strengthen the lineup, which includes adding a middle-six center. Whether this is through trade or free agency, the Canucks are projected to be very active over the next month and a half, as they fill out their roster for the 2025-26 season.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Mature' Oilers poised for Cup final rematch with battle-tested Panthers
DALLAS - The Oilers were crestfallen. Heads sank into hands. Tears flowed from reddened eyes. Edmonton's bloodied and bearded roster had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. The gutsy, backs-against-the-wall effort — valiant in erasing a 3-0 series deficit to force Game 7 — came up just short 12 months ago. The team's core led by superstar captain Connor McDavid vowed that sweltering Florida night after falling to the Panthers that they would be back on the same stage. 'It's been a want since the end of last year,' Corey Perry, the Oilers' greybeard winger, said of a return to the NHL's title series. 'There's been a lot of thinking about what happened last year, and self-reflecting. 'Here we are.' The Oilers, it turns out, were right. Edmonton will make a second consecutive appearance in the Cup final after beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the Western Conference final. And Florida, once again, is waiting. 'It was on our mind since we lost that last game,' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of his team's mission. 'It was a long, tough summer, training camp, regular season.' The team from Alberta's capital didn't have its best for stretches of that 82-game schedule. Edmonton finished third in the Pacific Division following a rash of injuries down the stretch and fell behind 0-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. All the club has done since? Put up a 12-2 mark in rebounding with four straight wins against the Kings before getting past both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Stars in five games. And unlike last spring when the Oilers, who host Game 1 of the Cup final Wednesday, relied heavily on the contributions of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — to be clear, the two headliners have again been excellent — the group has got goals from 19 different players in this post-season. A rebuilt defence corps, meanwhile, weathered the loss of Mattias Ekholm, back from injury for Thursday's 6-3 victory in Game 5 over Dallas after basically two months on the shelf, while the goaltending of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has come up huge when needed. 'Some teams get really hot coming down the stretch and they ride it all the way through the playoffs,' McDavid said late Thursday night in the bowels of a cavernous American Airlines Center. 'For us, it's come together in the playoffs. We've been building and building and building our game. 'Our best hockey is still in front of us.' Edmonton had already ridden a wild roller-coaster by this point last year. This run feels different. 'The first time you go through it, there's a ton of joy and excitement,' Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said of winning three playoff rounds. 'And there is now, don't get me wrong, but there's also a hunger and knowing what's coming and the opportunity that's ahead. We're all excited.' 'Those games can be emotionally draining,' McDavid added. 'We're not drained … we've got lots of depth. We've got as good a chance as they do.' That would be the nasty, battle-tested Panthers — in a third straight final after steamrolling the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, bossing the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, and disposing of the Carolina Hurricanes in five. 'We know what they're about,' Draisaitl said. 'We played them seven times. It's nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we're a long ways from that.' Knoblauch said his players are wiser as they pivot to an opponent led by Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brad Marchand making its third straight Cup appearance. 'This is a mature group,' the second-year bench boss said of Edmonton. 'They're older. They've seen a lot of playoff hockey. They know what they need to do to get it done.' The task, however, remains daunting. 'If it's going to change, we're going to play our best hockey,' Knoblauch added. 'We have a chance, but we're going to have to be at our best.' The Oilers have been pretty close to that already in these playoffs. Now they need more. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
Global News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
‘Mature' Oilers ready for Stanley Cup final rematch with battle-tested Panthers
The Oilers were crestfallen. Heads sank into hands. Tears flowed from reddened eyes. Edmonton's bloodied and bearded roster had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. The gutsy, backs-against-the-wall effort — valiant in erasing a 3-0 series deficit to force Game 7 — came up just short 12 months ago. The team's core led by superstar captain Connor McDavid vowed that sweltering Florida night after falling to the Panthers that they would be back on the same stage. Story continues below advertisement 'It's been a want since the end of last year,' Corey Perry, the Oilers' greybeard winger, said of a return to the NHL's title series. 'There's been a lot of thinking about what happened last year, and self-reflecting. 'Here we are.' The Oilers, it turns out, were right. Edmonton will make a second consecutive appearance in the Cup final after beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the Western Conference final. And Florida, once again, is waiting. 'It was on our mind since we lost that last game,' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of his team's mission. 'It was a long, tough summer, training camp, regular season.' The team from Alberta's capital didn't have its best for stretches of that 82-game schedule. Edmonton finished third in the Pacific Division following a rash of injuries down the stretch and fell behind 0-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. Story continues below advertisement All the club has done since? Put up a 12-2 mark in rebounding with four straight wins against the Kings before getting past both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Stars in five games. 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 And unlike last spring when the Oilers, who host Game 1 of the Cup final Wednesday, relied heavily on the contributions of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — to be clear, the two headliners have again been excellent — the group has got goals from 19 different players in this post-season. A rebuilt defence corps, meanwhile, weathered the loss of Mattias Ekholm, back from injury for Thursday's 6-3 victory in Game 5 over Dallas after basically two months on the shelf, while the goaltending of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has come up huge when needed. 'Some teams get really hot coming down the stretch and they ride it all the way through the playoffs,' McDavid said late Thursday night in the bowels of a cavernous American Airlines Center. 'For us, it's come together in the playoffs. We've been building and building and building our game. Story continues below advertisement 'Our best hockey is still in front of us.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our best hockey is still in front of us." Edmonton had already ridden a wild roller-coaster by this point last year. This run feels different. 'The first time you go through it, there's a ton of joy and excitement,' Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said of winning three playoff rounds. 'And there is now, don't get me wrong, but there's also a hunger and knowing what's coming and the opportunity that's ahead. We're all excited.' 'Those games can be emotionally draining,' McDavid added. 'We're not drained … we've got lots of depth. We've got as good a chance as they do.' That would be the nasty, battle-tested Panthers — in a third straight final after steamrolling the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, bossing the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, and disposing of the Carolina Hurricanes in five. 'We know what they're about,' Draisaitl said. 'We played them seven times. It's nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we're a long ways from that.' Story continues below advertisement Knoblauch said his players are wiser as they pivot to an opponent led by Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brad Marchand making its third straight Cup appearance. 'This is a mature group,' the second-year bench boss said of Edmonton. 'They're older. They've seen a lot of playoff hockey. They know what they need to do to get it done.' The task, however, remains daunting. 'If it's going to change, we're going to play our best hockey,' Knoblauch added. 'We have a chance, but we're going to have to be at our best.' The Oilers have been pretty close to that already in these playoffs. Now they need more.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Mature' Oilers poised for Cup final rematch with battle-tested Panthers
DALLAS — The Oilers were crestfallen. Heads sank into hands. Tears flowed from reddened eyes. Edmonton's bloodied and bearded roster had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. The gutsy, backs-against-the-wall effort — valiant in erasing a 3-0 series deficit to force Game 7 — came up just short 12 months ago. Advertisement The team's core led by superstar captain Connor McDavid vowed that sweltering Florida night after falling to the Panthers that they would be back on the same stage. "It's been a want since the end of last year," Corey Perry, the Oilers' greybeard winger, said of a return to the NHL's title series. "There's been a lot of thinking about what happened last year, and self-reflecting. "Here we are." The Oilers, it turns out, were right. Edmonton will make a second consecutive appearance in the Cup final after beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the Western Conference final. And Florida, once again, is waiting. Advertisement "It was on our mind since we lost that last game," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of his team's mission. "It was a long, tough summer, training camp, regular season." The team from Alberta's capital didn't have its best for stretches of that 82-game schedule. Edmonton finished third in the Pacific Division following a rash of injuries down the stretch and fell behind 0-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. All the club has done since? Put up a 12-2 mark in rebounding with four straight wins against the Kings before getting past both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Stars in five games. And unlike last spring when the Oilers, who host Game 1 of the Cup final Wednesday, relied heavily on the contributions of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — to be clear, the two headliners have again been excellent — the group has got goals from 19 different players in this post-season. Advertisement A rebuilt defence corps, meanwhile, weathered the loss of Mattias Ekholm, back from injury for Thursday's 6-3 victory in Game 5 over Dallas after basically two months on the shelf, while the goaltending of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has come up huge when needed. "Some teams get really hot coming down the stretch and they ride it all the way through the playoffs," McDavid said late Thursday night in the bowels of a cavernous American Airlines Center. "For us, it's come together in the playoffs. We've been building and building and building our game. "Our best hockey is still in front of us." Edmonton had already ridden a wild roller-coaster by this point last year. This run feels different. Advertisement "The first time you go through it, there's a ton of joy and excitement," Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said of winning three playoff rounds. "And there is now, don't get me wrong, but there's also a hunger and knowing what's coming and the opportunity that's ahead. We're all excited." "Those games can be emotionally draining," McDavid added. "We're not drained … we've got lots of depth. We've got as good a chance as they do." That would be the nasty, battle-tested Panthers — in a third straight final after steamrolling the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, bossing the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, and disposing of the Carolina Hurricanes in five. "We know what they're about," Draisaitl said. "We played them seven times. It's nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we're a long ways from that." Advertisement Knoblauch said his players are wiser as they pivot to an opponent led by Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brad Marchand making its third straight Cup appearance. "This is a mature group," the second-year bench boss said of Edmonton. "They're older. They've seen a lot of playoff hockey. They know what they need to do to get it done." The task, however, remains daunting. "If it's going to change, we're going to play our best hockey," Knoblauch added. "We have a chance, but we're going to have to be at our best." The Oilers have been pretty close to that already in these playoffs. Now they need more. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Mature' Oilers poised for Cup final rematch with battle-tested Panthers
DALLAS – The Oilers were crestfallen. Heads sank into hands. Tears flowed from reddened eyes. Edmonton's bloodied and bearded roster had given everything in the Stanley Cup final. The gutsy, backs-against-the-wall effort — valiant in erasing a 3-0 series deficit to force Game 7 — came up just short 12 months ago. The team's core led by superstar captain Connor McDavid vowed that sweltering Florida night after falling to the Panthers that they would be back on the same stage. 'It's been a want since the end of last year,' Corey Perry, the Oilers' greybeard winger, said of a return to the NHL's title series. 'There's been a lot of thinking about what happened last year, and self-reflecting. 'Here we are.' The Oilers, it turns out, were right. Edmonton will make a second consecutive appearance in the Cup final after beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the Western Conference final. And Florida, once again, is waiting. 'It was on our mind since we lost that last game,' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of his team's mission. 'It was a long, tough summer, training camp, regular season.' The team from Alberta's capital didn't have its best for stretches of that 82-game schedule. Edmonton finished third in the Pacific Division following a rash of injuries down the stretch and fell behind 0-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. All the club has done since? Put up a 12-2 mark in rebounding with four straight wins against the Kings before getting past both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Stars in five games. And unlike last spring when the Oilers, who host Game 1 of the Cup final Wednesday, relied heavily on the contributions of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — to be clear, the two headliners have again been excellent — the group has got goals from 19 different players in this post-season. A rebuilt defence corps, meanwhile, weathered the loss of Mattias Ekholm, back from injury for Thursday's 6-3 victory in Game 5 over Dallas after basically two months on the shelf, while the goaltending of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has come up huge when needed. 'Some teams get really hot coming down the stretch and they ride it all the way through the playoffs,' McDavid said late Thursday night in the bowels of a cavernous American Airlines Center. 'For us, it's come together in the playoffs. We've been building and building and building our game. 'Our best hockey is still in front of us.' Edmonton had already ridden a wild roller-coaster by this point last year. This run feels different. 'The first time you go through it, there's a ton of joy and excitement,' Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said of winning three playoff rounds. 'And there is now, don't get me wrong, but there's also a hunger and knowing what's coming and the opportunity that's ahead. We're all excited.' 'Those games can be emotionally draining,' McDavid added. 'We're not drained … we've got lots of depth. We've got as good a chance as they do.' That would be the nasty, battle-tested Panthers — in a third straight final after steamrolling the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, bossing the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, and disposing of the Carolina Hurricanes in five. 'We know what they're about,' Draisaitl said. 'We played them seven times. It's nice to get a shot at getting some revenge, but we're a long ways from that.' Knoblauch said his players are wiser as they pivot to an opponent led by Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky and Brad Marchand making its third straight Cup appearance. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'This is a mature group,' the second-year bench boss said of Edmonton. 'They're older. They've seen a lot of playoff hockey. They know what they need to do to get it done.' The task, however, remains daunting. 'If it's going to change, we're going to play our best hockey,' Knoblauch added. 'We have a chance, but we're going to have to be at our best.' The Oilers have been pretty close to that already in these playoffs. Now they need more. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
