Latest news with #TwoRatsandaTurtle
Vancouver Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Edmonton Oilers need to up their gamesmanship to Florida's Rat Level
Yes, the Oilers could easily be up 2-0 on the Florida Panthers right now, secure in the knowledge that teams in that situation go on to win the series 93 per cent of the time. But they've also been trailing in the third period at home in two overtime games and could just as easily be heading to Florida down 2-0 and staring down the barrel of another summer heartbreak. Through two games and nearly nine full periods of hockey there is still nothing to choose between the Oilers and Panthers. Each side has one win, each side has eight goals and each side will tell you it's going only getting tighter from here. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. This is shaping up to be the best Stanley Cup Final in a very long time, a vicious, fast-paced neck-and-neck conflict between the two most powerful teams in the NHL. And all we know for sure is that after stealing home ice advantage with Friday's 5-4 double-overtime win, it's advantage Florida. Some thoughts, observations and advice as the Oilers head to the Florida swamp for Games 3 and 4: The Panthers are getting into Edmonton's kitchen. They're slopping pancake batter all over the counter, cooking bacon without using the splatter guard, leaving toast crumbs in the butter and egg shells wherever they fall. They left a royal mess behind in Game 2 and now it's on the Oilers to clean it up. Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk (Two Rats and a Turtle) were fantastic, exactly what the Panthers needed them to be. They tormented the Oilers at every turn. They roughed up Edmonton's goalie, they face-washed Edmonton's toughest defenceman, they harassed Edmonton's best player. And they did it all with relative impunity, even laughing about it in the penalty box. Count how often an Oiler turned to the referee, palms up and pleading for justice, after a dirty deed from Florida's pests. Then count how many times Florida was griping about Oilers running afoul of the law and you'll know who's winning the psychological battle. When you play Florida, gamesmanship is every bit as important as Xs and Os and the Panthers don't lose that department very often. Where are Edmonton's rats? There should have been a conga line of Oilers accidentally tumbling into Sergei Bobrovsky's knees? And somebody at some point, when they were locked up with Tkachuk or Marchand in a shoving match away from the scrum, should have called their bluff. When you're throwing gloved punches already, nobody is getting an instigator penalty. And whatever happened to Bennett for twice now crashing into Skinner, resulting in a goal that shouldn't have counted and a near injury? The Oilers keep saying they're bigger and tougher and cagier than last year. It's time to prove it. It's difficult to know where the line is with the officiating as bad as it is in the NHL (even the referees don't seem to know what the standard is) but if Florida can find a way, so can Edmonton. Nothing settles down an overly rambunctious opponent in the playoffs faster than making them pay for their aggression. The Oilers really needed to make a statement with their power play and that didn't happen, either. On six power-play opportunities in Game 2, all the Oilers could do was break even, scoring once after Bennett dove into Stuart Skinner and giving up a short-handed breakaway goal to Marchand. Power plays in the series are 10-6 for Edmonton and Florida is up 2-1 on net goals. If the Oilers are looking to break through on the road, this needs to be where it starts. One of the biggest keys coming into the series was Florida's forecheck versus Edmonton's ability to retrieve the puck and break it out the other way. That's exactly how it's playing out. Nobody presses harder than the Panthers and they've already had the Oilers running around in their end for long, momentum-changing stretches at a time. When Edmonton's defencemen move the puck and serve up rush chances for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl it's a beautiful thing. But when they get chasing their tails in the defensive zone and letting Florida's forwards take charge of the blue paint, it's serious concern. It was a high-event night for McDavid and Evan Bouchard. There were nine goals scored in Game 2 and they were on the ice for seven of them. McDavid had a three-assist night, including one of the nicest plays you'll ever see to set up Draisaitl while Bouchard had a goal and two assists. But they both finished even on the night after being on the ice for the last three Florida goals. Draisaitl was minus one on three goals for (two at even strength) and three against. Edmonton's top guys need better ratios than that. E-mail: rtychkowski@
Ottawa Citizen
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Edmonton Oilers need to up their gamesmanship to Florida's Rat Level
Yes, the Oilers could easily be up 2-0 on the Florida Panthers right now, secure in the knowledge that teams in that situation go on to win the series 93 per cent of the time. Article content But they've also been trailing in the third period at home in two overtime games and could just as easily be heading to Florida down 2-0 and staring down the barrel of another summer heartbreak. Article content Article content Through two games and nearly nine full periods of hockey there is still nothing to choose between the Oilers and Panthers. Each side has one win, each side has eight goals and each side will tell you it's going only getting tighter from here. Article content Article content This is shaping up to be the best Stanley Cup Final in a very long time, a vicious, fast-paced neck-and-neck conflict between the two most powerful teams in the NHL. And all we know for sure is that after stealing home ice advantage with Friday's 5-4 double-overtime win, it's advantage Florida. Article content Some thoughts, observations and advice as the Oilers head to the Florida swamp for Games 3 and 4: The Panthers are getting into Edmonton's kitchen. They're slopping pancake batter all over the counter, cooking bacon without using the splatter guard, leaving toast crumbs in the butter and egg shells wherever they fall. They left a royal mess behind in Game 2 and now it's on the Oilers to clean it up. Article content Article content Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk (Two Rats and a Turtle) were fantastic, exactly what the Panthers needed them to be. Article content They tormented the Oilers at every turn. They roughed up Edmonton's goalie, they face-washed Edmonton's toughest defenceman, they harassed Edmonton's best player. And they did it all with relative impunity, even laughing about it in the penalty box. Article content Count how often an Oiler turned to the referee, palms up and pleading for justice, after a dirty deed from Florida's pests. Then count how many times Florida was griping about Oilers running afoul of the law and you'll know who's winning the psychological battle. Article content When you play Florida, gamesmanship is every bit as important as Xs and Os and the Panthers don't lose that department very often.
Calgary Herald
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton Oilers need to up their gamesmanship to Florida's Rat Level
Yes, the Oilers could easily be up 2-0 on the Florida Panthers right now, secure in the knowledge that teams in that situation go on to win the series 93 per cent of the time. Article content But they've also been trailing in the third period at home in two overtime games and could just as easily be heading to Florida down 2-0 and staring down the barrel of another summer heartbreak. Article content Article content Through two games and nearly nine full periods of hockey there is still nothing to choose between the Oilers and Panthers. Each side has one win, each side has eight goals and each side will tell you it's going only getting tighter from here. Article content Article content This is shaping up to be the best Stanley Cup Final in a very long time, a vicious, fast-paced neck-and-neck conflict between the two most powerful teams in the NHL. And all we know for sure is that after stealing home ice advantage with Friday's 5-4 double-overtime win, it's advantage Florida. Article content They're slopping pancake batter all over the counter, cooking bacon without using the splatter guard, leaving toast crumbs in the butter and egg shells wherever they fall. They left a royal mess behind in Game 2 and now it's on the Oilers to clean it up. Article content Article content Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk (Two Rats and a Turtle) were fantastic, exactly what the Panthers needed them to be. Article content They tormented the Oilers at every turn. They roughed up Edmonton's goalie, they face-washed Edmonton's toughest defenceman, they harassed Edmonton's best player. And they did it all with relative impunity, even laughing about it in the penalty box. Article content Count how often an Oiler turned to the referee, palms up and pleading for justice, after a dirty deed from Florida's pests. Then count how many times Florida was griping about Oilers running afoul of the law and you'll know who's winning the psychological battle. Article content When you play Florida, gamesmanship is every bit as important as Xs and Os and the Panthers don't lose that department very often.
