The Edmonton Oilers may be trailing the Florida Panthers 3-0, but they feel the series has been much tighter than it looks.
Many felt the Oilers were the better team in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, outshooting the Panthers 32-17. However, They could not find the back of the net, as Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding.
The Oilers failed to come out as strong in Game 2 and fell by a 4-1 final. In Game 3, they outshot the Panthers 35-23, but a six-minute stretch in the second period in which they allowed three goals sealed their fate.
“I think that because we feel like we’ve held the play for maybe the majority of the series here, I think it makes this situation that we’re in less daunting,” Connor Brown told reporters this morning. “I think the unique thing about our club over the year, we’ve shown that when we are backed into a corner, that’s when we feel more comfortable. That’s when we seem to play our best.”
Though the Oilers seem to have plenty of confidence in a comeback, stats suggest otherwise. Only four teams in NHL history have been able to win a series when trailing 3-0, while the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to have ever done so in the Stanley Cup Final. That said, the Oilers are taking a one-day-at-a-time approach rather than looking at the big picture.
“You can’t look too far ahead,” said Corey Perry. “If you start looking too far ahead, it’s a daunting task. They’re a great team, we know that. You start with one period, one game, and you work your way from there. That’s all we can do.”
The Oilers haven’t revealed their lines for tonight’s must-win game, with head coach Kris Knoblauch once again telling reporters they would have to wait and find out. The biggest question regarding their lineup is whether or not Evander Kane, who missed Game 3, will be healthy enough to go tonight. We’ll know the answer once both teams hit the ice at 5:30 pm MT for tonight’s 6 pm puck drop.
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