Ryan S. Clark
Kristen Shilton
Kristen Shilton
ESPN NHL reporter
Kristen Shilton is a nationwide NHL reporter for ESPN.
The Florida Panthers have struck first within the 2024 Stanley Cup Closing, profitable Sport 1 by a 3-0 rating over the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a shutout for Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, whose legendary standing as “Playoff Bob” continues to develop. Sport 2 between the golf equipment is Monday (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+).
Here is what stood out in Florida’s victory, together with key gamers to observe in Sport 2 and the largest lingering query.
Panthers grade: A+
Florida mainly performed an ideal sport on Saturday. The penalty kill stood tall in opposition to Edmonton’s vaunted energy play (going 3-for-3 on the night time), and regardless of being outshot by a large margin (33-18), there was no query the Panthers have been in management from begin to end.
Sergei Bobrovsky turned in one among his strongest general performances of the postseason and confirmed no indicators of the wear and tear and tear he displayed at the start of final 12 months’s Stanley Cup Closing.
Oilers grade: B
A number of issues might be true without delay, and that is likely to be the strongest approach to assess what occurred to the Oilers in Sport 1. Their system basically labored, in that they have been capable of generate scoring probabilities from totally different elements of the ice whereas limiting alternatives within the defensive zone. It is what they’ve accomplished all through the postseason.
However the Oilers have been left looking for solutions due to Bobrovsky. They completed with 33 photographs, 22 scoring probabilities and 13 high-danger probabilities. They restricted the Panthers to 18 photographs, 18 scoring probabilities and 6 high-danger probabilities. However they struggled to persistently get photographs for many of the third interval, and so they have been held goalless for the primary time this postseason. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch and his assistants should use the break between video games to discover a breakthrough for Sport 2.
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‘Gloves’: A novel have a look at the Stanley Cup and its historical past
Watch “Gloves” and find out about a few of the historical past of the Stanley Cup because the matchup between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers airs on ABC/ESPN+.
What we discovered in Sport 1
Florida’s penalty kill is excellent
Did we already know this? Maybe. However it was clear in Sport 1 that if the Panthers may hold the Oilers from capitalizing on their energy play probabilities, Florida held a severe benefit within the collection going ahead. Edmonton entered the Cup Closing with an influence play rolling at 37.3% — better of any crew within the postseason subject — and Florida’s capability to decelerate and frustrate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl was a severe game-changer.
The Panthers’ confidence is vital vs. Edmonton’s stars
Florida might need tried overplaying themselves going up in opposition to a few of the NHL’s greatest stars. However the Panthers aren’t intimidated by anybody. Florida’s religion in its construction and perception in their very own system was on full show when whereas Edmonton doubled up on shot makes an attempt. Matthew Tkachuk spoke Friday in regards to the Panthers not being “unhealthy boys” — solely partaking between the whistles — and that was true in Saturday’s victory.
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The Panthers have been bodily; they pushed again. They by no means crossed that line into pest territory. They have been nonetheless bothersome, although, and Edmonton’s agitation was apparent because the clock wound down and Florida continued to be impenetrable. The Panthers have such a powerful self of self that they’re almost not possible to rattle. That is been true for a while now — and it’s a worthwhile high quality to have in a Cup Closing.
The Oilers may use extra steadiness
Add up the shot totals of Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Draisaitl and McDavid in Sport 1, and also you get 17. To view it one other means: They accounted for 52% of the Oilers’ photographs on objective.
Getting shut out for the primary time this postseason will result in questions for a crew that has been persistently proficient. One of many solutions to these questions is having the Oilers’ supporting forged generate extra photographs, realizing greater than half of them got here from a complete of 4 gamers within the first sport of the collection.
Edmonton will proceed to wish this model of Stuart Skinner
A lot of the Oilers’ defensive identification this postseason has been a few elementary a part of objective prevention. Particularly, they do not permit many photographs on objective.
That held true in Sport 1 in opposition to the Panthers. As did Skinner. Since Sport 6 within the second-round collection in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks, Skinner has given the Oilers an opportunity to win each sport. He has allowed two targets or fewer in all however one among his previous 9 video games. Skinner stopped 15 of the 17 photographs he confronted in Sport 1 to assist the Oilers stay shut, and so they’ll want him to be simply nearly as good because the collection continues.
Gamers to observe in Sport 2
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Panthers
It isn’t simply that Bobrovsky pitched a shutout in Sport 1. It is that he did so with a classic Bobrovsky efficiency.
Bobrovsky outplayed Stuart Skinner — whereas Florida was vastly outshot 34-17 — and by no means appeared out of his factor. He was calm, cool and picked up even whereas making a windmill save right here and there.
In a collection projected to be carefully contested between evenly matched lineups, goaltending may effectively be what determines the ultimate end result. Bobrovsky has to churn out video games just like the one he had Saturday time and again for Florida to remain forward of Edmonton’s assault — particularly when there is a lopsided shot whole. The Panthers might need gotten away with it in Sport 1 due to Bobrovsky’s excellence. He’ll must hold at it for the Panthers to remain on tempo for a collection victory.
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Sergei Bobrovsky stands tall with a pair of phenomenal saves
Sergei Bobrovsky holds the Oilers at bay with a pair of big saves within the first interval.
Warren Foegele F, Oilers
Let’s return to Edmonton needing secondary offense past Bouchard, Draisaitl, Hyman and McDavid. Foegele completed Sport 1 with three photographs on objective. That was probably the most photographs on objective by an Oilers participant who is not Bouchard, Draisaitl, Hyman and McDavid.
Maybe probably the most jarring side of his efficiency is that he did it whereas logging simply 10:23 in ice time. And even that statistic reinforces why the Oilers will want extra contributions in Sport 2. Why? As a result of apart from Draisaitl, Hyman and McDavid, there was just one ahead who logged greater than 16 minutes in Sport 1 — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Huge questions for Sport 2
Is Florida already in Edmonton’s head?
If the Panthers neutralize the Oilers’ energy play like they did in Sport 1, how will Edmonton reply in Sport 2 (and past)? The Oilers have excelled on this postseason on the energy of their man benefit, and if that may’t fireplace the way in which it has in opposition to different opponents, how will they compensate? Have they got what it takes at 5-on-5 to take down the Panthers?
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There’s a chance in Sport 2 for the Oilers to indicate a few of their depth in that respect. It wasn’t on show a lot on Saturday, although, which is worrisome for Edmonton’s general prospects — particularly when Bobrovsky performs like he did.
Did the third interval give the Panthers a blueprint for the right way to include the Oilers?
The Oilers opened the sport with 12 photographs within the first interval and 13 photographs within the second, so it was jarring that they managed simply seven within the third. And whereas that was not the primary time this postseason an opponent saved them to single digits in photographs for a interval, it was the primary time a crew had discovered a approach to silence what has been one of many NHL’s most harmful assaults.
The Oilers completed with a shot share of 60% within the third interval, which exhibits they have been capable of maintain onto possession. However they mustered solely six scoring probabilities whereas in desperation mode within the remaining body, struggling to seek out house. A part of the issue? The Panthers took away time and house, ending with 63 hits and blocking 21 photographs.
