We have reached the point in this series where we can safely kick in the ‘cheering for laundry‘ portion of fandom. We know the dice have no memory, we know Connor McDavid will dominate a game he’s in soon, we know home-ice advantage doesn’t mean diddly in this final.
We don’t know the hero of Game 6. We can assume it will be goalie Bob, or Brad Marchand, or even 97 or 29, but often in moments like this it is a role player who steps up and makes the big play.
I believe this team can win the Stanley Cup. I don’t believe they can win it by making stretch passes that often get intercepted, or by a series of individual efforts by one player.
The suffocating Florida forecheck has these Oilers at the brink. The long stretch passes are not a viable solution. A return to retrieval/quick outlet under control is the only solution I can see.
What would I do tomorrow night? I would play Stuart Skinner. I would play John Klingberg. I would instert Kasperi Kapanen back into the lineup. Not certain any of those things happen, but that’s what I would do tomorrow in Sunrise. You?
One final thing. This board has all range of fandom, so there are those who believe there is no hope and those who believe this is the time to stand and deliver and those who are confident in a Game 7 win.
We can spend the day raining down blows and using our keyboards as weapons, or we can let people live with their own views and pass on the opportunity to tell people they are stupid, addled or silly. Surely we are mature enough to recognize this small act of kindness toward each other as something good and right.
The Lowdown hits at noon today, Sports 1440. We’ll talk with Rachel Doerrie from Betalytics and Puck Social about Game 6, and how to start on time, get the lead and hold it. Jason Gregor will pop in too, we’ll discuss lineup changes and injuries. Noon to 2 today, Sports 1440.
Where have all the Edmonton Oilers’ outlet passes gone?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6427417/2025/06/16/edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final-2025-passing/
Thank you Edmonton for being such a great host this weekend. Had an absolutely great time with Socaloil. You guys are gonna have to restock your supply of Molson
Some thought should be given to the dreaded 11-7 set up. I don’t know how much impact you get from taking out a Kapanen/Frederic/Arvidsson into the line up. I think you are going to see McDavid and Drai play 24+ minutes regardless of outcome and you have plenty of forwards who could play more. Versus the value you get from having the option of either playing your best 6 D or mixing in Stecher in case our LD are struggling playing the R side
LT,
Like I said 2 weeks ago, what will the Oilers get in return for a 27 year old Stanley Cup winning goaltender this summer?
Connor Brown is doing precisely nothing – yet continues to feature on McDavid’s line.
This has been and will continue to be a costly mistake.
Brown is definitely hurt and it looks to me like he can’t really shoot the puck. They absolutely need someone else there.
The long standing Oiler tradition of playing guys that are too hurt to do enough instead of trusting a healthier player and hoping for the best
The options are limited, and no I don’t like it either. Brown is in no man’s land to me, all he has at this point is speed and usually a decent defensive game. Not great hands, small, not hard to play against if his yapping doesn’t bother a guy
Imagine if Connor had a responsible winger that was a good scorer not named Leon
I got to see Wide Mouth Mason live in a smokey bar in 98 or 99. They were great. I got to have beers with them backstage afterwards. Nice guys and fellow Saskatchewan boys like me.
me too. at the sidetrack cafe
That was the name of the bar. Thanks I couldn’t remember the name. Were you backstage too?
yeah, a friend of mine was friends with another singer in a Latino band who knew the guys from WMM
Sames. They opened for Big Sugar at the Rev and kinda stole the show until Gord et all really got going.
Perhaps its been discussed here already, but I’m hearing that the Oilers are closing in on a 7 year, $22M deal for Frederic. Can someone please explain to me what Frederic has done to deserve that kind of contract?
Who said this? You need a new source.
Bob Stauffer.
My apologies then. He’s probably the best source of all things Oilers. 7 years yikkes! That is a contract that probably won’t age well.
Bouch needs to be the first contract signed.
Nope. McDavid.
Sign McDavid-Bouchard-Frederic-Perry-Walman the day after while they’re still celebrating winning the Cup.
McDavid and Walman will need to be the week after – they can’t put pen to paper until July.
No, Bouchard need to get done.
McDavid’s will get done this summer but Bowman has a ton of flexiblity for the year that kicks in (2026/27).
Off the top of my head, Ekholm, Kulak, Walman, Henrique, Kane, Stu Skinner, Arvidsson are all off the books.
Of course, some/many will be re-signed but there is a ton of cap flexibility for 2026/27 at this point.
Term for a bottom-sixer? Oy vey…
My interpretation is that they are banking on him being as good as he once was, ie the previos 3 seasons + sunk cost to date.
Certainly his play hasn’t warranted a raise, but they did use a 1st round pick and their top RHD pro prospect on him, so a part of this is to demonstrate that they are unwilling to lose valuable assets and let that acquisition (and potentially future valuable piece) walk.
My take is that this the Kassian contract 2.0.
All indications are that a re-sign is imminent and that its going to be something along the lines of 7 years and $3.15MM (in that range).
At the end of the day, I guess the risk isn’t really very big as $3.15MM is very small percentage of a $120MM cap (and it should be well over that for much of this contract).
At the same time, the contract terms are for a game that hasn’t been available all season long, even prior to his injury and I would suggest that his peak year in Boston (18G/40P – third line) barely gets him to be value for the suggested deal.
At the same time, this will be for prime years and I would be confident that he can provide $3MM worth of value – just not sure its been earned..
Are we not currently watching Frederic’s prime? And why would that be worth 7 more years of what we are seeing?
He would be 35 when that contract expires.
His player type often fades in their early 30’s.
Zack Kassian is 34.
7 x $3.15 for Frederic will be a huge mistake that we will all regret.
He’s 6’3″, makes 2-3 hits per game, can score 15 EV goals a year, can PK, and is defensively responsible. Does that warrant $3.14M/year for 7 years? Maybe, maybe not (particularly if he can’t do it every year).
However, the actual reason is the GM gave up a 2nd, 4th, Shane Lachance and Max Wanner looking for this player and he’s doubling down on “it wasn’t a mistake”. He’s playing over Skinner ($3M) and Arvidsson ($4M) right now while not 100% so it’s pretty clear how the team sees him.
Pretty low risk at that cap. I think as long as he doesn’t get a weird injury he’ll be moveable because of being a unicorn if necessary. At 4-5 M, not so much
If it gets done I expect Kane is heading out, saves 2M in cap. Stan will need some folding money, he will change the team up one would think, more like how he sees things
always high risk signing a bottom of lineup player for 7 years.
Absolutely love it. Freddy will help keep this team engaged during the long season. I’d guess he will score 15 a year and make sure Perry isn’t the only one standing up for teammates. 3 million isn’t much in the increasing cap NHL. Sign him up.
Must be injured and they like the pre injury player cause I’m not seeing what they’re seeing.
Also Never never sign a complementary player for 7 years. The risk of regret is just too high
The Frederic love by the organization I just don’t get. Maybe Schwartz’s brother-in-law or something. 😉
They were supposed to lose in round 1. Can’t beat LA 4 years in a row . Definitely couldn’t get by Vegas. No way they were getting past Dallas ridiculous forward depth. And now despite getting into big injury troubles and some awful reffing they are in game 6 of the Stanley cup finals you guys are complaining??
Enjoy the ride! And if your really want to complain save it until after it’s all said and done.
The difference in the series really is the previous series. Dallas got their pound of flesh off Edmonton. Canes didn’t do much. Take out Bennett and give let’s say Rodrigues a concussion and put back a healthy Brown and Hyman playing wrecking ball this is a very different series. And then adding in Nuge being injured this is an uphill fight. But time for the hockey gords to fight for the good guys. And maybe some neutral referring
Ryan Rishaug
@TSNRyanRishaug
·
23m
I would be very surprised if Nuge isn’t playing and, if the above predicts and Podz healthy scratch, well, I won’t be on board with that heading in to the game.
Long leash for Frederic. And then they’ll sign him long term for too much money.
Reminds me of Kassian.
Yep the organization deemed him the right fit the day of the trade and his actual performance since means absolutely nothing to them. They are right and everyone else is wrong! Don’t get me wrong i’ve got no problem buying low once in awhile in a player you think will turn it around but as usual the Oilers will be paying a premium to “buy low” both in dollars and term i predict. The guys in charge keep changing but the madness continues, maybe there really is something in the water after all?
All indications are that a re-sign is imminent and that its going to be something along the lines of 7 years and $3.15MM (in that range).
At the end of the day, I guess the risk isn’t really very big as $3.15MM is very small percentage of a $120MM cap (and it should be well over that for much of this contract).
At the same time, the contract terms are for a game that hasn’t been available all season long, even prior to his injury and I would suggest that his peak year in Boston (18G/40P – third line) barely gets him to be value for the suggested deal.
At the same time, this will be for prime years and I would be confident that he can provide $3MM worth of value – just not sure its been earned.
Time for Kapanen to go back to playing wrecking ball.
I hope this is not a signal that that Podkolzin is not going to play. That would likely be a mistake.
Perry was beaten by Marchand on the 3rd goal exactly the same way Podkolzin was beaten by Marchand on the 1st goal.
That is likely a set play for Lundell to lose the faceoff and Marchand to “false start” the draw.
Podkolzin is one of the only Oiler ancillary forwards who can match the pace and physicality of the Panthers.
Brown on the 1st line is absolutely dog water.
It hasn’t worked for the last 2-3 games.
What a great time to be an Oilers fan. Edmonton is shiny like a rare diamond.
34,000 fans downtown Saturday night all with an expensive orange or blue jersey. Driving around town the Oiler love is everywhere!
It is a special few weeks in a fans life!
Oilers in seven.
— weird the extra day off
—people seem to have taken issue with my math : game 4 down 3-0 after the first period the Oil had a 1% chance of winning that game. It’s just math.
— There was a 99% chance that we lost that game. Going down 3-1 only once has a team come back from that in the Cup. We are extremely lucky by math (and just play) to be here. We take it. Single events matter. It’s been epic.
— They are very fortunate to be playing this elimination game IMO. Florida has been the better team for more of the games including 2 beat downs where we were owned. Oil has not won anything easy.
— Team has lots of holes when it doesn’t go well and is capable of crazy good things.
— Hope we have one of those complete games that in past rounds have been ordered up when needed the most.
— And another game where McDrai goes off
— In any order, all at the same time, back to back, anything works !
Not sure they took issue with your math, cause I am not sure you actually presented your mathematical arguments.
Surely we all agree that there was a low chance of winning game 4 down 3-0?
Just find it strange that you quantified it, quote math and stats, but didn’t present your mathematical argument. Kind of left me wanting more.
I’d say that while we can look at it as being lucky to be only down 3-2, we can also say there was a chance of being up 3-2, as being in the range of reasonable possibilities of how this could have shaken out as well. What if we get a powerplay on the 2 many men in game 2, and manage to actually score a pp goal. What if Connor scores twice instead of hitting 2 posts…. These things very well could have happened. So I think there is a range of reasonable things that could happen in any series.
I am more amazed at lack of any emotion from the el-captain CMD. It seems he won’t be as shattered as he was last year when he lost in G7. He seems calm given the situation. May be he knows something that we don’t? May be he knows league has just willed panthers to win so they can grow the game in USA? Or he knows this team is just not good enough to win and there is no point losing sleep over it? Or he knows there will be G7 so league can milk it for all its worth?
I wish if we had the foreknowledge that he possesses and be calm and go about our day as if all this means nothing. Its like we are more stressed than him. Who knows whats happening behind closed doors.
Dude is married now. He understands how one must choose their battles.
Just because he doesn’t show a wide range of emotions doesn’t mean he doesn’t experience them.
Plus ice water in the veins is a positive thing at this point.
Emotion drains energy and causes extra fatigue, and makes achieving a flow state more difficult.
If you can keep your head when all about you…
There is a place and time for emotional release a la last year in the lockerroom, but an extended emotional state, high or low, is not conducive to high performance.
Maybe the smarter heads here can help me – do you think playing Bouchard (2 minutes per game PK) and McDavid (not sure) on the PK is having some small effect on their 5v5 and PP performance?
Bouch played 27:47 and McDavid 25:49, Drai 23:09.
I know these guys are all bionic men but this is a lot of ice time against an infuriating opponent.
Not sure there’s anyone who can replace them on the PK, I just wonder if these guys are completely gassed.
I would normally complain about the weird playoff schedule but any extra days of rest for these 3 must be manna from heaven.
I am not the coach, I’m not that smart about hockey, but here are my opinions:
I’ve liked Bouchard on PK.
I thought McDavid on PK made sense against the 5-F Kings PP, but I like what Strudwick said recently: I want my PK guys blocking shots; I DO NOT want McDavid blocking shots; plus, I want him fresh for the post-PK nuclear push.
Maybe McDavid – I’m not sure.
I don’t think this is effecting Bouchard at all – to my eye he seems tireless – style of play is a factor in him being able to play huge minutes.
Honestly, McDavid on the PK always seems to have the chance to break the other way. It almost feels like he has more chance to score per minute on the PK compared to 5v5 where they key on him. Obviously, goes without saying he has to play D first on the PK…
Go Oilers Go.
It’s not over until it’s over.
I like the change in strategy.
The long passes are not working esp when the O-zone player that waiting to deflect the shot/pass is crushed – w/o having the puck.
They need to get back to playing physical hockey.
Force some turnovers.
It’s happened many times this series without one call.
Not only would I 100% bring Klingberg back in, I would strongly consider keeping Ekholm out of the lineup and rolling the pairings we had in the playoffs prior to his return.
I know there is no way they won’t play the Viking but from a cold, rational perspective, it might be the right move.
I was thinking the same thing. Considering Ekholm’s not 100%, I was wondering if going back the three L-R pairing would be better than playing just two RD and trying to figure out which LD is ‘least bad’ on his off-side.
The Oilers need to run more interference to slow down the Panthers forecheck, just like the Panthers are doing to the Oilers.
Wanna bet they won’t get away with it?
They’ve got to do it anyhow. The Panthers forecheck is killing them.
https://x.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1934642734968737935
Team Canada reveals Olympic men’s hockey First 6: Behind the Sam Reinhart pick, other roster decisions.
“Reinhart replaced 37-year-old Brad Marchand — the only change from the First Six announced 12 months ago for 4 Nations, with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brayden Point all named as repeats to the Olympic squad Monday.”
Deutscher Eishockey-Bund
@deb_teams
Olympia 2026: Die ersten sechs Spieler für den vorläufigen Kader der DEB-Männer stehen fest https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f1e9-1f1ea.svg
https://tinyurl.com/2xwvpkyk
Grubauer over Paterka is a choice.
Of course, JJ will be on the team.
Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
Projecting Team USA
first six players to be named for Milan 2026 Olympic Winter Games:
F Auston Matthews, Captain
F Jack Eichel
F Brady Tkachuk
F Matthew Tkachuk
D Quinn Hughes
D Charlie McAvoy
I would do all those things.
I do wonder how they can insert Ekholm but not get burned by his lack of lower body availability. To me, you have to play him with Nurse or Kulak. They’re the only two defenders with the skates that can make up for it.
Kulak/Bouchard
Ekholm/Nurse
Walman/Klingberg
I don’t know, maybe you roll 5D and have Ekholm playing spot duty.
Nurse is barely hanging on playing on his natural side. Why would anyone move him to RD?
I wouldn’t, for a second, think about putting either Ekholm or Nurse on the right side.
I have no idea why they were giving Ekholm right side shifts the last few games – I would think that to be a terrible idea even if his mobility wasn’t clearly and materially limited from normal.
I believe this team can do virtually anything it sets its mind too. They have overcome so much already this playoffs by sheer willpower. I agree with the astute observation of our host about the height of the ceiling and depth of the floor of this team, but they have been struggling with injuries for months and I believe this would be a tighter series with both teams healthy.. Florida certainly looks healthier.
Game 5 of the Dallas series really impacted the final. Brown was flying prior to the headshot delivered by the Dallas d man and we all know what happened to Hyman. Pretty sure Walman is being held together by duct tape and Ekholm is still a ghost of his best self. This is a lot to overcome. The team is using none of these excuses but I feel so proud of this team for how far they have come under these circumstances.
I will absolutely not count them out but my heart will break for them if they are unable to overcome all that ails them to reach the height of their true potential.
Please don’t HH this for the people that are still enjoying the ride. We only have to win half as many games as last year when facing elimination
I wasn’t even remotely grumpy post game 5. That was one of the most perfect games I’ve seen a team play in a Stanley Cup Final – if Florida played like that all the time rather than engage in the dark arts they’d almost be likeable. Credit where credit’s due.
For Game 6 I’d like to see the Oilers go back to what worked in Game 4. More dumping pucks to corners and chasing the Florida D. Skating it in every time in Game 5 played right into the Panthers’ hands. For this to work I agree with LT – we need Kapanen back in. We need Kane on his A Game etc.
For the defensive end I think we can see that Stetcher isn’t the answer (as much as I liked him regular season). Roll Klingberg back out and hope the 2 games off has done him some good.
There’s a path to victory – fingers and toes crossed we make it.
They gotta start hammering the D like in game one.
No brainer for me that Skinner gets the start. The way Florida is playing this team will need Skinner to be very good to excellent for two games and he’s proven the ability you give the needed level of play.
I’m choosing to be optimistic Stu will give this team the required level of play.
Obi Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.
I would 100% play Klingberg over Stecher. He is simply better and can have a higher positive impact and he floor is now lower.
I found it odd that Stech was back in after playing 4 minutes in a 4 period game and wonder if Kling is banged up.
Nurse-Walman is the way and either Kulak or Ekholm with Bouchard.
Win or lose with the best lineup you can muster.
Thanks as always for the kindness, LT.
I think one of the biggest stories of the series has been Bob not being the story. He stole game 2, and even then it was not by a large margin. Picks helped steal game 4.
Yes Bob is rocking a high save percentage but he has been beatable, and as mentioned, each team has won one game in the series that they weren’t expected to win on the basis of non-goalie play.
We are not losing because Bob is stoning us. Yes, he could be the hero in game 6 or 7, but he also could let goals in that he shouldn’t, which he has done in at least 3 games this series. Which means this series can be won with better team play, it is there
I think it was maybe Gazdic who said regarding Pickard “he wasn’t the reason they lost, you don’t necessarily blame him for the goals, but you would have liked him to save one of them”.
Marchand’s first goal caught the entire team embarrassingly flat-footed (he’s 37!!!!) and was a rocket, but the rest of the goals were theoretically saveable.
Bob isn’t getting beat by much. My feeling is if we had him last 2 Finals Oilers would have won both Cups.
Hoping for the best. So proud of our guys regardless of the outcome.
I can only speak for myself, but I know when I mention “effort” (or perceived lack-thereof), I’m really referring to focus/and attention to detail.
I KNOW they are trying, so it’s not lack of effort. But, when you lose 80%(an arbitrary number) of board battles over an entire game, it speaks to a lack of attention of doing everything correctly on the ice all the time. DETAILS MATTER WHEN YOU WANT TO BE CHAMPION.
Florida has the ability to do this. Edmonton hasn’t shown this abiblty yet and that’s what’s most frustrating about this team. They’ve been through this before and seemingly have not learned the lessons properly.
Is fatigue a thing? Absolutely, but it should affect BOTH teams but when 37-year old opposing players area skating circles around your team, it LOOKS like lack of effort.
They have to bring they’re A-plus game/effort for 6 straight periods if they want to rise above. That game 5 was a massive disappointment, especially on home ice.
120 minutes left. BRING IT
If the Oilers hit their cues the Panthers wouldn’t be looking this good. There have been a lot of mistakes and execution issues, and doing the little things at least as well as the other guys is key. It’s basics that add up to a win
That’s the frustrating part in all of this: They’ve been through it before and should have learned from past experiences to UP their efforts. Not coast on having won the previous game.
I am choosing to live in gratitude in preparation for Game 6.
I am disappointed so far through five games? Deeply. Frustrated even. This is not the same team, key injuries or not, that steamrolled Vegas and Dallas.
But I choose to take this day off to be thankful for the ride. It may never be this good again.
My life will change significantly in October, as my first child is due. I will not be able to watch as obsessively as I do when he arrives, perhaps for the better.
This love of the Edmonton Oilers is in my blood. When the paramedic asked my grandfather when he started feeling the chest pains during the heart attack that eventually took his life, he said “between the first and second period.” My family’s lives have literally been counted not by minutes, hours and years, but shifts, games and seasons.
Part of me hopes I don’t pass down this fanaticism on to my son. At points like these, its almost too much to bear. Maybe the chain will break, and he will have less sleepless nights than I do over something he truly has no influence over.
But shouldn’t we all be thankful we are able to care about something so much?
And shouldn’t we able be thankful we are so near glory, even if it never comes?
Oilers in 7.
Congratulations on the upcoming child. It will be a wonderful and wild ride. I’ve reminded myself many times over the years – the days are long, but the years are short.
I let my kids choose whether they care about hockey, and what team they chose (as long as it wasn’t the Canucks, *spits*). 1 of my boys is aware of hockey, but doesn’t care, 2 of them cheered for other teams growing up, but are right beside me right now living and dying Oilers playoff hockey.
As far as whether it is better to be passionate or not – I say passionate is better. I love the balance you are attempting to strike, because ultimately it is entertainment. But when I see my students and some are consistently placid, while others are highs and lows, the highs and lows have more to live for and try. Not getting excited about stuff means you can’t get excited about stuff, and I think it is failures of excessive enthusiasm which are better than failures from doing nothing.
Anyways, ignore the ramblings of this old man, make your way, enjoy your days and take a trip this summer before your child arrives. Best of luck and God bless!
You are correct about your child changing your life and for the good may I say. I feel your pain when it comes to the Oilers. I was lucky enough to see up close the greatest team ever win 5 Cups. It was so satisfying teasing the Flames-Habs back in the day. First thing I told my buddies after Cup 5 you better bottle this feeling as it could be 25 years before the next Cup. 2006 was a fairytale that came up just short. Last year felt like a dagger to the heart. This year after game 5 it feels like a lobotomy by the sunshine state.
Need our own neutral zone trap so we can get the puck going the right way without having to go the length of the ice.
Need the guys to work as a 5 man unit. The forwards and D seem to work independently
Need Skinner to get hot.
And come out hitting.
When they don’t like what’s going on they for years have tended to play solo (especially Connor) and get too spread out, lose puck support
To me it’s as much about what they won’t do as what the Panthers do. We have seen it against other teams, where a crap team like the Sharks look like champs and their back up goalie look like a Vezina winner
The Panthers are very good because of how they play and that they make it easy for Bob in a lot of games. But when pressure is returned the cracks are there
I like all those changes LT. The D all need to be given low outlets so the F can move it swiftly up the ice past the forecheckers. Bieksa mentioned not being afraid of the middle, and I think the way Florida is owning the boards that is the right play.
Cute passes haven’t been working and putting together 3 or 4 short passes that move the puck forward or away from pressure is going to yield excellent results. Especially in confidence, which was completely absent in their passes last game.
Who knows what tomorrow night brings, but I hope the Oilers leave it all on the table and it comes back for a game 7.
The Oilers need to play Draisaitl hockey, rather than McDavid hockey.
Every time they’ve gone into the mode where they control the puck and play at a deliberate and self-dictated pace, they win.
If they start racing, they don’t execute on their chances and they lose. Too many people whizzing by, passing too early, or worrying about running in the wrong direction.
If Klingberg is healthy, this is one of the major reasons he needs to be in.
Solid observation.
They also need a figure out how to get the puck out of their own end. They are spending too much time in the D zone and not enough in the O zone.
I think a big part of that is that they aren’t getting the puck deep when they can and putting some pressure on the Cats. They score when they do. Not doing that means they are defending too much and the counter attacks come back fast
Get the puck deep and avoid turnovers and it’s a different game
Obviously, the Oilers didn’t want to waste the Game 7 advantage by wrapping the series up in 6 only games. I wish they could have faked it a little harder though.
Lol I’ve convinced my brain of this too. For more revenue as well.
Though it’s hard to believe the team would purposely give those game 5 fans an expensive crap night too…
In the end I chose to believe the Captain that their best is yet to come.
Lets Go Oilers!
PS: I agree on your lineup changes for tomorrow night and… Lets Go Oilers!!
Wide Mouth Mason, one of my all time favourite Canadian bands. They are absolutely a terrific band live.
This is one of the few bands that I followed before they released an album. Saw them in the 90’s at GMC, they opened for The Watchmen (another favourite band) and blew the doors off. They were excellent live…there was a rumour floating around that when they opened for the Stones, that they were told to tone it down a bit because they were outshining the feature act. (Not sure if this is true.) Great band.
Oh wow, hadn’t heard that. Good for them. Terrific energy
I think they will have to play a style they currently aren’t. There is too much pressure to enter with control or do much else. They need to play meat and potatoes, win their battles and get pucks where they need to get, put it deep and forecheck. Basically what the Panthers do when they don’t have a rush chance
Strudwick thought they need to get the D turning and retrieving pucks more. They can, not sure what they will do