Initially, everyone anticipated the Stanley Cup Final to be a battle between Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl up against Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. The best scorers with the most skill against the best defensive forwards in the game. That’s what happened a year ago with Barkov notably matching up against McDavid to limit the Edmonton Oilers star in the final two games, giving the Florida Panthers the Cup title.
Related: 4 Players the Edmonton Oilers Need More from in Stanley Cup Final
Sam Bennett is the one standing out for the Panthers so far, with three goals through the first two games. Brad Marchand also has three goals, including the game-winner in double overtime of Game 2, but the Bennett line has been the best for the Panthers as it’s generating offence while also limiting the Oilers’ offence. It allowed them to split the first two games in Edmonton and head to South Beach with a chance to take over the series.
The series heads to Florida for Games 3 and 4, and the Oilers look to take the momentum back. It starts with limiting Bennett and his line, which also has Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe on it, two forwards who have four assists in the two games played. The Oilers have the blueprint to do that, and the question is whether they can execute it or not.
Oilers Must Keep Series Fast-Paced
The first two games were fast as both teams were flying up and down the ice. It helps that Rogers Place is known for having great ice, but both teams set the tone for the series by moving the puck, creating rush chances, and pressing the opposing goaltenders. It explains the 16 combined goals in two games.
The Panthers want to slow things down. Sure, they can play a run-and-gun style and go goal for goal with the Oilers, but that’s not how they’ll win this series. Last year, they controlled the series with their forecheck and by slowing the game down, with Bennett, Tkachuk, and the forwards leading the way.
The Oilers must prevent that from happening. The pace allowed them to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win Game 1 in overtime 4-3, and it helped them score in the final minute of regulation in Game 2. The road games and the series progressing into a marathon will test their ability to keep up the fast pace, but they’ll look to do just that. It’s not just McDavid and Draisaitl who must play this way, but the entire forward group.
Ekholm & Nurse Must Control the High-Danger Areas
The Oilers are a better defensive team for many reasons, something that’s been prevalent in their playoff run. The stars are leading the way while the depth on the defensive unit, particularly, has stood out, especially with the Mattias Ekholm injury lingering in the first three rounds. Another factor is Evan Bouchard, who looks great and is once again making a case to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Then there’s a physical element to the defence that gives the Oilers an edge.
That physical play starts with Darnell Nurse. He’s playing great in this playoff run and is standing out in the defensive zone. Nurse is the bigger-bodied defenceman who removes power forwards from the high-danger areas and cleans up loose pucks near the net. With Ekholm back, the Oilers have a defence ready to eliminate opponents from those areas.
The dirty areas are where Bennett thrives (and Toronto Maple Leafs fans will be quick to point out that the dirty areas should be taken literally). It’s why Ekholm and Nurse are the two defencemen who must take him out of the series. Yes, Bouchard, Jake Walman, and John Klingberg are playing great in the playoffs, but they are doing so primarily as puck movers and not physical players. That’s where Ekholm and Nurse come in and must deliver.
McDavid & Draisaitl Still Leading The Way
As expected, McDavid and Draisaitl are leading the Oilers in points in the Final. They are the ones leading the offence with a combined three goals and six assists in the two games, while also stepping up as the anchors for the team as a whole. Even when the Panthers are playing them perfectly, and it seems like there’s no way to win, this duo finds a way, which makes sense considering they are two of the top five players in the NHL.
McDavid and Draisaitl are the two who must set the tone. It includes forechecking, playing physically, and, of course, backchecking and taking over defensively. They are the two skaters who can limit Bennett and, specifically, stop his physicality from controlling the games and wearing down the Oilers.
Their play isn’t exclusive to stopping Bennett. It’s also pivotal in limiting the Panthers and allowing the Oilers to take the series. The first two games could have gone either way, with both going to overtime, and a bounce here or there could have changed the outcome. The McDavid and Draisaitl duo gives the Oilers the advantage, and it must do so in the upcoming games as well.
