Category: Hockey History 1917-2023

Stanley Cup Champions…again

Here along the Lake A bit boring and a bit disappointing but this year’s Stanley Cup Finals have come and gone with nothing different, same two teams played for the Cup and the same team won as last year.

Panthers 5 – Oilers 1 (en x2) (SCF 4-2 Florida) Referees Rooney and Hebert made sure no Edmonton power play would save the day as neither team had the man advantage save one pair of offsetting penalties halfway through the first period, and of course a game misconduct with a couple minutes left in the game.

Edmonton took 20 SOG over the first two periods and found themselves down 3-0 heading into the third period, then the Oilers with six and half minutes remaining in the game and series pull the goalie and promptly get scored on, not once but twice into the empty net.

And just to avoid the shutout Edmonton pops one in just 20 seconds or so after the second empty net goal against to make the final a 5-1 score, Florida played well and had the better goaltender, they deserved to win.

Personal Note

Watching a player that arguably plays dirty be awarded the Conn Smyth Trophy, well that just adds to the overall disappointment, additionally I hope that the Cup engraver will get the names in proper order this year and not add some businessman’s name after the player’s names like last season.

Paul Maurice

Here along the Lake You cannot argue with success and the head coach of the Florida Panthers has plenty of that since becoming a Head Coach in the NHL beginning as a mid-season replacement in the 1995-96 NHL regular season.

Paul played and coached major junior hockey in the OHL whereas head coach he won the J. Ross Robertson Cup OHL championship and that success catapulted Paul to become an NHL assistant coach for the Hartford Whalers, eventually their head coach that year forward.

After earning a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals during 2001-02 season, Paul a couple of seasons later left Carolina and was a head coach in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization AHL/NHL, then back to Carolina for a few more seasons before a head coaching gig for one season in Russia.

Once back in North America, Paul spent nearly a decade as the Winnipeg Jets head coach before landing the same position with Florida three years ago as Paul has guided the Panthers to an incredible three consecutive finals appearances in his initial three years as the team’s head coach.

TONIGHT, GAME SIX 8PM

Elimination or Game Seven

Kris Knoblauch

Here along the Lake Does having the best head coach assure a team of a Stanley Cup, of course not, there are way too many mitigating factors involved during an NHL game to credit the outcome to just the coach.

Edmonton HC Knoblauch As a teenager Kris Knoblauch played his major junior hockey in the WHL on four different teams and when he turned 20 years of age began playing collegiate hockey for five seasons for the University of Alberta in the CWUAA.

Kris played one season of minor professional hockey in the now defunct CHL before becoming an assistant coach in the WHL, and in his third season was promoted to head coach where he took the team he once played for and won the WHL Ed Chynoweth Cup championship.

After winning the WHL championship Kris was made head coach of the OHL Erie Otters that had a 15 years old Connor McDavid and 18 years old Connor Brown in the line-up and the Otters lost twice as many games as they won, they were horrible.

But after three seasons Kris and the Otters with teenagers Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strom won the OHL J. Ross Robertson Cup championship and after this success Kris was picked up as an assistant coach for the NHL Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons, then put in their farm system as head coach of the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack making the playoffs once.

Additionally, Kris was brought up from Hartford to be the Head Coach of the New York Rangers for two games during 2021 because of irrational covid protocols implemented by political activist Bettman.

During the NHL 2023-24 season the Edmonton Oilers made Kris their mid-season replacement head coach who promptly guided the team to the Stanley Cup finals eventually losing to the Panthers where they would meet again in the Cup finals this season and now face game six elimination in Florida this Tuesday night.

Oilers Offense Obsolete

Panthers 5 – Oilers 2 (en) (SCF 3-2 Florida) The Edmonton Oilers seem like a rudderless ship when it comes to their vaunted power play, who is ultimately responsible for the power play, the players, the head coach, or just the team in general?

Edmonton now finds itself in a “do or die” situation as they prepare to return to Florida to capture another road victory to bring game seven back to Alberta, or the Panthers on the cusp of winning consecutive Cups will bring another stunning defensive effort and remain champions.

GAME SIX Tuesday Night 8pm

Oilers Home Ice Advantage

Oilers 5 – Panthers 4 (OT) (SCF tied 2-2) Florida took 17 SOG in the first period and scored three times, Edmonton took 17 SOG in the second period and scored three times, then the teams traded goals in the last six and half minutes of the third period to setup overtime.

After allowing three goals on 17 SOG in the first period Shakey Skinner was promptly pulled and the Oilers benefited from goaltender Pickard’s steady and solid performance throughout the rest of the game including overtime keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard.

Home ice advantage in a three-game series is crucially important, and Edmonton finds itself in a fortuitous situation that will be greatly enhanced by the Oilers staying out of the penalty box while continuing to score on the power play.

ALL-IMPORTANT GAME FIVE

Edmonton, Alberta 8pm