Category: Hockey History 1917-2023

Edmonton splits at home with win

Edmonton 8 – Florida 1 (Finals Panthers 3-1)  In a lopsided affair the Edmonton Oilers found their scoring touch and not a moment too soon as the hometown hockey heroes gave their adoring crowds of fans everything they were expecting in this series, offense!

Florida will have an epiphany that goaltender Bobrovsky is human after all that will assist their humility and overall reception to the drubbing they endured and to turn the loss into an inner drive to win the Stanley Cup in game five for a hometown celebration.

Tuesday Night’s Matchup

Florida versus Edmonton (Finals Panthers 3-1)

The UTAH Hockey Club & the NHL want your vote

UTAH Name Vote until June 20  I cast my vote, will it count, in all probability it will not influence UTAH in its franchise naming, but I wanted to go on record and respond to their TOP SIX names.

Utah Venom  Only because there are more rattlesnakes with colorful names than you could hope to know about, but the NHL already has ducks, penguins, and sharks they really do not need any snakes.

Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC)  Generic and unimaginative.

Utah Blizzard  Considering Cottonwood Canyon, Utah is one of snowiest places on Earth, but most hockey fans equate Utah with desert climate not winter.

Utah Outlaws  A winner all day long, the ultimate underdog outlier against all odds and a dark sweater design that plays into a team with an attitude.

Utah Yeti  I sincerely hope they do not name their franchise after a camping cooler.

Utah Mammoth  A Mammoth what?, a Wooly Mammoth or Mammoth Falls, too ambiguous.

Buffalo Winter Voted Outlaws

Panthers Keep Calm and Carry On

Florida 4 – Edmonton 3 (Finals Panthers 3-0)  Edmonton hosted a Finals game to the delight of their fans who partied inside and outside the arena but the Oilers just could not match the Panthers’ level of play and although Edmonton made the game close at times, eventually the better team won.

Florida’s growth from experience as a team from where they were in the Finals last season to this season’s domination of their Cup opponent is impressive, while Edmonton appears similar to what Florida looked like in the Finals last year…a bit overwhelmed.

History highlights a team in the Stanley Cup Finals can overcome a 0-3 deficit to win the series next four games and the Cup, it does seem unlikely, but this is how history is made or will this become the 21^st sweep of the Stanley Cup Finals?

Saturday Night’s Matchup

Florida versus Edmonton (Finals Panthers 3-0)

Florida Victorious

Florida 4 –  Edmonton 1 en (Finals Panthers 2-0)  It took Edmonton more than half the first period to register their first SOG and ironically they scored five hole to take the 1-0 lead, then did not take another shot on net until less than five minutes remaining in the first period.

Florida outshot Edmonton 13-3 in the second period tying the game 1-1 then the Panthers spoil the Oilers run of PKs in the third period and Mr. Rodrigues scored twice before Mr. Ekblad scored an empty netter for the 4-1 final and two game series lead.

Although the Oilers stepped up their hitting and blocking, they barely managed 4 SOG in the first and then only 3 SOG in the second period, this will not get the job done against an opponent whose goaltender is playing well above a .900% save percentage.

It must be disheartening for fans listening to excuses proffered by Mr. McDavid after both losses admitting nervousness being on the “big stage” for the first time to explain loss one and last night said, “I thought they went up a level and we didn’t match it today.” One has to ask, “why not?”

Tomorrow’s Matchup

Florida versus Edmonton (Finals Panthers 2-0)

Florida victorious in Game One

Florida 3 – Edmonton 0 en (Finals Panthers 1-0)  Scoring on their first shot on goal Florida took the quick 1-0 lead, then again early in the second period scored for the 2-0 lead before banging in an empty netter for the 3-0 win and earning their first Finals series lead in three Stanley Cup Finals appearances.

Edmonton may have outshot Florida but the Panthers killed off three Oilers power plays, outhit the Oilers by nearly 30 hits, out blocked, and gave the puck away less as Florida’s goaltender Bobrovsky stopped all 32 Edmonton SOG for the shutout.

Winning the first game of the Finals does not guarantee your team the Stanley Cup, but it does go a long way towards establishing momentum, attitude, and getting within three games of hoisting the silver chalice.

Monday Game Two

Florida versus Edmonton (Finals Panthers 1-0)