Achi news desk-
Zach Hyman waited as the multitude of reporters and cameras went into place.
Surrounded on all sides in the Edmonton Oilers’ media-filled locker room, the winger stood by the company line.
Despite being down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup final to the suffocating and well-drilled Florida Panthers, his club has done a lot of good things in this series.
They are right there. Badly timed mistakes have cost them.
“It’s not like we go out there and get completely dominated by a team that’s better than us,” said Hyman, who has combined to score 68 times in 2023-24, but has ‘to keep off the score sheet in this series. “It’s moments in the game where they’ve shown a bit more maturity than we have.”
The Oilers made a trio of critical mistakes in a 4-3 loss in Game 3 that pushed them to the brink of elimination on Saturday — a possible end to the magical spring in Alberta’s capital.
Bad read of 2-on-1, mistake behind the Edmonton goal, tremendous gift in the defensive zone. All those mistakes came in the back of Stuart Skinner’s net.
“This series is 3-0, but it doesn’t feel like a 3-0 series,” Hyman said following Friday’s practice. “It feels like for a lot of it, we’ve been controlling the game, and there are times in the game where we’re giving away freebies.
“They don’t.”
The Panthers also don’t allow the Oilers’ big guns to get going. Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been outstanding with just four goals against on 86 shots, including a shutout in Game 1.
Hyman, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard have no goals.
Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) takes part in a practice in Edmonton on Friday June 14, 2024. The Edmonton Oilers will face elimination when they host Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup final on Saturday.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The power play is 0 for 10. Florida has largely owned the middle of the ice and the blue lines, making zone exits and layups a challenge for a team that feasts off the rush.
“A very dedicated effort from five men out there against those guys,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said of limiting the opposition’s high-flying attack. “Like so many offensive guys we have on the team, we’re a defense first team.”
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Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch said internal data suggests his group is getting more chances and allowing fewer chances against than in any other series this spring.
And yet, the Oilers are 60 minutes from getting to the golf course. Only one team in NHL history – the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs – has come all the way back from a 3-0 deficit in a final.
Edmonton posted two eight-game winning streaks and went on a 16-game regular season streak, but are now 0-5 against the Panthers in 2023-24.
“Disappointed that we are in this situation,” said Knoblauch. “We have a lot to be optimistic about. We’ve gone on some pretty amazing rolls during the regular season.”
The Oilers, looking to force a Game 5 on Tuesday back in South Florida, have dug themselves out of plenty of holes this season. There was an ugly 2-9-1 start, falling behind the Vancouver Canucks three times in the second round, and a 2-1 deficit against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final.
“People have counted us out all year, and the odds say we won’t win,” Hyman said. “We play our best when our backs are against the wall.”
The task is still. The door, however, is not completely closed.
“You never know how many more opportunities you’re going to get,” veteran wing Corey Perry said. “For many players, this could be. This may be their only chance. I played with a lot of guys who never had this opportunity.
“When you get it, you hold on to it and you do everything you can to not let it go.”
Despite the dire situation, Hyman said the group had unwavering belief.
“If there’s any team that can do this, it’s this team,” he said. “There is something about this team.
“We’re not giving up.”
the mystery of Maurice
Florida winger Kyle Okposo – acquired by the Buffalo Sabers before the NHL trade deadline – has been impressed with the way head coach Paul Maurice operates.
“He has a unique way of preparing us,” said the 36-year-old. “Sometimes he uses humour, sometimes he’s more demanding. He has a very good beat on the team.”
A wide-eyed teammate
Tkachuk grew up in the St. Louis area. Louis and spent a lot of time watching Vladimir Tarasenko with the Blues. Now they’re side by side, one win from Florida’s first Cup.
“He was one of my favorite players,” Tkachuk said. “I’m sure my 12 or 15-year-old self would be star-struck.”
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
