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Sunrise – Matthew Tkachuk Fulfilling one of two promises he made at the start of Game 5 between the Panthers and Oilers.
After playing cautiously since the start of the finals, he played his best game of the series on Tuesday. The goal he scored and the second goal he assisted Oliver Ekman-Larsson By feeding the puck to him, the Panthers were able to keep the game going until Connor McDavid The empty-net goal ended Florida’s hopes of a comeback.
However, after Tkachuk said Tuesday morning that he and his teammates had a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream in front of fans, which is exactly what they were going to do tonight, he didn’t live up to his promise.
Disappointed that you only played $0.500? Especially since it was his biggest promise that he couldn’t fulfill?
never!
After the Panthers lost 5-3, their second straight loss and now have to travel to Edmonton, Tkachuk commented on the loss with the same goofy smile he sports as he crosses the ice. It’s the same “splitting” smile that often drives his opponents crazy.
“We were victims of some mistakes we made, and we lost the battle on special teams. But we still lead 3-2. We will have two days to replenish our energy and be ready for the game in Edmonton on Friday,” Tkachuk emphasized.
All that was missing was a mouth guard to chew on, claiming Tkachuk was taunting reporters and refusing to even consider that things were starting to get worse for the Panthers because he enjoyed taunting his opponents on the ice.
“We still just need one win,” added Sam Bennett Further into the dressing room.
Paul Morris added: “I am not discouraged by this defeat and I’m sure none of our players are discouraged.”
It’s true that the Panthers still lead in the series. It’s true that they won’t face elimination on Friday, while the Oilers will face elimination for the third time in a row. It’s true that the Panthers played better in Edmonton on Tuesday than they did on Saturday, when the Oilers beat them 8-1.
But still.
The Awakening Connor McDavidIn fact, the Oilers’ supporting players were more efficient than the Panthers for two straight games, and special teams favored Edmonton—the Oilers trailed by two goals in big plays, while the Panthers just trailed by three. One goal after five games—and Stuart Skinner Being better in front of his cage than Sergei Bobrovsky is in front of his cage should cause some doubt and concern.
At least in my opinion.
The Oilers, in particular, can count on one part of the dreaded two-headed monster but are still waiting for the other part to come through. They came up blank on Tuesday night, limited to just two assists since the start of the finals, Leon Draisaitl It may also explode at some point.
This only complicates things for the Panthers, who could find themselves with all the pressure in the world on their shoulders if the Oilers go into a decisive seventh game down 3-0.
“This series is difficult. This is normal. We have discussed strategies in the seventh games of all the series that we have started in the past two months. Therefore, we are ready to face all situations. We played a great game tonight. We made some mistakes that should be corrected. We just scored the first goal in two consecutive games while we were on a big offense. This has to stop. We will take measures to stop it. We also have to be more disciplined. The referees were stricter tonight and we have to make adjustments. But when I look at our game as a whole, when I see that we allowed six shots in the third quarter alone, I tell myself that we are in a good position,” assured Paul Maurice after the game.
The Panthers head coach once again reiterated that he doesn’t believe in the transition of momentum from one game to the next.
I do not mind.
I totally respect the Panthers for staying confident despite having just lost two straight games.
But the specter of rewriting history for the wrong reasons is starting to loom. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers respond to the radical shift that lies before them.
If they handle it well and stay within striking distance of the trophy in the final, we will soon forget the two wasted chances in Games 4 and 5.
But if they give the trophy to the Oilers, they will forever be associated with this outrageous waste.
Is this a source of motivation, or, on the contrary, a suffocating and inescapable pressure?
The answer will be revealed on June 24th.
Because yes, after believing the sweep was possible, I now have to consider, as many do, the possibility that the Oilers will force a Game 7.
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