Were you not entertained?
Between earth-shattering shifts in momentum from the last two heavyweights in the NHL and first or second-period blows to the last goaltenders standing, how could you not be?
That is, of course, when the whistles aren’t blown for the ump-teenth time in the first twenty minutes for, let’s say, high sticking.
Perhaps a trip.
Anything involving a twig and an eye roll from those in blue, not red.
“I hate the high-sticking penalties,” agreed Edmonton Oilers head coach Kirs Knoblauch post game four.
And so the criticisms began, and why shouldn’t they?
Forcing your team to take one penalty after the other, not only a) gives the Florida Panthers the chance to close on the extra man-advantages, but b) wears down your team, and c) never creates the chance to generate some sustainable offence.
It’s all backchek, backchek, backchek, but no scoring.
“We want to get off to a better start,” agreed Connor McDavid when faced with a similar question. “We can’t be chasing games like we have been all series long. So I’d expect that tonight.”
Game five is where certain Oilers players figure it out, or get benched.
“I’m just not going to talk about it,” said a certain Oilers player (Evander Kane, now a fourth-line winger). “You want to play as hard as you possibly can.”
No denying that. Florida’s a brutal team if the Oilers prove unable to keep them in check, but poor decision-making and a lack of confidence from those on your line does little to solve such a problem.
Nor does deflecting.
“I think they get too much credit for how much they drive teams,” continued Kane. “I don’t know what else anybody would expect other than that’s going to get out of hand.
“But I think we’ve done a great job of not letting them get in their head and using that to our advantage.”
Perhaps.
OR… Focus on specific areas of the game that Knoblauch has addressed time and time again:
Maintain puck possession, find an early lead, win battles on the forecheck, and yeah, lay a hit or 40.
“Keeping our stick on the ice (while) battling hard,” began Walman on maintaining possession from the Panthers. “We can still break up plays with our stick on the ice. We got away from that a bit and took some undisciplined penalties.
“But, playing hard, stick down, and that’s pretty much it.”
From a novel standpoint, it could be said that if the Oilers can’t kill these penalties (two first-period power-play goals in game four), then they shouldn’t take them.
Don’t reach, don’t hit more, stay away from those high-risk-high-reward plays that end in a penalty more often than not.
What say Walman?
“No, I don’t think so,” answered the blue-liner. “I think you can still be physical with being in control. We’ve all done it. You get taught that when you’re a little kid, to keep your stick down and have a good stick.
“It’s pretty much the base, so we talked about no stick penalties (while) playing hard through the body.
“That’s it.”
Don’t shy away. Make better decisions.
Edmonton Oilers expected lines:
RNH – McDavid – Brown
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Perry
J. Skinner – Henrique – Frederic
Kane – Janmark – Arvidsson
Kulak – Bouchard
Nurse – Stecher
Ekholm – Walman
Pickard
S. Skinner
