‘Don’t think our best has shown up’: Oilers’ Connor McDavid reflects on Game 3 loss
On Monday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers fell into a pattern that the Florida Panthers have made all too familiar during their three-year run as a postseason monster.
Just when it seemed like the Oilers had the momentum after Corey Perry cut a 2-0 lead in half, Florida pounced.
Goals from Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett in quick succession snuffed out Edmonton’s spirit, and the rout was on.
The Oilers let their frustrations show in the third period, engaging in the exact sort of post-whistle antics that Florida thrives on.
Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues added power play goals in the third on the ensuing penalties, and Edmonton is left searching for answers with a crucial Game 4 ahead on Thursday.
After the Panthers earned a 6-1 win on home ice, Oilers captain Connor McDavid voiced his thoughts on the team’s lackluster performance.
“It was a a weird game,” McDavid said. “When you start in the first with four penalties, almost half the period you’re killing… not a good way to get into your game… We never got to our game.”
The Oilers found themselves chasing the game quickly, as Brad Marchand scored his eighth of the postseason just 56 seconds in, and Carter Verhaeghe added a second on the power play with just over two minutes to go before the break.
“I don’t think we lost our composure until maybe the very end there,” McDavid said. “Trying to show a little bit of fight back, but I don’t mind the fight back, obviously. I think that’s what good teams do.”
The referees were quick to dole out 10 minute misconducts as the game unraveled in the third period, with AJ Greer, Bennett and Jonah Gadjovich receiving them for Florida while the Oilers saw them assessed to Darnell Nurse, Trent Frederic and Mattias Ekholm.
“Obviously it wasn’t our best, not our best at all,” the Oilers captain added. “I don’t think our best has shown up all series long, but it’s coming. Shift the focus to finding a way to get a win in Game 4.”
How the Oilers will go about finding that win remains to be seen.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch opened the door for questions about who will start in net when he pulled Stuart Skinner in favor of Calvin Pickard.
On multiple occasions over the past two playoff runs, Edmonton has righted the ship by temporarily going to Pickard after Skinner has struggled, including in the first round this year, when Pickard rattled off four straight wins to oust the Los Angeles Kings after Skinner manned the crease for losses in Games 1 and 2.
Puckdrop for Game 4 from Amerant Bank Arena is set for Thursday night at 8:00 PM EST.