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3 reasons why the Edmonton Oilers lost Stanley Cup Final Game 1 against the Florida Panthers
The Edmonton Oilers were defeated 3-0 by the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid didn't register a point, while Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots for a shutout victory.
Even though it is only one game, the Oilers will need to bounce back against a Florida team looking to avenge a Stanley Cup Final loss against the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
Hopefully, head coach Kris Knoblauch will make the necessary adjustments for Game 2 on Monday to avoid falling behind 2-0 before the series shifts back to Edmonton.
Three reasons why the Edmonton Oilers lost Stanley Cup Final Game 1 against the Florida Panthers
#1. Stuart Skinner finished Game 1 with a .882 SV%
Stuart Skinner rolled through the top team in the West, the Dallas Stars, in the Western Conference Final, producing a 4-2 record with a 2.00 GAA and .922 SV%. He outdueled Jake Oettinger, silencing the critics who didn't think he had the pedigree to carry the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final.
Whether it was nerves or not, Skinner was beaten on the first and fifth shots of the game, leaving Edmonton in a resounding 2-0 hole.
Down at the other end, Bobrovsky made save after save, finishing with a shutout, while Skinner walked away with a .882 SV% in his first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
It's not the start the team and fanbase were hoping for.
#2. Edmonton's power play went 0-for-3
The Oilers had the top-ranked power play in the NHL ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, and through 18 postseason games, they tallied at least one man advantage goal in all but six of them. Now, the number has grown to seven.
After rolling through Los Angeles and Vancouver, going 15-for-40 on the power play, the Stars threw Edmonton off their game, finishing their six-game set 4-for-11, with those goals four coming in Games 5 and 6.
Heading into Game 2 on Monday night, Edmonton is 4-for-14 in its last seven games. Its reliance on special teams explains its record of just 4-3, with 17 goals scored and 17 against.
#3. Edmonton's superstars couldn't beat Bobrovsky
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, Bobrovsky earned his first shutout of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers. On Saturday night, he pitched his second consecutive Game 1 shutout with 32 saves to hold McDavid and Co. off the scoresheet.
The shutout loss in Game 1 marked the first time in this postseason that the Oilers didn't score and the first time since an April 4 contest against the Stars that they failed to get on the board.
Although all the Conn Smythe Trophy frontrunners wear blue and orange, the man in the mask on the red team prevented Edmonton from grabbing that all-important first win of the series.
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