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There’s some crazy nonsense coming out of Florida Panthers hockey fans and commentators heading into Game One of the Stanley Cup finals against the Edmonton Oilers, but also some sharp and wise comments about the relative strengths and weakness of both teams.
Here are some of the highlightts from social media, podcasts and mainstream sources on the Panthers heading into the series:
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Jacob Langsam, host of the Panther Pourri podcast @PTPJacob
Draisaitl in 31 5v5 minutes across six regular season games over the last three years against Sam Bennett:
1 goal
1 assist
0.1 ixG
2 shot attempts
42.25 CF%
49.11 xGF%
Once again, try clearing Bennett before you compare to Barkov.
Cody Stevens of the Cats ‘N’ Rats podcast
Edmonton’s been probably the best team in these playoffs. I mean, they won in six and five and five. Like, you know, Panthers won in five, seven and five. So I think I’m giving the edge to Edmonton there. And Edmonton dispatched Vegas and Dallas with relative ease.
Bill Horosz of the On the ProwlL Florida Panthers Den podcast
Edmonton has two excellent lines. I think where they run into problems is their third and fourth lines. The Panthers can roll out four very good lines so anybody that’s on the ice — especially that third and fourth line — has has been fantastic for them especially in the playoffs this year.
T.J. Peterson, Panther Pourri podcast
I wanted Edmonton to lose as soon as possible. What I really don’t like about Edmonton is they they really seem to believe that they have a moral claim to being the rightful winners. Like they deserve to win, which is just disgusting to me….I saw somebody tweeting that like, ‘Oh, the Edmonton parade would be the largest ever and the Florida parade would be the smallest ever tied for their parade last year.’ It’s like you didn’t see sh*t about what happened last year. You have no idea. You don’t know anything. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote
McDavid as “McOverrated” in last year’s Final?… The unkind nickname is even more of a snug fit now. McOverrated does not mean McDavid isn’t great. He is. He has won three Hart (MVP) trophies, led the league in points five times. His combo of speed and stick-handling might be unmatched. But enough with the McJesus, next-Gretzky hyberbole. He isn’t perfect. Nothing special defensively. Prone to turning the puck over. Oh, and this minor thing: NO CHAMPIONSHIPS. Zero Stanley Cups in his 10th NHL season. Tick-tock, Connor… Unless he triumphs during the next two or three weeks, the hole in McJesus’ resume’ and legacy will remain a crater. Without a Stanley Cup win… McOverrated.
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Miami sports commentator Roy Bellamy (on the Cats ‘N’ Rats podcast)
The biggest problem the Panthers have had in Rounds 1 and 2 is transition defence and stretch passes. And if you got the two best players in the world, and one of them is the best stick handling and the fastest in the league, that’s going to be a problem if he gets behind your defence. So, yeah, that’s going to have to go well for the Edmonton Oilers if they want to beat the Panthers in the transition game. The Panthers obviously needs to, stick to their game and forecheck the hell out of them. And they need to hit, pressure their defence, pressure them. Force turnovers and take advantage of them.
Jacob Langsam, host of the Panther Pourri podcast @PTPJacob
Draisaitl is one of the most skilled offensive players in the league! Here’s a list of things he’s better at than Barkov:
1. Shooting the puck
End of list
Cats ‘N Rats podcast host Kirby Lupul @KJ_Lups
One thing people might be sleeping 😴 on with long layoff between Conference Finals-Stanley Cup Final… Florida Panthers physical play could* be hard for Edmonton Oilers to adapt to after soft series w/Dallas Stars, and having all these days off without “taking hits.” You cannot practice for Panthers style of play. You can bring out football pads / and other injury preventive techniques… but there is NO WAY in practice you can replicate Panthers physical brand of hockey,
Rob Pedersen, host of the Cats ‘N Bolts hockey podcast
Oilers fans they tend to get in my head. They bitch about their own team more than any fan base in the NHL…They’re harder than their own team than anybody else in the NHL.
Jacob Langham, host of the Panther Pourri podcast @PTPJacob
Just realized that the Panthers have written a haiku of victory with their series lengths so far. 5-7-5.
Florida Panthers hockey commentator Jameson Olive @JamesonCoop
(Florida Panthers d-man Aaron) Ekblad on being a pending UFA: “I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I’ve given my body and everything to this team. I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they’ll let me keep coming to the rink.”
Sportsnet reporter luke fox @lukefoxjukebox
Matthew Tkachuk recalls his first time grabbing food after he got traded to the Panthers. A local asked what he did for a living. Tkachuk told the stranger he played hockey.
“A hockey player? In Florida? You must not be very good.”
T.J. Peterson, Panther Pourri podcast
Edmonton’s got two world-class players. They have a few other decent players. But they haven’t been skating against a defense with a whole lot of guys that are worth a damn.
Florida fan Jacob Winans @JacobWinans8
I’m seeing a lot of commentary about the Oilers being virtually guaranteed to win because “they’re not going to lose again” and “they want revenge from last year.” Boston, Tampa, Toronto, Carolina have all wanted revenge against Florida and lost a second series to them…
FL PanthersMuse @flpanthersmuse
Matthew Tkachuk’s playoff career:
Calgary
— 5 points in 15 GP
Florida
— 72 points in 73 GP🤯
The jack of all trades.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice (on Seth Jones and Brad Marchand)
Seth is a quieter man than Brad. We all are.
Rob Pedersen, host of the Cats ‘N Bolts hockey podcast
The Oilers freewheeling style could come to an end when they face this Panthers team that is punishing… What’s the clip that’s making the rounds ? That everybody loves? It’s Paul Maurice saying “Eff the plays! Pound them so they have nothing
left by game seven!” They’re not going to get away from that. That’s how you combat the speed.
Bill Horosz of the On the ProwlL Florida Panthers Den podcast
Edmonton has a two-pronged Achilles heel. I think one of the prongs is their defense, because they rely so much on offense, they rely so much on scoringm i think defense is kind of like a almost a second thought with them… Skinner is the weak link as far as the Edmonton Oilers are concerned. … He can have these brilliant shutouts and then next next game it’s six-nothing, eight-nothing and you know it’s like every time you look the first four shots of the game are in the back of the net. He’s wildly inconsistent and I think that’s something that is a real liability for the Oilers.
Cody Stevens of the Cats ‘N’ Rats podcast
Skinner’s played really well this postseason. And like his thing, you know, people like to give him a lot of like, ‘Oh, he sucks.’… In the postseason, when Edmonton has needed him, he’s been a damn good goalie…. I understand that like he has his games where he can’t stop a beach ball, but there are points in these playoffs where he’s been good for Edmonton. And you saw last year, I mean, he made the big save that created the 3-0 comeback for them.
Rob Pedersen, host of the Cats ‘N Bolts hockey podcast
I don’t anticipate that Skinner is going to uh rear as Ugly Stew is gonna come up in this series.
Jacob Langsam, host of the Panther Pourri podcast @PTPJacob
There is nothing scarier in the NHL than a motivated Connor McDavid
T.J. Peterson, Panther Pourri podcast
(The Oilers) they were playing that Game 5-Game 6-Game 7-make-believe strategy, where they have four guys on the slot at all times, and they’re basically daring people to beat their goalie from distance. But Sam Bennett is somebody that’s willing to put his head down and basically Lee Roy Jenkins into the middle of the ice. And with decent efficacy, considering how many times he’s skated right through a team’s defence and scored. That presents a unique problem for Edmonton, whereas they weren’t really experiencing that with Dallas. Dallas couldn’t get to the front of the net. The Panthers just will… Matthew Tkachuk is going to be parked there. Sam Bennett is going to be parked there. Sam Reinhardt is going to be parked there. And there’s a bunch of other big guys that are going to make their way to that crease area.”
Bill Horosz of the On the ProwlL Florida Panthers Den podcast
Darnell Nurse, he’s an entity unto himself and I’ll tell you what, you know he’s notorious for taking stupid penalties at bad times.
Jacob Langsam, host of the Panther Pourri podcast @PTPJacob
I would really hate to see McDavid win a Conn Smythe in a losing effort for a second year in a row. But nobody in this league can take over games like he can. Connor McDavid has effectively willed the Oilers to get this far in the first place.
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