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Edmonton Oilers country is trying to make sense of the chaos of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, while looking ahead at what it will take the Oilers to win Game 4
Social media was buzzing on the topics. Here are some of the highlights:
Oilers fan Carly Derms @carlyderms
We’ve all eaten an entire McCain Deep and Delicious cake. It was unnecessary, messy, and we weren’t our best. This was the Oilers eating an entire Deep and Delicious cake. It’ll be OK.
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Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson @jimmathesonnhl
they lost because it was their worst playoff game since Game 2 vs LA. End of story
Oilers fan Waddsy 🇨🇦 @waddsy19
About last night.
A – Oilers were beaten mentally, physically and hockey-y from puck drop.
B – Another NHL game Wes McCauley was unable to keep control of.
C – Speaking of – they looked doubly bad ignoring FLA dives all night.
D – Starting to understand how Kings fans must feel.
Oilers fan Bookjie🇨🇦 @Bookjie
Pickard going in after goal 2 or 3 could have changed the outcome of the game. What is the point of waiting until goal 5. Skinner deserves tremendous credit for playing well, but when he struggles get him out quickly.
Oilers now host Bob Stauffer @Bob_Stauffer
Suffice to say tough night for the Edmonton Oilers. This team plays it’s best when it is calm and under control! Emotional night, EDM got frustrated. Spent too much time in the box.
Best-of-7. Not a Best-of-3
Edmonton hockey writer Terry Jones @byterryjones
You spend all season with a singular focus. Get back to Stanley Cup Final. And you get back to the rink where you lost Game 7. And you lay an egg like that? Lost battles. Lost races. Goaltending. Discipline. Defence. PK. PP. Lose. 6-1.
This is incredible leadership.
And a nice little threat:
“But It’s coming”
See ya for Game 4 ✌️ pic.twitter.com/FDc9uCteco
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Oilers fan jim @sandwedge99
Stink stank stunk. Move on
Oilers fan jim @sandwedge99
The Florida boys came to play. The oilers did not.
Oilers fan Dennis King @DKingBH
Getting beaten down with two full days off is pretty much the best case scenario if a team is looking for some new line and D pairings and gameplans in general. Opportunity meets motivation…If you’re the home team, you can win G1 and then not really sweat until G4. That’s not to say there aren’t issues. There’s two days to figure something out, however
I guess ref Charron too busy blocked Klingberg to notice slash and arm grab by Barkov. pic.twitter.com/8XM5H2LAw4
Oilers fan KRS @KRS89663686
Barkov slashes Klingberg, although not call-able in my mind, then holds him (impedes his momentum) in the corner while the ref kicks the puck out to a Panther player who scores. In my 60 years of hockey dating back to the Edm Gardens that was the worst refereeing ever. ShameNHL!
Oilers fan Andrew d. @Werdnah
I lay FAR more blame on BOTH inept orange armed zebras for missing the Barkov slash & hold that directly caused & led to Klingberg’s contact with the referee & an immediate consequence was an easy grade A chance that resulted in a Panthers goal. NO PENALTY was assessed. 😡😡😡
Cult of Hockey contributor Kevin McCurdy @KevinMcCurdy
My only comment on the reffing tonight: Can y’all get TF out of the way?
Florida Panthers media Jameson Olive @JamesonCoop
Maurice says Sam Reinhart’s goal that made it 3-1 was the “inflection point” in tonight’s game.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch
“We scored a power-play goal in the second period, make it 2-1… Next shift they score & I think that was about it for us. I don’t think we found our footing after that third goal.”
Oilers fan Davymorro23 @davemorrow23
I loved what coach had to say tonight. NHL turning their back in over time when Florida had too many men and yet caught too many men for Edmonton tonight. Horse 💩 reffing in the finals is getting old.
Oilers fan Trent Wilhauk @TheMrWilhauk
Let the Skinner haters run wild….. No chance on any goal…..
Oilers fan Felix @Felix_Cat7
Don’t worry, be happy! Florida was down 1, now Edmonton is down 1… Oiler fans, we are very fortunate to have our team in the finals 2 years in a row! Even if they lose the next 1, they have proven they can win 3 elimination games in a row against Florida!
Oilers fan Steve Piercey @Piercimo
Book it now….The Florida Panthers just won their last playoff game of 2025. Oilers in 6
Oilers fan Kennedy @kennedystrash
Not a good week for people who’s emotional state depends on their hockey team doing well
This is *sensational* shade. https://t.co/CZVOzdrovO
Oilers fan Finn 🇨🇦 @oilersjayscan
We’re playing the Panthers’ game and it’s been disastrous for us. The boys need to get back to playing Edmonton Oiler hockey. Hopefully this is the end of their harsh lesson.
Oilers fan Lindsay @Steele131
Why can the Panthers run wild and free will but anytime Oilers do anything it’s called?
Oilers fan Roshan Nelson @roshannelson13
Immature for a mature team to waste Gm3 of the Stanley Cup Finals trying to play like the Panthers. Hope everyone got their piece of flesh but Edm needs to play their own game, grow up and calm the f*ck down and go through the wall and win Game 4. Otherwise Edm will lose in 5.
Oilers fan Mathew Panchyshyn @mathewjdp
I don’t care if I don’t like the opposing team, im never promoting how cheap and profound Edm has been this period. Disgraceful honestly. Have some humility and own your loss. Intent to injure is f*cked up.
Oilers fan Trent Wilhauk @TheMrWilhauk
The Oilers going full goon mode in the last 10 minutes… loved it!! They were awful last night for the first 50 minutes and decided enough was enough… no problem with it!!
Oilers fan David Shortt @AdMan0828
Mannnn. Losing Hyman early in this final could turn out to be fatal. No way Oilers come back from two games down this year with him out. Thursday is THE game. 😬
Oilers fan Oilers John 🇨🇦 ✈️ @OilersJohn
Bennett didn’t want to fight until the linesman tackled Frederic. Pretty on brand.
I’m with Sam Bennett here. I also have exactly zero interest in fighting Trent Frederic unless a linesman is willing to pin him in a completely helpless position for free punches. https://t.co/bXX4QSUGqG
Hockey commentator Jonathan Willis @JonathanWillis
Frederic and Bennett have a long history, going back to Frederic’s Boston days. It’s not the first time Bennett’s turned him down… Just to add: Frederic (and the Oilers) are out for blood in garbage time and not picky about they get it. It was pretty filthy. I just thought Bennett’s switch-flip was funny, and of a piece with his (nasty, also really successful) playoff shtick generally.
Cult of Hockey contributor Kevin McCurdy @KevinMcCurdy
I love the ref holding Frederic down so Bennett can wail on him, great stuff.
Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson @jimmathesonnhl
i get a kick out of people who say Oilers lost their composure. Yeah they went overboard but if they go quietly into night down 4 or 5 goals people say there is no fight in them. So what is it?
Oilers fan Romulus’ Apotheosis @RomulusNotNuma
It’s a blow out, so a healthy dose of “who cares” here. Kane running around a bit to blow off steam is meaningless. Florida isn’t going to flinch or care. More to point the penalties he took while the game was available should be at issue and their inability to score on the PP.
Oilers fan Paul Almeida @AzorcanGlobal
The fan that poured their drink on the #Oilers Kapanen should be banned from an NHL arena. No need for that from either side.
Oilers fan Andrew Grose @GroseAndrew
With McCauley refing don’t the Panthers technically have too many men on the ice at all times?
Oilers fan Matt @eastcoastoilfan
Panthers want to suck you into the muck. Walman, Kane and a few others went full tilt.
None of it matters if Oilers can’t get their PP going – that’s how you counter Panthers non-stop sneaky dirty play. With PP success, you roll 4 lines at 5v5. rinse/repeat
Oilers Nation writer Bruce Curlock @bcurlock
This coaching staff needs to dial in the emotion of the team. They have played out of control far too much since the start of game 2. Suckered into it by the Panthers… That doesn’t mean not physical. It means be physical within the confines of the play. Stop chasing to make Panthers pay for their transgressions. The Oilers are not going to win doing that. Think about the LA series. That’s the balance to strike. Controlled aggression.
Oilers fan Matt @eastcoastoilfan
My worry is they set this whole thing aside and don’t realize how gawd-awful their D-pairings were. Becoming clear that Nurse is only effective with Stecher. Can’t seem to get it done with others.
Hockey writer Jonathan Willis @JonathanWillis
This is the Oilers worst playoff loss of this run, eclipsing even the 6-2 loss in Game 2 to LA (which triggered a six-game winning streak) The last time they lost this bad was 2017, when San Jose beat them 7-0 in Game 4 of Round 1 (triggering a four-game winning streak).
Oilers play-by-play Jack Michaels @EdmontonJack
1st time since Dec. 3 neither McDavid/Draisaitl landed on scoresheet in a game they both played. 140 combined PIM was most in a Cup Final in 39 years. Oilers won a game 8-1 last year in the Final. Didn’t help them in Game 7. Tonight is one game in a (presumably) long series.
Oilers fan Sbb @Stevenbradleyb
Oil didn’t start playing dirty until it was 5-1. Didn’t cost anything. Refs set a standard in first period and abandoned it in the 2nd. Should have been a penalty on Barkov on third Fla goal, two high sticks to Oilers’ faces and Tkachuk running Skinner not called before 4th goal
Oilers blogger Jackie Bondurant JB 🇨🇦 @JackieBee_16
The Oilers are always playing from behind. Doesn’t matter who the goalie is.
Oilers fan Walton 🇨🇦🇩🇪🏒⚽️ @StevenGWalton
Game 3 was a dumpster fire. Oilers didn’t capitalize on their PP’s & chances early & fell apart in the 2nd. Game 4 will determine how badly they want it by playing their game & focusing on what they can control. Not on the Panthers or the Refs. On to the next one.
Oilers fan Bone @bonejrp
It’s interesting seeing the narrative that Florida is so much better than Edmonton after one stinker. Have people forgot it took almost an entire game of OT to decide the first two games. And equal goaltending in the first 25 minutes this would also have been tight.
Oilers fan Rich @easternrefugee
Hockey during the regular season is a respectable sport. This is a clown show. I have ZERO desire to watch a sport where a team wins NOT by the number of goals but by the amount of crap they can get away with. Players get injured like Hyman and it is ok because that happens in
Oilers fan Mac-T Fan Club @Wade87847973
And for the people saying Charron has nowhere to go…he’s supposed to move OFF the boards as soon as Klinger comes behind the net. It’s called “the piston” & you learn it when your 10 years old getting your first Reffing Certification
Oilers fan Captain Jack 🏴☠️ @OilersJack
Jake Walman deserves a ton of love from Oilers Fans. Oilers lost but went down swinging and the passion was on full display. Criticize apathy not Passion.
Oilers fan Rob Soria @Oil_Drop
Have no doubt the Oilers come out with a discipline effort and play their asses off in Game Four. If they get a .900 goaltending performance from Skinner, they’ll be even at 2 heading back to Edmonton… Oilers became unglued last night. Too many penalties, some deserved and some not. No real pushback and no saves. I have no doubt they bounce back in Game 4, but they’ll be some changes. 1, 2, or all 3 of Stecher, (Jeff) Skinner, and Pickard will come in Thursday. Post
Oilers fan sʜʀᴏᴏᴍsᴀᴜᴄᴇ │ ㊶ ᴍɪᴋᴇ ꜱᴍɪᴛʜ 🐐 #1 FAN @ShroomSauce
Oilers have been known this playoffs for their composure under adversity, but the only thing on display was the exact opposite. They seemed to lose the capacity for creativity very early, and their minds were on the individual Panthers in front of them and NOT on getting to the net.
Edmonton hockey writer Terry Jones @byterryjones
I’m betting that Edmonton Oilers loss last night will have dramatic effect on success in a now massive Game 4. You wouldn’t think they’d need such a slap on the face. But it should result in a return to playing the game they must play to win.
Oilers fan Sumit Tripathi @Sumit_Tripathi_
Klingberg to my eye had a poor end to the series. I wouldn’t mind if he is taken off for a couple game for Stecher putting in a Walman-Kulak 3rd pairing… Controversial take: I will try Nurse – Stecher before putting in Pickard over Skinner
Oilers fan David Shortt @AdMan0828
It’s “DIG…THE F*CK…IN!” time.
A Panthers fan spilled their drink on Kasperi Kapanen as he was leaving the ice.
Yikes. pic.twitter.com/O5V8kCCFHo
Oilers fan Burt Schoeppe バート @BurtSchoeppe
If it weren’t for the game 4 history I would go with Pickard. Go with Skinner on Thursday night.
Oilers fan GrizzAlberta @GrizzAlberta
There’s gotta be be lineup changes. Frederic has done nothing, Skinner in. Nurse has been subpar, needs Stecher pairing. S. Skinner needs a break, Pickard should take the net in Game 4. Oilers can’t compete with Panthers greasy style need to go back to their speed, skill game.
Oilers fan Dennis King @DKingBH
Two issues with bringing Stecher back in for Nurse. First off, it’s on the road and they would need to be the 3rd pair and heavily sheltered. Secondly, the Oilers are either not allowed to play Nurse on a 3rd pair or they lack basic reading comprehension:)
Oilers fan Formerly The Cynic @J_TheCynic
There is a undefeated goalie on the team. He never loses. But coach keeps him on the bench?…WE WERE LEFT FOR DEAD IN THE LA SERIES…….until. They played Calvin Pickard. Do not overthink this.
Former Oilers player Georges Laraque @GeorgesLaraque
It’s ok Edmonton Oilers, we will win game 4, our job is just to do a split in Florida, and will have home ice again, believe! 🔥🔥🔥
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug @TSNRyanRishaug
Lines and pairs appear the same at Oilers skate.
STAPLES: New goalie? D-man? Winger? What Oilers should do for Game 4
STAPLES: Player grades for Game 3
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