Edmonton Oilers Struggle in Stanley Cup Final: Key Analysis

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00:00in a three goal margin in each of the first two, three zip in game number 141 in game

00:09number two, Pete, why have the margins been so large here in each of the first two games

00:14of the cup final?

00:15I mean, certainly because Edmonton's top guys have all been held without goals, McDavid

00:23dry saddle and Evan Bouchard, all with goose eggs in that category so far.

00:28So that is the first thing that needs to change.

00:31And then some of the secondary guys, of course, need to step up, whether it's a Nugent Hopkins

00:36or a Vander Kane, or even deeper down the line, Adam Henrique, a guy they acquired at

00:41the trade deadline.

00:42Those are guys that you're going to need major contributions from over the course of the

00:46series to even give yourself a chance.

00:49So that's why big picture season series, four victories for Florida, none for Edmonton,

00:55all on the puck line, all by multiple goals, and a combined 17 to five margin.

01:00That's pretty eye opening.

01:02That said, I expect Edmonton to win one of the two games at home, at least and keep the

01:07other one close.

01:08I think this is going to take a little bit of a turn here.

01:12You should have a perfect storm in game number two as well, because you go on the road, you

01:15know, the crowd's going to be loud, you haven't scored in game number one, you get that first

01:19goal and then you see four unanswered goals by the Florida Panthers in an easy victory.

01:23If we take a look at the series now, Florida is a minus 490 favorite to win at Edmonton

01:28as a plus 365.

01:30Now some of those price points might go into this, because I'm going to ask you this question,

01:33you know, a lot of chatter around should Leon Drysdale be suspended?

01:36He wasn't.

01:37And also the advent of Barkov.

01:39Will he play in game number three?

01:40Or what is his opportunities over the next couple of games to return back to the ice

01:44here?

01:45Pete?

01:46Right.

01:47The playing field changes a little bit with how that is playing out, right?

01:51Barkov, hopefully he plays.

01:53It sounds a little promising that he's getting better each day.

01:56If he comes back for game three, that's major for Florida.

01:59Florida can withstand a game or two, I think, without him because they have good center

02:03depth.

02:04They have, of course, Bennett, who's a physical player.

02:07Anton Lindell has had a breakout postseason with 14 points in 19 games as mostly a third

02:13liner.

02:14They also have Sam Reinhart, who has played a lot of center at a high level in his NHL

02:18career, especially when he was back with the Buffalo Sabres before getting traded.

02:22So I think Florida can withstand this here.

02:25But if you take potentially Barkov, the best defensive forward in the NHL, out of the equation,

02:31sure, that would be an incentive to look at some of these props offensively for the Edmontons

02:37top guys, especially for them to break through on the power play.

02:41They're 0-7 in the series.

02:43That is the first order of business.

02:45When they get those opportunities at home, they got to finish the job and give themselves

02:49an upper hand.

02:51Florida was the pre-cup final favorites at minus 130.

02:54Now that commanding 2-0 series advantage, as Donnie alluded to, nearly a $5 odds on

03:00favorite at minus 490.

03:02But we haven't played a game up in the great white north in Edmonton just yet.

03:07So Pete, if the Oilers are to get back in this series, how does Edmonton do it?

03:14I mean, Stuart Skinner is probably going to have to steal one of those games.

03:17I think what we saw in Game 2, as opposed to Game 1, Game 1, Edmonton heavily outshot

03:22Florida.

03:23I don't see that happening very much the rest of the way.

03:26Florida is one of those teams, they're possession savvy.

03:29With or without Barkov, they grind you down and they wear you out over the course of a

03:34game.

03:35That's such a strong third period team, are the Panthers.

03:38So I think it's going to be one of those things where maybe even if they eke out Game 3,

03:43it might have to be something where Skinner makes 35-40 saves and gets the victory standing

03:49on his head a little bit.

03:51Maybe Edmonton's guys get you a couple goals and they win maybe a 3-2 or a 4-3 type game.

03:57So maybe look at the Skinner saves prop in either Game 3 or 4, considering he's likely

04:03to have his team get outshot in one or both of these games against Florida.

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