The Stanley Cup Final continues to Game 7. The Oilers are down 3-0 in the series. With the Cats leading 4-1 in Game 3, the Oilers outscored Florida 20-5. Edmonton fought to the end against all odds. Meanwhile, the Devils made a minor league trade and took the day off as much of the rumors and gossip around the league centered on Game 6.
Edmonton dominated Game 4. Connor McDavid dominated Game 5. But not tonight. Tonight, the Oilers' scorers were Warren Vogel, Adam Henrique, Zach Hyman, Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse. McDavid didn't score a single point, and Evan Bouchard didn't score a single point. Leon Draisaitl had one assist. Edmonton's depth led them to the win.
Florida tried to push and they failed. The Cats tried to get inside shots and they failed. The Oilers outplayed them. For Florida, the story of this postseason has been one of imposing their will on opponents, and as the first three series went on, the Panthers would have obliterated opponents and rolled along with little resistance. Not this time.
New York Islanders:
This offseason is going to be a tough one for the New York Islanders. Tough decisions will have to be made if the team is to be successful next year, and among them, I have asked perhaps the most painful question of all: what does Anders Lee's future hold?
NHL News, Trade Talk, National Hockey Now
Florida Hockey Now: On Monday, Florida faces its first loss of the playoffs this season. They're in free fall and showing no signs of stopping. Here's George Richards' game story from Game 6.
From FHN: Edmonton is a desperate team, hungry to win. It's impossible to say they deserve any other fate than what's happening right now. Florida should be desperate on Monday, writes Colby Guy.
Sportsnet: The Ottawa Senators will be making moves in the next week or so. They may already have a deal in place with Philadelphia, but no one has confirmed it yet. The biggest lock on their offseason could be Jakob Chychrun's future.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils and Minnesota Wild have worked out a deal to send two prospects who seem to be in a situation to each other in the hopes of simply lighting a spark with a climate-changing deal.
Colorado Hockey Now: 2022 trade deadline acquisition and longtime NHL veteran Andrew Cogliano has announced his retirement after playing nearly 1,300 NHL games. But this is no ordinary farewell. Cogliano will officially join the Avalanche front office.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: One of the Islanders' favorite punching bags over the years has been Tristan Jarry. It's not that Jarry is a bad goaltender, he's just inconsistent and the Islanders have beaten him time and time again. After re-signing Alex Nedeljkovic, Dan Kingerski looked at Jarry's trade value.
Boston Hockey Now: Jake DeBrusk has been a polarizing figure since he burst onto the Boston scene. He's always hinted at more potential than he's actually shown, keeping Boston fans excited year after year. Now, he's set to become a free agent. Will DeBrusk go the way of Tyler Bertuzzi and sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs? It's not as far-fetched as you might think.
