'The Oilers aren't dead yet': Hockey legend cheers on Edmonton vs. Florida Panthers in Game 3

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These are the words of hockey heavyweight and New York hockey columnist Stan Fischler. The Edmonton Oilers are heading into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals after two straight losses to the Florida Panthers. “We haven't seen the real Edmonton Oilers yet. We've seen the real Florida Panthers. They're good, but they still have to win two games. The Oilers aren't dead yet.”

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Another key quote heading into Game 3 was Connor McDavid's words on Edmonton's power play: “We're usually able to solve the penalty kill, and I expect we can do it this time too.”

But ESPN's Greg Wyszynski offered a wise word of warning: “Not only are you not playing well, you're exhausted, so I don't know what your path back will be.”

Wyszynski, who predicted the Oilers would win the series in six games, added that “there will definitely be criticism of McDavid and Draisaitl, especially if the power play fizzles out.”

With Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse both missing practice due to injuries, today's lineup is as follows:

RNH – McDavid – Hyman
McLeod-Draiseitel-Holloway
Janmarc Enrique Brown
Fogel-Carrick/Ryan-Perry

Ekholm-Bouchard
Gleason-Desharnais
Clark Broberg
Kemp – Ceci

Skinner
Picard

My take

1. Fischler, 92, is an inspirational figure, still going strong. Despite 80-plus years and many miles of toiling, he never let on that he was old. Stan the Hockey Man began covering the NHL in the 1954-55 season, the same year that Don Cherry, two years his junior, began his professional career with the Hershey Bears and played his only NHL game in the playoffs for the Boston Bruins.

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I used to read Fischler's Hockey News columns when I was younger, and I'm happy to see that Fischler is as strong as ever, offering a hopeful yet rational opinion on the Cup Final.

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2. Why haven't the Oilers lost? They still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitel, their team defense has limited Florida to 17 grade-A shots in the two games to 24, Edmonton has had a few turnarounds to win either Game 1 or Game 2, Edmonton's power play is always dangerous, and the energy of the best home crowd in the world breathes new life into tired and injured players desperate to ride the roar of the crowd and grab a win.

3. That said, Wyszynski's comments are valid. It's hard to see a path back to recovery, not because Edmonton has played poorly, but because the game is so close, like a 50/50 coin toss, and Edmonton has to win four of the next five. They have to do it with a clearly depleted team, with many key players injured, including Edmonton's two biggest hockey players, Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane. Florida has only allowed one goal because Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been so good. Normally, you would expect six goals on 24 Grade A shots, and that's a big reason why.

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4. I like the new lines, especially the second and third lines. Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique and Connor Brown make an effective forecheck and backcheck third unit, and the speed of Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway makes them perfect partners for Draisaitl. Their speed should give Draisaitl time and space to make some clever plays, and if McLeod can get a hit and get to the net, all the better.

5. When it comes to Edmonton's power play, the key will be for players to not miss wide-open shots, like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did on a second-period power play.

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Cult of Hockey

McCurdy: Mixing it all up for Round 3

Staples: Panthers go for traditional hack-and-wax tile on McDavid

STAPLES: Wow! Draisaitel deserves to be suspended, Canucks, Kings and Flames pundits agree

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