Edmonton Oilers' frustration builds with 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final
CTV
Unable to complete a third-period comeback, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves on the brink of elimination despite arguably being the better team in two of the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.
Unable to complete a third-period comeback, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves on the brink of elimination despite arguably being the better team in two of the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.
Coach Kris Knoblauch believes it is a matter of time before his team, led by reigning and three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid, comes through on the bevy of chances and all the pucks going on net. But time is running out to have that breakthrough, and the frustration was evident after a 4-3 loss in Game 3 on Thursday night.
“It's very frustrating,” Leon Draisaitl said. “We’re obviously firing a lot of shots. We just can’t seem to put it over the goal line.”
The Oilers outshot the Panthers 35-23 and had many more high-danger scoring opportunities than their Game 2 defeat in Florida. They tilted the ice toward Sergei Bobrovsky and cut their deficit from three goals to one with five minutes left but could not crack him one more time to force overtime.
“We’re still getting our looks,” Draisaitl said. "When you’re chasing the game for a big chunk of the night, it’s just hard to come back.”
McDavid alone had five shots on net, including a one-timer after a power play expired that Bobrovsky slid over to stop. He set up Philip Broberg's goal in the third but still has no goals in his first career trip to the final.
This is not on McDavid alone, but he and his teammates are struggling to solve the Panthers before it's too late.
