Connor McDavid (and Leon Draisaitl) to blame

What defines the Oilers? Why are they currently in the Stanley Cup Finals?

You’ve all answered Connor McDavid. Or Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, their two-headed monster.

Sub-question: why are the Oilers in a 0 – 3 deficit in their current series against the Florida Panthers? Why do they have to win four games in a row, while the Panthers only have to win one?

Simple, concrete answer: they’ve scored just four goals in three games. And only two of those came in the first eight periods of the series…

And who are the Oilers ‘ goal scorers? Warren Foegole, Philip Broberg, Ryan McLeod and Mattias Ekholm. Two defensemen, a foursome and a forward with just two points in 20 playoff games this year!

Okay, the goalie to beat on the other side is at the top of his game (Sergei Bobrovsky)… but this isn’t the first time the Oilers’ big guns have faced a good goalie. And yet, McDavid and Draisaitl are the top two scorers in the current series… and they’re both racking up 100+ point seasons like I rack up Royal Bank shares in my Disnat account.

The two-headed monster isn’t producing, and that’s why the Oilers are one defeat away from the end of their dream. With the Oilers unable to count on the offensive brilliance of McDavid and Draisaitl, the Cup Final looks a little too much like the one between the Habs and the Lightning in 2021…

‘s

Canadian teams don’t often make it all the way to the playoffs… and when they do, they too often look bad.

I repeat: McDavid, Draisaitl(I know, he’s injured, but…), Hyman’ Bouchard, Kane and Nugent-Hopkins have a grand total of ZERO goals in the finals.

You might say that Stuart Skiner could be better if he didn’t allow four, four and three goals per game, and you’d be right. But that’s to be expected. Not the lack of offense in Alberta’s attack!

Is the pressure too much on the Oilers’ stars? Did Connor McDavid buy too many beers last week, hehe?

Is Corey Perry doomed to lose in the final, no matter what?

Were the Hockey Gods offended by the breasts of the Oilers’ female fan?

More than anything, I think the Panthers saw last year what it takes to win a Stanley Cup Final, when the game is nothing like an October game. Losing to the Golden Knights was a painful but necessary learning experience.

For the rookie coach too…

It’s up to the Oilers’ players and management to learn from this spring of 2024 and come back even stronger in 2025. Because no, I don’t think the Oilers have what it takes to win four straight games against the Panthers (including two in Florida).

Note that if the Oilers were losing their games by 6-4 or 7-5 margins – and Connor McDavid was producing decently – people might say he’s not defending enough. But right now, it’s his offensive game that’s in neutral, and that could follow him to his death.

Will McDavid be remembered as a player who produced during the season and at the start of the playoffs, but was unable to make the difference in the Stanley Cup Final? I hope not…

He’s in the process of building his legacy, and right now he’s not writing good things in the history book, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll play in any more Stanley Cup Finals.

So much so that in Montreal, we’re taking this opportunity to say that Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson have scored more goals than McDavid in the (career) Finals in recent days…

Overtime

– Mathieu Choinière is worth more than ever.

MATHIEU CHOINIÈRE – SALARY?

With the latest update from Transfertmarkt valuing Mathieu at €3.5M, it’s possible to find comparable players elsewhere in MLS to situate the Canadian International’s recent salary demands.

In MLS, we can identify… https://t. co/lR0SQFP5UI

– Nilton Jorge (@NiltonJorge) June 13, 2024

– MLS’s biggest insider spits his venom at CF Montreal.

If Tom says so… pic.twitter.com/JgqIGlXvUw

– Jeremy Filosa (@JeremyFilosa) June 14, 2024

– CF Montreal’s big forwards will be available tomorrow against Real Salt Lake.

– Montreal CF could have had MLS’s top scorer in its ranks.

– Piette and Choinière won’t play tomorrow.