For the second straight year, Connor McDavid and the Oilers came agonizingly close to winning the Stanley Cup only to fall to the Florida Panthers. After two grueling playoff runs with little to show for it, McDavid was left searching for answers.
While there will be critics of his Stanley Cup Final performance, McDavid has now strung together two exceptional postseasons for the Oilers. His 33 points were tied with teammate Leon Draisaitl for the most in the playoffs, and they were 10 more than Sam Reinhart, the next closest player.
Perhaps the most devastating part of this series for the Oilers was the way they finished. Between a pivotal Game 5 in Edmonton and the opportunity to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Edmonton, they laid back-to-back eggs. Edmonton was outscored 10-3 in the final two games of the series as the Panthers’ defense stifled McDavid and Co.
As the series wore on, the Panthers’ defense suffocated the life out of the Oilers’ offense one shift at a time. McDavid expressed frustration with Edmonton’s inability to adapt to what Florida was doing.
“Obviously, their forecheck was great,” McDavid said. “They tilted the rink. They were able to kind of stay on top of us all over the place. Never really able to generate any momentum up the ice. Kept trying the same things over and over again, banging our heads against the wall. Credit to them. They played well.”
The Panthers’ other advantage, which also became more apparent with each passing game, was depth. Florida had three full lines that could impact the game in every zone. The same couldn’t be said for Edmonton, which was top heavy even before losing Zach Hyman in the conference finals.
“They have great players,” McDavid said. “How many guys had 20-plus points in the postseason? They’re as deep as it comes.”
To answer McDavid’s question, six Panthers finished the playoffs with at least 20 points. Eetu Luostarinen (19) and Anton Lundell (18) were right on that doorstep.
Edmonton, on the other hand, had four players hit that 20-point threshold. The next closest player was 40-year-old Corey Perry with 14. The Oilers simply couldn’t match the Panthers top-to-bottom in a long and taxing series.
McDavid also told reporters he has “a lot of confidence and belief” in the team moving forward. In the meantime, what can McDavid tell his teammates after another devastating Stanley Cup Final loss?
“Nothing to say, really,” McDavid said. “Everyone’s disappointed.”
