“Obviously, when you win the first one, you’re disappointed you don’t follow up and win the second one,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch after Game 2. But his dejection spoke of something more. One particular play has been a problem for them in the final so far, and the Florida Panthers have exploited it pretty well. And now, before Game 3 takes place on June 9, Oilers captain Connor McDavid is echoing his coach’s words. So, what’s bugging the Oilers contingent?

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had been taking questions on June 9 during their pre-game interviews, when a reporter brought up the question of the Panthers’ forecheck: “Connor, a lot was made of Florida’s forecheck leading into the series. They had success in game two, especially in the second period. What do you feel like your team can do better to kind of stymie that?”

The solution is straightforward, according to Connor McDavid. “Yeah, we can break pucks out better”. And he gave his opinion on how to execute it: “You know, it’s not just the D-men on that, you know, it’s forwards too, helping out on holdups, everybody coming back and working it out together.” The Oilers captain also added why it has to be a collective effort. “They (Panthers) do have a great forecheck, there’s no doubt about it.”

In fact, that has been the Panthers’ strategy. This allows them to not only score for themselves but also stop the Oilers’ blueliners from connecting with the Oilers’ offensive line that boasts the likes of McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Corey Perry, and more. The 2024 Conn Smythe Award winner thinks they have the quality to beat the Panthers forecheck: “We got a good D-man that can break the puck out. We got a good system … That’s how you can, you know, combat that.”

Well, they need to start doing that fast. The next 2 games will be in Florida, and the defending Stanley Cup Champions are expected to pick up where they left off in Game 2. The Panthers will no doubt try to do the same thing again – putting pressure to keep the puck in the Oilers defensive zone, and  dragging the Edmonton forwards back. And with the help of the organized shape, the Panthers can slow down the fast transitions of the Oilers. The transitions are, after all, the x-factor that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl bring.

Still, their creating enough chances. It’s all about making sure they don’t to forechecks and calmly bringing the puck out of their own defensive zone. This is exactly what they haven’t done consistently in the first two games, as per Kris Knoblauch.

Before Connor McDavid, Kris Knoblauch voiced the same concerns

After the Oilers lost Game 2 on home ice, head coach Kris Knoblauch pinpointed where they are getting it wrong. “Well, tonight it was puck execution. I know our passes weren’t sharp; we gave away a lot of pucks,” the Oilers HC said in his presser on June 7. “So, if you can’t make that first pass, you’re stuck in the defensive zone. You might get it out to the neutral zone, but especially in the second period, if you just get it out to the neutral zone, you can’t change … Then you get stuck.”

The Panthers have forced a lot of turnovers, too. And with the Oilers being an attack-minded team, each turnover ends up being lethal as the Panthers break fast. How many times can you survive? We saw it last game. Brad Marchand scored a shorthanded goal from a turnover to put the Panthers 4-3 up. Then in overtime, Sam Reinhart missed an open counter. But Marchand didn’t.

But more importantly, bringing the puck out from the defensive zone consistently will be the Oilers’ most important prerogative going forward in the series.  Knoblauch was not happy with how his team switched off in the 2nd period. “Just the execution wasn’t what we needed; we’ve got to execute a lot better. You know, in the first and the third, I thought that part of our game was pretty sharp, but we’ve got to make sure we do it for the full 60.”

Let’s see if things change for the Oilers. This one single thing could end up being the reason why the Oilers lose the 2025 Stanley Cup if they don’t find a workaround.