The 6-1 had been a complete meltdown! Following a big loss to the Florida Panthers, the Edmonton Oilers are undergoing key changes ahead of Game 4. While the head coach and team undergo a no risqué approach to prove their prowess at the Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday, a lot has been unfolding beneath the surface. “We haven’t confirmed that, we haven’t discussed that with our players yet, but there are some things we’ve been thinking about, and there might be a lineup change,” Krish Knoblauch had said when he addressed the media.

Game 3 had been nothing but a penalty show for the Oilers. With 21 penalties racking up 85 penalty minutes, their goalie left the ice after allowing 5 goals to the opponents, and in no time, a brawl occurred in the third period, causing the team to unravel under pressure during the crucial faceoff! But what followed the next day has left everyone equally puzzled.

An official day off for the teams, but the Oilers didn’t consider taking any rest and showed up on the Florida rink for a team skate. Daniel Nugent Bowman of the Athletic shared the update on X. “This was declared a day off, so there was no reason for most reporters to go to the rink. (The coach did his avail on Zoom, which is another issue entirely.) Fans don’t care about media gripes, but this isn’t a great look for a league that should be craving any coverage it gets,” the post read. Was it simply a desperate attempt to hit reset or beyond that?

Because not only a few but 16 Edmonton Oilers players were present for the morning skate, including Connor McDavid and Leon Drasaitl. Knoblauch sought for his team to skate peacefully while ignoring any sort of media interference while distancing himself by addressing the media over a zoom call, further raising eyebrows across the media houses in the league. “Media told it would be scratches only, and no time was given for the skate. Clearly feeling they need to give their guys a break from a Stanley cup spotlight that is getting hot. Have covered well over a dozen finals and never had this happen before,” TSN reporter Ryan Rishaug stated.

With many considering the move as something that broke the playoff standards or raised red flags, Oilers fans thought otherwise. When everything is high stakes for the players, fans expressed their anger at the ones stating miscellaneous concerns regarding the Oilers skipping formal media availability and practicing on an off day.

Edmonton Oilers fans clash with media for the team’s off-day practice session!

The Oilers nation took a direct jab at the media when they read the narrative behind the X post. “Good, you and the rest of the Edmonton media don’t deserve anything,” one fan’s straight forward comment read. Yet another one chimed in, seriously questioning the intent of media, “Why would you even interview them today if you did yesterday? LOL.” The comment highlights the exhaustion that players and fans feel towards the constant media scrutiny, especially after such a lopsided game.

“Realistically, what is there to talk about that hasn’t already been discussed at length?” asked a fan. Another one backed this up by stating, “Lmao, reporters just talked to them yesterday and the day before and the day before that. What more are they going to say that we haven’t heard already? Give them a break, my god.” Fans knew better than to intrude. The Oilers have every right to protect their space in the midst of constantly evolving and baseless storylines.

Last one summed it up with a push back that screamed, “Actually you posting this is a bad look. Heaven forbid they want some peace away from media.” While the final line echoed the Oilers’ determination to stay quiet, many still wonder if it was a (un)strategic move or simply human. While the Stanley Cup spotlight is burning bright enough to melt the ice, the Edmonton Oilers’ off-ice choices paint a different picture, one of unwavering resolve and grit—with or without media presence.