EDMONTON — Stuart Skinner is the only true local on the Oilers, born, raised and a product of the South Side Athletic Club hockey program here in Edmonton.
Imagine being the goalie for a Canadian team in the city you’re from, and being three wins away from returning the Holy Grail of hockey to its country of origin.
Popular?
“I do try to stay in my bubble as much as I can,” began Skinner, Friday’s starting goalie who spent a good 20 minutes entertaining media questions after morning skate. “I wouldn’t say it’s harder, you just get a little bit more attention outside.
“Wherever you go, going to the grocery store or going wherever, you definitely get more people coming up to you and saying hi. When you go for a walk to the park, you get some people coming up to you. Guys driving by honking — and it’s not because you look good. It’s because you’re still playing.”
It’s impossible for an Oiler to go for a stroll through West Edmonton Mall at any time of year without it turning into a selfie session. But this spring, there is a singular focus in this Canadian city, and it is dressed in blue and orange.
“I couldn’t imagine what it’s like for Davo (Connor McDavid), or some superstars around the league,” Skinner said.
Nosek owns it
Tomas Nosek needed to sleep that one off, the unforced puck-over-glass penalty that gave the mighty Oilers power play the opportunity to drive the dagger in overtime Wednesday.
“It was tough, for sure. You don’t want to be the one guy who cost us a game,” the fourth-line centre said Friday morning, speaking for the first time since the gaffe.
“But everybody can make a mistake. Happened in a bad time in overtime and cost us a game. But it’s in the past. Now looking forward to just keep doing my job, focusing on tonight’s game.”
Most of Nosek’s teammates came up with a kind word: don’t worry about it.
Understandably, the Florida Panthers want to flush that ending and funnel all energy into getting a split Friday. (Nosek declined comment when asked if Jake Walman laughing in his face fuels him at all.)
“It happens. Tough bounce,” said linemate Jonah Gadjovich. “But he does so many good things for us. You know, no one’s mad at him.
“We regrouped yesterday, and we’re ready to play tonight. It’s a new day, new game.”
Edmonton held a full morning skate Friday. Up 1-0 in the series and without any new injuries, they’ll trot out the same lineup as they did in Game 1.
Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – PerryKane – Draisaitl – KapanenFrederic – Henrique – BrownPodkolzin – Janmark – Arvidsson
Ekholm – BouchardNurse – KulakWalman – Klingberg
Skinner
A.J. Greer (lower body, day-to-day) is progressing well but will not suit up for Game 2. Maurice said Greer, who got injured on May 28, is a possibility to play Game 3 in Sunrise on Monday.
The Panthers will stick with same lineup that lost a tight Game 1. Interestingly, Florida did not hold a full team skate Thursday or Friday morning, thus saving all energy for puck drop.
Rodrigues – Barkov – ReinhartVerhaeghe – Bennett – TkachukLuostarinen – Lundell – MarchandBoqvist – Nosek – Gadjovich
Forsling – EkbladMikkola – JonesSchmidt – Kulikov
Bobrovsky
What Panthers must tweak
Florida is no stranger to coming back in series, so despite feeling the weight of a blown-lead overtime loss, a business-as-usual temperament permeates through the visitors’ quarters here at Rogers Place.
Mature and supremely confident, the Cats are more focused on tweaking some details of their gameplan.
“We’re a very mentally strong group, so I’d say it’s probably more technical than mental,” Matthew Tkachuk said.
“We’ve got a lot of battle scars on us from the last few years, and we’ve been through way worse than (Game 1). We can be better. We can adjust a few things and come out and try to get a win here and get some momentum going back home.”
OK. So, outside of avoiding bad penalties, what do they need to adjust?
Surveying the players, a few details pop up: quicker passes. Breaking out of their zone tighter. Communicating more. Getting bumps and holdups on Edmonton’s attacking forwards to slow the forecheck. Keep pressing if they do get another lead. And quit committing so many dang icings.
“We kinda punted the puck away too much and didn’t stay confident in our game and they just turned it on against us,” Evan Rodrigues said.
We also wonder if they tone down their aggressiveness on the penalty kill, considering the calibre of playmakers they’re trying to force into turnovers.
Maurice stressed that one loss doesn’t mean a return to the drawing board and overhauling a system they’ve successfully played for three seasons.
“It’s almost all an adjustment back to form: We were a little off here, we can be a little bit better. There’s not a lot of changes that go on in between,” Maurice explained. “Nobody’s changing a major system. It takes months and years to do that. You’re used to adjustments back to form, but I think they have a pretty strong understanding of their foundation.”
Yes, the Panthers were outscored 3-2 and outshot 37-30 at even strength in Game 1, but they held the edge in scoring chances (37-26) and expected goals (54 per cent).
“I don’t have the chances for and against as a negative for the Florida Panthers. When the game was 3-3 after three, it’s probably fair,” Maurice said.
“We think we can get a little bit better. There are probably some things they want to be a little better at. But I don’t think there’s going to be sustained domination in this series.”
The look
Over the years, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have become so close that sometimes they don’t even need to speak to communicate.
There was this look from Game 1 in Dallas, where the two shared a glance as the Oilers melted down. They haven’t lost a game since, going 5-0.
“We’ve definitely developed a sense of understanding of what the other one is thinking in any given moment,” McDavid said Friday. “Leon and I have a great understanding of each other, what each other is thinking.
“Yeah, sometimes it only takes a look to know what’s going on.”
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