While it wasn’t the outcome us Panthers fans hoped for, Game 1 was an incredibly entertaining slugfest to watch.
Definitely a game that’s “good for the league” in terms of getting/keeping fans interest in a series. I know a bunch of guys I work with who have slowly become hockey fans over these playoffs said they can’t wait to see how the rest of this battle goes.
A good takeaway for Florida following Game 1 is that they know they can produce/score in the hostile Edmonton environment. However, they have to stay out of the box.
It really is incredible watching McDavid operate, especially this time of year in the SCF. The obvious stuff is his speed and the ability to match his hands with it - shredding through opponents to crest extremely dangerous opportunities, either for himself, or setting up a teammate. The other thing that’s really impressive is his backcheck. He’s literally a third defenseman for Edmonton when he’s out there - chasing guys down to lift their sticks, breakup plays, etc.
Putting on my thinking hat to remember last year’s Cup Finals…I have to say that this version of the Oilers looks like a different beast. The speed and skill have increased, and Skinner finding his game has solidified the net (a constant weak spot for them over the years). But, the biggest change/improvement I see from this Oil group is their physicality. They look to be far more willing to throw the body around and matched Florida’s rugged game play pretty well.
No need to panic yet. Assuming the Cats would win two in Edmonton was certainly far fetched. This is a roster ripe with postseason and Cup-winning experience. These guys know what to do to come back tonight.
For me, a couple items for them to focus on are listed below:
Stay out of the box (as mentioned above). They cannot give this high powered EDM offense the man advantage. I’m not naive to think they won’t get any penalties, but limiting them is crucial.
Keep traffic in front of Skinner. The play where Bennett was tripped up into Skinner that resulted in a goal, is a great example of why it’s so important to crash the net. That, and the obvious opportunity for redirects/rebounds. I’d really like to see them hammer the net and get Skinner moving around. I think they can do a better job of keeping him off balance tonight.
Let the defense continue to activate. Once Florida got their feet under them and got comfortable, the defense started to pick their spots - both joining and joining the starting rush with great results (ie Schmidt’s assist to Bennett in the neutral zone).
Don’t stop throwing the body.
Look for a hot start from the Cats tonight. Bob will be big (again).
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Take this one and head back to Florida 1-1, boys!
Go Panthers!
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