The 2024 Stanley Cup finals have certainly lived up to their hype so far. With the Edmonton Oilers returning home empty-handed, some serious concerns have been raised. Most notable is the struggling offense of the Oilers. With disappointing performances in both games, many were left frustrated. This Florida Panthers team has certainly made work of the offense, but how are they stunting the Oilers’ offense? And what can they do to adapt?
In two games played, the Oilers have scored an incredibly disappointing amount of goals — one. That’s 120 minutes of Stanley Cup Finals play and only a single goal for a team known as an offensive powerhouse. Without question, that is concerning. This invisible offense has broken a franchise playoff record for the longest scoreless drought. The Edmonton Oilers went a shocking 115:35 minutes without scoring. Breaking the previous record set in 1998 with 109:18 minutes. The inability to get past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky seems to have taken the Oilers by surprise.
This stunted Oilers’ offense can be attributed to the Oilers struggling to get clear shooting lanes. The Panthers have blocked a remarkable 40 shots through two games. Game 2 only saw the Oilers fire 19 shots on the net, a significant downgrade from Game 1 where they hit Bobrovsky 32 times. It’s the first time since February 2022 that the Oilers only scored one goal through two games. The train that is the Oilers’ offense has seemingly come to a halt.
What Can the Edmonton Oilers Do to Get Their Offense Back?
Frustrations continue to build as the Panthers clog up shooting lanes, making it impossible for the Oilers to generate high-danger scoring chances. The Oilers are a team that relies on making passes to create openings, but Florida can read their plays and predict them.
For the Oilers to spark scoring, they must find a new way to create space. In this case, the Oilers may want to weaponize their speed. Throughout the NHL playoffs, the Oilers have recorded 38 different 35+ kilometre-an-hour speed bursts. Compared to the Panthers, who only have recorded seven. The Oilers are much faster. If they can utilize that advantage to its full potential, it’s an opening.
The Oilers have some work to do in Game 3. Luckily, the Oilers are among the few teams that have been down and out a few times this season but still have found a way to battle back. It seems that no adversity is too much for this team to overcome. They look to overcome another set of obstacles as they try to battle their way back into this series and inch closer to winning the Stanley Cup.
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