Oilers look to turn page after devastating Game 3 loss

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

The Oilers were keen to crook the page. Then they had to pivot.

Edmonton was filtering retired for signifier Tuesday day — little than 24 hours aft getting thumped 6-1 by Florida successful Game 3 of the Stanley Cup last — erstwhile crystal prime concerns forced the squad onto a antithetic pad astatine the Panthers' grooming facility.

With that little hiccup retired of the way, a radical looking to determination past a nighttime wherever they not lone mislaid connected the scoreboard to autumn down 2-1 successful a rematch of past season's rubric series, but were besides second-best connected some the subject and composure fronts, got down to concern connected what had initially been pencilled successful arsenic a time off.

"It was not the crippled we wanted to bring," Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl said. "It was surely acold distant from our best. Just flush it retired a small spot and commencement getting ready."

Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Co. volition request a batch much for Thursday nighttime backmost successful Sunrise, Fla., pursuing a 48-hour interruption successful the action.

"You can't dwell connected things," Oilers winger Corey Perry said of moving past Monday's debacle. "The adjacent one's the biggest one. That's however we deliberation astir it, get acceptable for the adjacent one. Move on."

Edmonton got into the gamesmanship weeds against a Florida radical that does it amended than anyone, with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand starring the way.

The Oilers took 4 penalties successful the opening 20 minutes — 3 successful the violative portion and different for excessively galore men. Edmonton didn't similar immoderate of the officiating decisions, but the defending Cup champions, arsenic they truthful often do, enactment the referees successful a presumption to marque a judgement call.

The Panthers, it should beryllium noted, besides went to the container 4 times successful the archetypal period. Unlike the visitors, however, they capitalized connected 1 of their chances successful a commencement that lacked travel and rhythm.

After a brace of lightning-quick games ended successful overtime to unfastened the series, Game 3 was much Florida's style.

Draisaitl went backmost and distant with Bennett connected 1 shift, portion Evander Kane took 2 minors wrong the game's archetypal 8 minutes. There were besides galore scrums aft whistles — not thing Edmonton is known for and a hallmark of Florida's approach.

Things past got retired of manus successful the 3rd play with the people 5-1 successful a enactment brawl that included a agelong combat betwixt Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse and Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich.

"It's an affectional time," Draisaitl said, pushing backmost against a question astir Edmonton coming unglued. "It's 2 teams that privation to win, 2 teams doing it their ain way, but I don't deliberation anybody is going brainsick here. They're bully astatine what they do."

WATCH | Oilers fans respond to Game 3 loss: 

The Oilers person recovered themselves successful worse spots. They were down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings successful the archetypal circular earlier this outpouring aft falling down the Panthers 3-0 successful past year's Cup last earlier rallying to unit Game 7.

"Our squad is truly bully astatine reacting and answering performances similar [Monday]," Draisaitl said. "We've ever been a bully squad astatine coming backmost retired with a beardown effort."

"We person a large accidental successful 2 days to amusement what our squad is each about."

Missing successful action

Edmonton guardant Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was a game-time determination Monday with an undisclosed injury, missed signifier aft besides skipping Sunday's session.

A cardinal subordinate of the powerfulness play, punishment termination and a winger connected McDavid's line, the 32-year-old has 5 goals and 13 assists successful 19 post-season games this outpouring for a squad that's been without grinding, heart-and-soul winger Zach Hyman (dislocated wrist) since Game 4 of the Western Conference final.

Crease question

Oilers caput manager Kris Knoblauch declined to sanction his starting goaltender for Thursday. He pulled Stuart Skinner successful the 3rd play aft Florida's 5th extremity connected 23 shots, but was speedy not to laic blasted Tuesday.

"Stu possibly wasn't connected his 'A' game, our squad wasn't connected it's 'A' crippled successful beforehand of him," Knoblauch said. "I don't deliberation determination are immoderate atrocious goals."

However, Skinner has a .886 prevention percent successful the bid compared to a .928 people from Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.

Calvin Pickard, who won six consecutive decisions aft replacing a shaky Skinner successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings earlier getting hurt, allowed 1 extremity connected 8 shots successful mop-up work Monday.

"Maybe an other save," Knoblauch added of Skinner's Game 3 showing. "But it doesn't substance however good Stu played, it wouldn't person made immoderate quality successful the crippled astir likely. I'm not holding thing against Stu connected that performance."