NEWSLETTER
The Stanley Cup Playoffs provide incredible upsets and incredible moments. But without the game’s best player on the planet not being involved in them makes it a little less special. This is nothing new. We’ve seen Connor McDavid and the Oilers underachieve time and time again in the postseason and most recently in front of the eyes of Chicago Blackhawks fans when they lost in the Stanley Cup qualifying round in the 2020 bubble Playoffs. After a season where McDavid reached 105 points in a shortened season and his partner in crime Leon Draisaitl finished second in scoring, one would have thought the Oilers could have handled an inconsistent Winnipeg Jets team. Not the case.
• A sweep was not expected in this series. Clearly, the Oilers where heavily favored due to the McDavid-Draisaitl combination. But it took some time for those two to get their game going and in the end it was too little, too late from the Oilers.
• Depth is a problem with Edmonton, across all facets of their roster. Outside of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Darnell Nurse, it’s not the most intimidating team. Edmonton cannot live off the contributions of just two or three players in this league.
• Last night’s triple-overtime thriller was just another in a long list of overtime games so far this postseason. I don’t know about you, but it was a challenge to stay awake until the eventual game-winning goal from Kyle Connor.
Make it 19 I dont want to live who cares https://t.co/VhdyoPDXdv
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 25, 2021
• Connor’s overtime winner ended the longest game in Winnipeg Jets franchise history and the longest NHL game ever played in the province of Manitoba.
TRIPLE OT WINNER FROM @KyleConnor18!!! 😨 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/h9wWzJBA8c
— NHL (@NHL) May 25, 2021
• Speaking of the lack of depth in Edmonton and the longest NHL game played in Manitoba, Darnell Nurse played the most minutes in a game in Oilers history and the third-most in a game in NHL postseason history.
Nurse's 62:07 was third all-time behind Seth Jones (65:06) last summer and Sergei Zubov (63:51, April 24, 2003)
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 25, 2021
• On the flip side, the Oilers had three players last night play less than ten minutes of total ice time. I can’t imagine what it’s like mentally and physically to sit through nearly a whole games worth of overtime action and not be called upon to contribute to the game. That’s got to mess with a player.
Both the @NHLJets and the original Jets have never faced the @MapleLeafs or @CanadiensMTL in the #StanleyCup Playoffs. Which team will they meet in the Second Round?
#NHLStats: https://t.co/c3tqaQagQu pic.twitter.com/3IpYVZZmUw— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 25, 2021
• Some more history will be made in these Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Jets await the winner of the Canadiens-Maple Leafs series, which Toronto now leads 2-1.
The 2020 Blackhawks were by far the worst true talent team of the 24 sides invited into the two bubbles last season.
The 2021 Jets are similarly the weakest true talent side of the 16 playoff teams this season.
Shocking stuff in consecutive years from the Oilers. Inexplicable.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) May 25, 2021
• Sure…thanks, Thomas.
"The regular season doesn't mean anything." — Connor McDavid, @EdmontonOilers
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 25, 2021
• McDavid is going to have back problems if things don’t change in Edmonton anytime soon. No human can carry a team for that long by himself.
i legitimately feel bad for connor mcdavid
most people who have to carry an entire group project on their own only have to do so for like a week or two until the assignment is due. this is just his life
— dom at the athletic (@domluszczyszyn) May 25, 2021
• If things don’t change for the Oilers around McDavid, can’t imagine he wants to stick around with an organization that doesn’t value him enough to build a winning franchise around him, rather than expect him to drag them to the finish line every year.
• While Kyle Connor had the glory last night with the overtime winner, the real MVP of the game was the Bud Light Seltzer mascot, the only fan in the stands for last night’s game.
Playoff hockey: feel the energy pic.twitter.com/J0BExgjJhs
— NWHL (@NWHL) May 25, 2021
• The mascot, known as Seltzy, was discovered in front of an international audience last night that caught the eye of those watching the game with their “high-energy” cheering from the front row.
The Bud Light Seltzer mascot has a name and it is @BLSeltzy and they are the real MVP of Game Four tonight pic.twitter.com/ljPy0AIUX2
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) May 25, 2021
• Needless to say, the world is starting to want more of Seltzy.
Let the Seltzer can on the ice to celebrate with the boys
— NWHL (@NWHL) May 25, 2021
• Should have let them on the ice, that would have been a party.
LET’S GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! @NHLJets
— Bud Light Seltzy (@BLSeltzy) May 25, 2021
• Elsewhere in the Playoffs last night, the Florida Panthers staved-off elimination thanks to an incredible performance from rookie goaltender Spencer Knight.
Spencer Knight, at just 20 years old, has helped the @FlaPanthers stave off elimination and force a Game 6. #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/c3tqaQagQu pic.twitter.com/FnaNC6PyDW
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 25, 2021
• This is now a Panthers team that has turned to a rookie and a backup to try to win them games, instead of their $10M goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky…That’s truly something.
Spencer Knight was beaten on first shot, stopped next 36 in 4-1 FLA win
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 25, 2021
• These high-pressure situations are nothing new to the Panthers’ 2019 first-round pick. Could Spencer end up being the…”Knight” in shining armor for the Panthers? Probably not, but it makes for great drama, right?
Tonight's elimination game was Spencer Knight's seventh elimination game he's played in *this season*. World Juniors, Hockey East, NCAA, Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's gone 5-2 with a .927 save percentage in those games which included a shutout in the WJC gold medal game.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) May 25, 2021
• And now for the Blackhawks tie-in…
Cue the @MarkPotash stat: Since he was named head coach of the Blackhawks in 2008-09, Joel Quenneville's teams are now 33-8 in Games 5-7. (They're 46-50 in Games 1-4.)
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) May 25, 2021
• Speaking of Blackhawks tie-ins to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and building off of our rooting guide to the postseason from earlier this month, The Atheltic’s Mark Lazerus took a look at former Blackhawks players in the playoffs and how hard it is to see them succeed You could take a guess at who No. 1 is…
My Ex-Blackhawks Sour Rankings use a highly scientific formula to determine which players give Chicagoans the most agita when seen thriving in the playoffs for other teams.
Our $1 subscription deal is about to end, so join the, uh, fun now! https://t.co/fo3XiIaqNk
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) May 25, 2021
• In IIHF World Championships news with a Blackhawks tie-in, only one game on the docket today with a Chicago player in the lineup as Switzerland and Philipp Kurashev take on Sweden. Puck drop at 12:15 p.m. CT this afternoon.
https://twitter.com/BN_Blackhawks/status/1397173830800523270?s=20
• Also going on in international Hockey news, it appears the NHL and the IOC are getting closer in their discussions towards and agreement for league participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
For instance, #NHL + #NHLPA have long sought permission to use footage and highlights from the Games, to promote, use logos, etc. Still up for discussion.
Much work to be done. They have not even started to draft an agreement. But progress nonetheless, with dialogue ongoing.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 25, 2021
• As Frank says, still lots of work to be done. But it is encouraging moving forward.
• That will do it for today. Have yourselves a good Tuesday!
