The Florida Panthers are two wins away from successful their first Stanley Cup in franchise historical past, main the Stanley Cup Closing 2-0 over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers have adopted an analogous pattern in these playoffs, persevering with to play stifling protection in opposition to their opponents. They haven’t given the Oilers a lot ice to work with within the collection’ first two video games, particularly in Sport 2.
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The Panthers outshot the Oilers 29-19 in Sport 2 and held the high-powered Edmonton offense to simply seven photographs by two durations. Sound acquainted to these in Toronto? It was not the Sport 6 of the 2000 Japanese Convention Semifinals in opposition to the New Jersey Devils the place the Maple Leafs have been held to 6 photographs on aim, however the Panthers are proving {that a} good protection will beat a very good offense.
Regardless that the Oilers dominated the photographs on aim whole and the territorial time in Sport 1, it didn’t really feel like Edmonton was in management. Florida may play their sport fashion and get to their defensive construction within the third interval. That construction carried over into Sport 2.
The Florida Panthers gave Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins nothing to shoot at. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t must be pretty much as good in Sport 2 as in Sport 1. Whereas he gave up a softy to Mattias Ekholm, the Oilers couldn’t capitalize.
Florida successfully takes away the center of the ice. This pattern has been evident within the playoffs for the reason that Devils of 1995, and it goes again even additional to the legendary Montreal Canadiens groups of the Nineteen Seventies. Each workforce performs a model of the left-wing lock or impartial zone entice.
Head coach Paul Maurice knew this when he took over a Florida Panthers workforce with 122 factors within the 2021-22 season. The next yr, the Panthers had simply 92 factors, nevertheless it took time for the gamers to regulate to Maurice’s defence-first system. As soon as they did, the Panthers squeaked into the playoffs and made it to the Stanley Cup Closing.
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Nonetheless, this season, there was buy-in, permitting the Panthers to march to the Stanley Cup Closing. And it’s not simply buy-in from the bottom-six forwards or the defence but in addition from their prime guys.
Final yr, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk sought to play offense first. Now, they’re considering and trying to play protection first, which has allowed the workforce to achieve success of their zone. It begins with captain Aleksander Barkov, who as soon as once more gained the Selke Trophy for the perfect defensive ahead, however all 5 guys on the ice are enjoying as a unit.
Simply have a look at what Barkov and that protection has completed within the playoffs. They shut down Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. And thru two video games of the Stanley Cup Closing, they’ve held McDavid, Hyman, Draisaitl, and Bouchard to at least one help.
That’s how successful is finished within the playoffs. The Florida Panthers restrict possibilities and hold the gamers to the skin, which has helped Bobrovsky. When the Oilers attempt to get to the center of the ice, they’re hit, or there’s a turnover.
When the Oilers escape of their zone, the Panthers don’t give them any time or area. The Oilers dump the puck in, which permits the Panthers to get the puck and escape of the zone. The Oilers additionally would ice the puck or flip over the puck, resulting in possibilities for the Panthers on Stuart Skinner.
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It’s a acquainted scene, because the Panthers are doing what groups just like the Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and Devils did earlier than them: shutting down the impartial zone and bodily beating their opponents out.
The Oilers haven’t any solutions for it by two video games. The Lightning, Bruins, and Rangers by no means discovered a solution for it. The Florida Panthers make you play a sure approach, they usually wish to see if their opponents can match it in a seven-game collection.
It is probably not fairly or thrilling, and a few would possibly name it boring, however how the Florida Panthers play protection reveals that successful is all that issues.
