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Former Oilers Coach Claims He Sensed Teams Collapse Against Canucks
Craig MacTavish a former coach of the Edmonton Oilers claims he sensed the teams collapse in a game one loss of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Edmonton Oilers had everything in their favour following a comfortable 4-1 lead they held late in the second period.
Vancouver mounted an incredible comeback scoring four unanswered goals to snatch victory from the hands of defeat. Stuart Skinner, the Edmonton Oilers goaltender, couldn't buy a save if he could afford it.
Craig MacTavish shared that he saw Edmonton get everything they had coming after being dominated by the Canucks. It's a similar collapse to the 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning in game four against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"There's nothing worse as a player and as a coach, than waking up with the R&R sisters, Regret and Remorse," he explained during an interview with The Edmonton Journal. "They're waking up with the sisters this morning. That game should have been closed out, but it wasn't. For me, it was ominous the whole time that something bad was going to happen. In playoff hockey there's a reaction and a response and the Oilers are going to say it's one game and we're disappointed. Then there has to be a response. That's on the Oilers to respond."
It's also incredibly similar, minus an overtime, to the 2013 Toronto Maple Leafs who collapsed epically in game seven against the Boston Bruins.
MacTavish said that the Oilers were playing to the result they deserved. Harsh words from a former coach of the team who knows a similar system.
"They were going to be lucky and win, but, at the end of the day, they got the result they played to," he continued. "That's what I'd say. I didn't think they sustained anything offensively. I've tried to call up the stats and find the zone time but I bet it was pretty significant in Vancouver's favour. They had more of it. That's the template on how the Oilers can be beat."
It will be interesting to see how the Oilers play game two on Friday, May 10 following this epic collapse. The series will shift back to Edmonton for games three and four while the Oilers hope for a split on the road.
As read on: HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed McTavish Sensed Oilers Collapse
HockeyFeed McTavish Sensed Oilers Collapse
| POLL | ||
MAI 10 | 216 ANSWERS Former Oilers Coach Claims He Sensed Teams Collapse Against Canucks Did you think the Oilers would blow a 4-1 lead against Vancouver? | ||
| I had no idea. | 36 | 16.7 % |
| I thought they might. | 44 | 20.4 % |
| No way! | 107 | 49.5 % |
| Absolutely! | 29 | 13.4 % |
| List of polls | ||