Why beating the Panthers won't change anything for the Oilers, according to one NHL insider
The Oilers are in Sunrise, Florida, to face the Panthers in a rematch of the last two Stanley Cup finals, and NHL insider Mark Spector believes a win won't matter.
It's never just another road stop when the Edmonton Oilers visit Amerant Bank Arena. The building carries baggage, not because of the Florida Panthers themselves, but because this is where Edmonton's Stanley Cup runs ended in back-to-back years.
It's where hopes of validating their championship window collapsed instead of being fulfilled.
The memories the Edmonton Oilers would rather forget
Connor McDavid's post-series outburst. Zach Hyman's vow. Carter Verhaeghe scoring early in Game 7 two springs ago, Mattias Janmark responding moments later, Sam Reinhart beating Stuart Skinner low glove, and a loose puck in the slot McDavid couldn't corral. All defining memories, all on this ice.
According to NHL insider Mark Spector, the Oilers beating the Panthers now wouldn't erase any of it.
"The big games are in the past, and Edmonton lost too many of them. History has been written, and as intriguing as this matchup is for the hockey world, for the Oilers it is just a reminder of their worst times."
- Mark Spector
- Mark Spector
Edmonton could win by 10 goals on Saturday, and it still wouldn't count as revenge because those defining battles already happened, and the Oilers lost more than they won.
For Edmonton, these matchups feel less like excitement and more like anniversaries you'd rather forget.
Why both teams are having a rough start to the season
Both teams are navigating uneven seasons. Florida, 11-8-1, is ravaged by injuries with Sasha Barkov out for the year, Matthew Tkachuk a month away, plus absences to Dmitri Kulikov, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich and now Cole Schwindt. Eetu Luostarinen is also out week-to-week after burns from a barbecuing accident.
The Oilers are healthier, as Zach Hyman returned recently, but the problems are with the ones on the ice, not in the infirmary. Monday's 5-1 loss in Buffalo was mocked by Sabres analyst Rob Ray, as he heavily criticised their goaltending.
No matter what happens this weekend, Amerant Bank Arena will always be unfinished business. The Oilers aren't chasing revenge; they're chasing a future where this building stops defining them. Maybe a win here turns their season around.
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 21 | 162 ANSWERS Why beating the Panthers won't change anything for the Oilers, according to one NHL insider Do you believe a win in Sunrise, Florida, could turn the Oilers' season around? | ||
| Yes | 67 | 41.4 % |
| No | 95 | 58.6 % |
| List of polls | ||