5 reasons for Oilers fans to believe in a comeback vs Panthers

It’s hard to believe that just one week ago, Edmonton Oilers fans were celebrating up and down the streets.

After knocking off the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, they were set to take on the Florida Panthers in the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. Things didn’t get off to a great start, however, as they dropped Game 1 last Saturday by a 3-0 final.

It has only gotten worse since, with the Oilers losing Games 2 and 3, and are now on the verge of being swept at Rogers Place tomorrow night. The mood in Edmonton has shifted dramatically, but, for those looking for some optimism regarding a comeback, here are a few reasons this series may not be over just yet.

McDavid and Draisaitl are due

This hasn’t been a series to remember so far for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers captain has managed just three assists through three games, while Draisaitl has been held without a point.

Though Draisaitl is believed to be playing through an injury, he has shown throughout his playoff career that he can still produce elite numbers at less than 100%. He and McDavid are too good to remain this quiet for much longer, and could easily get back to their usual dominant selves tomorrow night.

Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman will produce

As quiet as McDavid and Draisaitl have been, they aren’t the only Oilers stars who have disappointed. Both Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who finished third and fourth amongst forwards for team scoring in the regular season, have yet to register a point.

Hyman in particular had been having a great postseason leading into this series with 14 goals through 18 games. Nugent-Hopkins had been very good in his own right with 20 points in 18 games. They have been snake-bitten thus far, but you get the feeling that one of them scoring a goal in Game 4 could really help turn things around.

Power play will heat up

The Oilers have yet to manage a single power-play goal in this series, something nobody would have predicted going in. This team has had one of the best power plays in NHL history in recent seasons, and, even with this recent slump, is still clicking at 31.2% in the playoffs.

The Oilers have gone through power-play slumps before, but have always been able to get things back on track quickly. As good as the Panthers penalty kill has been, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few goals on the man advantage from the Oilers tomorrow night.

Bobrovsky will regress

Though there are a number of reasons as to why the Oilers find themselves in this position, the biggest is the play of Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. He currently has a .953 save percentage (SV%) in this series, which is the seventh-best in a Stanley Cup Final in NHL history, and the third-best in the last 55 years.

As elite of a goalie as Bobrovsky is, numbers like that aren’t sustainable. They already took somewhat of a hit with the Oilers scoring two third-period goals last night, and may continue to fall further moving forward.

Oilers have had lengthy win streaks

It may be hard to remember given where they are now, but there was a point this season where many thought the Oilers were going to miss the playoffs. They had about as horrific of a start to a season as any team could have, going 2-9-1 through their first 12 games.

The Oilers began to dominate a short time later and wound up finishing the season with a 49-27-6 record. During that stretch, they were able to string together winning streaks of 16 and eight games, making the four in a row they need now seem a lot less daunting.

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