In the storied history of the Edmonton Oilers, there have been two occasions where they lost the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. The first was in 1983 when they were swept by the New York Islanders and the second came in 2006 when they lost the first two games to the Carolina Hurricanes only to eventually even the series and send it to Game 7.
I’m not sure which team from the past the current 2024 Oilers resemble but we’re soon going to find out what Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and this current group are made of.
Never Say Never
The 1983 Stanley Cup Final proved to be a valuable learning experience for Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and company as the team would dust themselves off after the humbling loss to the Islanders and go on to win five Stanley Cup championships over the next seven years. In 2006, all looked lost as the Oilers playoff hero Dwayne Roloson went down with a knee injury in Game 1 and the team gave up a late goal in a 5-4 Hurricanes victory. The Hurricanes went on to spank the Oilers 5-0 in Game 2 and all belief in Edmonton was lost. But something crazy happened, the Oilers would win Game 3, lose Game 4 and still go all the way to Game 7 losing 3-1 in the final game.
Considering what McDavid said following the Oilers’ 4-1 Game 2 loss to the Florida Panthers that he’s “looking forward to people doubting us again,” there should still be a smidge of hope going back to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4. This is, after all, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and he and the Oilers have proven time and time again in the 2023-24 NHL season how resilient they are.
Oilers’ Secret Weapon
George Mumford isn’t a household name, but he’s famous for helping Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as well as Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers win NBA championships. And now he’s working with the Oilers as a sports psychologist and mental skills coach. Mumford has taught the 2023-24 Oilers to live in the moment. Don’t focus on the past, nor think too far into the future. Instead, think about what you can do today. The Oilers will be mentally ready for Game 3 at home in Edmonton, but physically they may be running on fumes.
Related: 5 Reasons Oilers Lost Game 2 and Trail Panthers 2-0 in Stanley Cup Final
That’s what Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek spoke about on their 32 Thoughts the Podcast after Florida’s 4-1 Game 2 victory over the Oilers. Friedman mentioned that they may not have much left in the tank after three gruelling series against the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars. We’ll see what Mumford has to say about this and the Oilers. Because if they can win Game 3 on home ice, they’ll be right back in the series. If not, well that’s another story for another day.
Don’t Count Out McDavid Just Yet
If you’re an Oilers fan, you have to love the Game 2 post-game comments from McDavid, and what reporters such as Alan Mitchell aka Lowetide had to say. When listening to the June 11 edition of the Lowdown with Lowetide, Mitchell mentioned that McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers should come out strong at home, because this is their moment. It could very well be. But the Oilers are up against a Panthers team that learned valuable lessons in their 2023 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Time and money are not on the Oilers’ side in terms of keeping this current group together for another Stanley Cup run.
Should they falter this June, McDavid could become another great name in the game like Eric Lindros, who led his Philadelphia Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final only to lose in four straight to the Detroit Red Wings and never made it back to the Stanley Cup Final again. Or he could become like Sidney Crosby who led his Pittsburgh Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships including a come-from-behind Cup win over the Red Wings in 2009. Ironically Crosby and his Penguins were also down 2-0 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final series and clawed back to win it all. If you’re a fan of McDavid and the Oilers, you have to hope he has a similar fate to that of Crosby in 2009.
Games 3 & 4 in Edmonton Will Decide Direction of Series
The Panthers are a very good team. 2024 just might be their year. But if McDavid and the Oilers can dig deep and pull off at least one victory at home, we could have ourselves a Stanley Cup Final classic. Don’t count them out just yet Oilers fans. They could use excuses such as injury or fatigue, but so can Florida. This could be a great example of mind over matter, and with Mumford in the Oilers’ corner, and with McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice, anything is possible.
