Grant White

Recapping Stanley Cup Postseason & Finals Forecast

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For years, the Edmonton Oilers relied almost exclusively on <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/connor-mcdavid/3543">Connor McDavid</a> and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/leon-draisaitl/3552">Leon Draisaitl</a> to drive scoring. When they couldn't get things going on their respective lines, previous coaches would combine the superstars to create one unstoppable line. But as we saw, that wasn't a sustainable way of winning games or going on an extended Stanley Cup Playoffs run. Now, with a Western Conference-winning supporting cast and unmatched depth scoring, Edmonton is off to its first Stanley Cup Final since 2006. 
McDavid and Draisaitl might still be leading playoff scoring, but <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/evan-bouchard/3544">Evan Bouchard</a> has emerged as one of the best playoff performers in the league. Likewise, <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/zach-hyman/3548">Zach Hyman</a> has elevated his scoring rate in the postseason, tallying 14 goals through the first 18 games of the playoffs. Extrapolating that over an 82-game season puts Hyman on a 63-goal pace. 
Altogether, the Oilers have 11 players who have recorded at least two goals, five of whom are averaging a point per game this postseason. This isn't a two-horse town anymore, and Edmonton is ready to give the Florida Panthers everything they can handle.

Everyone Contributes

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It's easy to lose track of, but <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/stuart-skinner/3545">Stuart Skinner</a> doesn't have the same experience level as many of his teammates. The Oilers netminder finished second in Calder Trophy voting last year for the NHL's top rookie. While many other players have been afforded a more forgiving perspective, people quickly bury Skinner whenever something goes south. Still, it's evident from his current form that the young goalie has learned from those mistakes. 
Last year, Skinner was relegated to a reserve role in the postseason after struggling through the first round of the playoffs. Never mind that he was 24 in his first entire NHL season and thrust into the starter's role. Then, a sub-optimal performance in Round 2 resulted in Skinner getting re-acquainted with the bench this year. 
But through all those trials and tribulations, Skinner has become a more confident netminder. He's led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in just his second season in the NHL, posting a 91.7% save percentage in the Western Conference Final. 
Say what you want about the kid, but he's taken steps that all of the previous Oilers goalies haven't.

Stuart Skinner Has Learned From His Previous Mistakes

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Look no further than the first goal in Game 6's defeat of the Dallas Stars as validation -- <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/connor-mcdavid/3543">Connor McDavid</a> remains the best player in the world. 
That position is validated with virtually every meaningful statistic available. McDavid leads playoff scoring, accumulating 31 points in 18 games. His 167 on-ice scoring chances and 75 high-danger opportunities lead all forwards in the playoffs, contributing to a 57.0% expected goals-for rating at five-on-five. Predictably, that jumps to an eye-popping 70.6% across all strengths. 
Three teams have tried to contain the three-time MVP, each failing more miserably than the last. If McDavid keeps improving each round, there will be no denying the Oilers the Cup.

Connor McDavid is Still the Best Player in the World

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Coaches all make the same mistake. They see something work throughout an 82-game season, and they are unwilling to make adjustments when it matters most, in the playoffs. However, Kris Knoblauch does not share that perspective. The Oilers head coach has constantly amended his approach depending on circumstances, bringing Edmonton within four wins of the Stanley Cup. 
<a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/stuart-skinner/3545">Stuart Skinner</a> was removed from the starter's crease, only to be replaced two games later. <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/vincent-desharnais/3551">Vincent Desharnais</a> was uprooted from the blueline in favor of <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nhl/players/philip-broberg/58883">Philip Broberg</a>. There's been a constant cycle among the bottom-six forwards to accommodate team needs and whoever is playing well. 
The old guard would view all of these adjustments as unnecessary tinkering. But Knoblauch doesn't play by those rules. He's elevated the Oilers to a level they had only dreamed of before he took over.

Kris Knoblauch Isn't Afraid of Making Playoff Adjustments

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You can use any cliche to describe how well things are going for the Oilers, but it still wouldn't do the team justice. You see it on the ice, and you hear it in the interviews: This is a team that believes in itself. That confidence has carried the Oilers into their first Stanley Cup Final since 2006 and could help them hoist hockey's Holy Grail for the first time since 1990.

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The Edmonton Oilers dispatched the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final. What did we learn about the Oilers in Round 3 of the NHL Playoffs?

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