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The Edmonton Oilers dropped Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final 4-3 to the Florida Panthers. The Panthers now have a commanding 3-0 series lead and can clinch their first Cup on Saturday night.
With the bitter defeat in mind, it’s worth taking a look at three Edmonton Oilers players who disappointed in the game.
3 disappointing Edmonton Oilers players in Game 3
#1: Stuart Skinner
Skinner wasn’t overly busy in the game, facing only 23 shots but allowing four goals. The biggest issue came in the second period when Skinner made a terrible misplay. He went out to play the puck behind the net but was beaten by the Panthers' forecheckers. The puck ended up in front of the net, where Vladimir Tarasenko scored to give the Panthers the lead.
The worst part of the play was that Skinner was out of position and couldn't stop the goal. It might have been better for him to let his defensemen handle the puck. By trying to play it himself, the goaltender allowed an easy goal.
#2: Leon Draisaitl
Draisaitl has been quiet all series and has yet to register on the scoresheet. But beyond his lack of offensive production, his defensive game has been lacking as well. A good example of that came on the Sasha Barkov rush goal.
The play started with a pass in the Panthers' zone that went into the corner. Draisaitl chased the puck but was unable to beat the Panthers' defense. The Oilers then lost possession, leading to a quick two-on-one rush that ended with a goal.
Watching the replay, Draisaitl was evidently upset after losing the puck that he didn't even try to recover, leaving the rest of the Edmonton Oilers out to dry.
#3: Darnell Nurse
Nurse has been a liability throughout the playoffs, posting the worst plus-minus rating. In Game 3, things took a turn for the worse. During the second period, Matthew Tkachuk stripped Nurse of the puck as he tried to clear the zone.
When looking at the play closely, Nurse seemed fazed as he skated with the puck, completely disregarding Tkachuk, who came out from the boards. Tkachuk fed a wide-open Sam Bennett, who scored to make it 3-1.
