3 pain points Edmonton Oilers need to address before Game 2 feat. the powerplay

The Edmonton Oilers enter Monday night’s Game 2 down 1-0. Game 1’s performance by the Panthers exposed a number of weaknesses the Oilers had managed to cover up at times during the playoffs. However, the Panthers’ relentless, tight-checking style neutralized much of Edmonton’s strengths.

So, as the focus shifts toward Game 2, here are three pain points the Edmonton Oilers need to address ahead of Monday night’s clash.

3 pain points the Edmonton Oilers need to address ahead of Game 2

#1: Depth scoring

The Panthers’ tough defensive play exposed one of the Edmonton Oilers’ most glaring weaknesses: Their lack of depth scoring.

Beyond Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard, the Oilers are thin on scorers. Evidence of that came on the two breakaways that Sergei Bobrovsky easily turned aside. Bobrovsky barely had to move to stop Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Henrique.

As it stands, it’s evident the Panthers can shut down the Oilers’ big guns for an entire game. That situation means that Edmonton’s bottom six will have to step up to provide depth scoring. Otherwise, this series could end very quickly.

#2: The powerplay

The Edmonton Oilers went 0 for 3 on the powerplay in Game 1. The reason was largely due to the Panthers’ ability to keep the Oilers to the outside. As such, the Oilers need to create traffic in front of Bobrovsky in order to take advantage of the wicked shots from Draisaitl and Bouchard.

The Panthers know that well. So, they did a good job of taking away passing lanes for one-timers on Draisaitl’s side and managed to keep point shots from Bouchard relatively harmless. The Oilers will either need to mix up their approach on the powerplay or crowd the net.

If Zach Hyman can get down low, he could pounce on rebounds. Additionally, a player like Corey Perry could wreak havoc in front of the net as part of the second unit. At this point, the Oilers need to keep things as unpredictable as possible.

#3: Focus

The Oilers controlled much of Game 1. The lopsided 32 to 18 shot count was proof that the Oilers outplayed the Panthers. Panthers coach Paul Maurice acknowledged that his club needed to be better for Game 2.

But what made the difference was the fact that the Panthers capitalized on the Oilers’ lack of focus early in the game. That lack of focus led to two goals on five shots. While Stuart Skinner deserves credit for not letting another goal after that, the damage was done.

Moving forward, the Oilers must remain composed from the opening faceoff to ensure that the Panthers cannot exploit mental lapses, especially during turnovers at the blue line.