June 15, 2024 by Josh Boulton

After each Edmonton Oilers playoff game, our site puts out a Call Outs, Stand Outs, and Shoutouts article, which has already been posted for Game 3 by our esteemed writer Ryan Lotsberg. Obviously, it focuses on the players.

This post will be a little different.

Call Outs: 

Oilers Twitter, I’m looking right at you. I usually enjoy the banter, the homerism, and the typical up-and-down thoughts we all casually tweet in the moment. It’s part of being a fan. But last night was sickening.

Some fans had the Cup handed when the score was 2-1 for the Florida Panthers. In the second period. Of Game 3. After 3-1, you could cut number in half. And not just in the typical “boy, they were bad tonight” way. Which they weren’t. But in a “how do they even play in the NHL” kind of way.

A way that makes it seem like you’re surprised the Oilers didn’t come 30th place. Like this group hasn’t played nine playoff rounds in three years, with two trips to the Western Conference Final, and now a Stanley Cup Final, which was nowhere near over when the ranting began.

They’re playing a team that is arguably the single best “built for the playoffs” type team of this century, and it could be a 2-1 series lead for the Oilers, if not for the incredible goaltending performance of Sergei Bobrovsky. Give the Panthers skaters credit, too. Their penalty kill has been the other key difference, and of course they have capitalized on their scoring chances.

But imagine the pressure Stuart Skinner is under, knowing if he allows even two goals, the game is probably over. How many Oilers goalies have had to mentally deal with his team not being able to out score the odd mistake? It’s a whole new experience.

Despite having what some fans believe to be the worst defensive group ever assembled, the worst goalie ever to earn a playoff starting role, two amazing forwards dragging the rest of the forwards along (even though those two have somehow also been ghosts), and as a team playing the single worst hockey game of the Final since the Florida Panthers in 1996, they STILL worked their way to within one shot of earning the first third-period three-goal comeback in the Final since 1944. Not bad.

This team was 2-9-1 in November, and almost won the Pacific Division title in April. This team was down 2-1 and 3-2 in their second-round series against the Vancouver Canucks and came through. The things many observers said about Florida heading into the Final, they also said about the Dallas Stars in the West Final. Yet, down one goal on home ice, much of Oilers Twitter quit. It was absolutely shameful to read.

Stand Outs:

The fans at Rogers Place! These people brought it. Obviously, there was a portion of the second period we’d like to erase, and the crowd went understandably numb. But you brought the chanting back rather quickly considering the circumstances, and at least from my perspective watching it on the television, the place was loud for most of the third period, and was totally electric for the later stages. You made it fun for me at home.

Shout Outs:

A giant, heartfelt thank you to all the Oilers players, the coaching staff, General Manager Ken Holland, and everyone who contributed to getting this team to where they are right now. 30 other teams in the NHL would gladly trade places with the Oilers. This is only the eighth time in 45 seasons where the Oilers have been in the Final. Enjoy it. Three wins is not four wins. Never stop believing. I know I haven’t.

On to Game 4!