The Florida Panthers dug deep into the second overtime on Saturday, June 7, to get an emphatic 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to level the Finals in Game 2. But while the Oilers definitely have their bones to pick with the Panthers, one thing that has rubbed them the wrong way is the attitude of the wingers.
Now, the Panthers’ attack has made a name for itself throughout the regular season and playoffs by digging deep into the blue paint with great accuracy. But the way the wingers have dropped into the goalie, Stuart Skinner, has the Oilers in a nasty mood.
And none more so than Mattias Ekholm. The defenseman firmly believes that the Panthers’ attack has become increasingly physical towards the nets, and the officiating needs to make some calls regarding that.
Mattias Ekholm Is Fed Up With the Panthers’ Physical Play
Ekholm has been vocal about his disdain for the net-front play that the Panthers have shown throughout the finals. He mentioned, “You can accidentally drop into him, but, at one point, enough’s got to be enough.” This comes straight after the Oilers failed on a coach’s challenge.
But this wasn’t the only time. In the same game, the Panthers benefited from a penalty call due to goalie interference. For the Oilers, this was a costly mistake, as the Panthers not only had their goal upheld but also scored an equalizer on the very next power play.
But while Sam Bennett, who was also part of the earlier two events in Game 1, was penalized in Game 2 for falling into Skinner, Ekholm wasn’t happy. He mentions, “Being a leader is understanding the situation.” But he also understands that they couldn’t have scored in the power play had it been a four-on-four situation.
Ekholm defends his team, saying, “It’s a fine line. We don’t want to take punishment from anybody. I’m not saying that. But you’ve got to read the situation and be cognizant of, ‘Has there been a penalty called. Has there not? What can help our team the most?'” But Ekholm is also pleased that Bennett was sent away in Game 2.
Ekholm understands that it is also tough for the league to make correct decisions every time a play happens in front of the net, but he is happy that the refs decided to get Bennett out. However, he also understands that not all decisions can be blamed on the officiating.
He continued, “We can be harder in front of our own net. It’s either you have a good starting position on your forward and you can box him out or, if you don’t, then it’s a matter of probably trying to front the puck instead and blocking it so it doesn’t get to the net.”
With Game 3, which is supposed to break the deadlock between the Oilers and the Panthers, on Tuesday, June 10, the Oilers will most likely make some major changes in their defensive lineup. It will be worth saying if they can stop Bennett then.