When emotions run high in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s easy to look for someone or something to blame, something that happened during the Oilers’ brutal 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3.
While many fans pointed fingers at the referees, former NHL players turned analysts weren’t buying it, especially when it came to Evander Kane. The Oilers winger was ejected from the game and became a lightning rod for criticism.
On the latest episode of “Spittin’ Chiclets”, Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette didn’t hold back in calling out Kane, shifting the blame from the officials squarely onto the team’s own mistakes.
Former NHLers Believe Evander Kane’s Penalties Cost the Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are on the ropes in the Stanley Cup Final, and after a lopsided Game 3 loss to the Florida Panthers, tensions are boiling over. With fans upset about what they saw as inconsistent officiating, former NHL player Ryan Whitney had a message: stop blaming the refs.
“I don’t want to hear we lost because of the refs,” Whitney said on the 567th episode of Spittin’ Chiclets. “We’re not doing this. We’re in the middle of the Final.”
While he admitted that the officiating wasn’t perfect, calling it “a bit of a rough show”, he insisted the Oilers lost because the Panthers were simply better in every area of the game.
Whitney specifically pointed out that Florida outplayed Edmonton in all key areas: special teams, five-on-five play, and goaltending. “Their goalie was way better,” he remarked bluntly. “The refs weren’t great. But they didn’t lose us the game.”
. @ryanwhitney6 doesn’t want to hear Oilers fans blaming the refs.https://t.co/KBvXa7iCpz pic.twitter.com/d8ZCYBnj1K
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 12, 2025
What irked Whitney and his co-hosts was Evander Kane’s lack of discipline. The veteran forward took multiple penalties, including a particularly frustrating one on the power play, 200 feet from his own goal. That kind of mistake, according to Whitney, is something you can’t afford when playing against a team like Florida.
“You cannot take stick penalties in the offensive zone, especially when you’re on the power play,” Whitney emphasized. “That gives the other team momentum, and with a team like the Panthers, that’s a death sentence.”
Kane was ultimately ejected from the game, a moment that many fans and former players saw as the final nail in the coffin for the Oilers that night. Paul Bissonnette chimed in as well, echoing Whitney’s concerns and expressing confusion over Kane’s decisions: “I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
The criticism wasn’t completely one-sided. Whitney did mention that he appreciated the Oilers’ effort toward the end of the game. But in a series as important as the Stanley Cup Final, effort isn’t enough. The little mistakes, especially from veteran players, are magnified, and Kane’s penalties gave Florida the upper hand.
After the criticism and a disappointing Game 3, the Oilers needed to regroup, and they did just that in Game 4, coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the first period and kept fighting, even after Florida tied the game with just under 20 seconds left in regulation.
In overtime, Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal, helping the Oilers even the series at 2-2. It was a much-needed response from a team that had been under pressure.
Read More: Leon Draisaitl Officially Sets Crazy NHL History With Overtime Winner In Game 4
With things back on level ground, the Oilers can move forward with more confidence. If they stay disciplined and keep playing the way they did in Game 4, they’ll give themselves a good chance in the rest of the series.
