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Greg Wyshynski, ESPNJun 14, 2024, 04:04 PM ET
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
EDMONTON — Corey Perry is the only Edmonton Oilers player with a Stanley Cup ring, winning with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. As his team faces elimination in Game 4 against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, Perry’s message to his teammates is clear: Play like it’s the last time you’ll ever be in the Stanley Cup Final.
“How do you know that there’s going to be another time? That’s the biggest thing you can put in your mind is there might not be another time. I bet you half these guys will never play in the Stanley Cup Final again. It’s just the reality of sports,” said Perry on Friday. “And that’s where you put that fight in. That’s what you have to go home today and think about.”
The Oilers lost Game 3 of the Final, 4-3, on Thursday. A series of miscues in the second period allowed Florida to take a 4-1 lead in front of a stunned Edmonton crowd. The Oilers rallied with two goals in the third period, but forward Leon Draisaitl said “when you’re chasing the game for a big chunk of the night, it’s just hard to come back.”
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Perry acknowledged that morale was low after the loss, which put Edmonton down 0-3 in the series.
“Last night was tough. It was pretty somber here after the game. It’s not easy when you go down 3-0 and you play a pretty good game, make a few mistakes and they end up in the back of the net,” he said. “Those things happen in sports. You gotta get over it.”
The hours ahead of Game 4 won’t be a reinvention of the Oilers’ game. While their top five scorers have yet to notch a goal in the series – including stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – Edmonton had generated chances against a Florida defense that ranked first in the regular season. Panthers coach Paul Maurice said the series could have easily been 3-0 in favor of Edmonton with how tightly the games have been played, with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky frequently being the difference…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40350719/oilers-facing-stanley-cup-sweep-vow-keep-fighting
Author : Greg Wyshynski
Publish date : 2024-06-14 21:09:47
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