Duh! 4 Obvious Reasons Why the Oilers Will Win the Stanley Cup

Four Reasons Edmonton Wins It All

1. Connor “McJesus” McDavid

Connor McDavid has been dubbed “McJesus” for a good reason. He is the greatest NHL player since “The Great One”. Both coincidentally play and have played for the same franchise. And if you look at McDavid’s stats, the only player that has done him better in assists is… Gretzky.

Most assists in season (regular + postseason):

174 — Gretzky
165 — Gretzky
151 — Gretzky
150 — Gretzky
140 — Gretzky
140 — Gretzky
133 — Gretzky
131 — Gretzky
127 — Gretzky
126 — McDavid

If you pretend Gretzky doesn’t exist, McDavid is #1. pic.twitter.com/Zlk7dNuPmy

— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) June 5, 2024

The three-time Hart Trophy winner is the best player in this series. And while it takes a team to win a Stanley Cup, McDavid is the one skater who can carry his team to victory. We saw him do that against Dallas as he created the two goals Edmonton scored to win 2-1 despite getting outshot 34-10.

So the Florida media can sling mud at McDavid and call him “McOverrated” all they want. That’s just click-baiting or coping as TSN analyst and former NHL player Mike Johnston called out:

“This is McRidiculous, absolutely,” Johnston said when asked about Miami Herald writer Greg Cote’s unflattering moniker for McDavid.

“But if you know anything about hockey — and I’m assuming Greg might — you know that one player no matter how great he is can not get it done and win a Stanley Cup on his own. Not McDavid. Not anybody. But McDavid clearly is the greatest player in the game. He is generational. He’s one of the best offensive players in the history of the game already. So, Greg, I’m sorry, this is preposterous, outrageous, ridiculous, and just flat-out wrong.”

2. The Other Oilers Don’t Stink, Finally

Yes, McDavid cannot win a Stanley Cup on his own. Thankfully, his teammates have finally stepped up this season. It’s no longer a two-man show with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl scoring everything. The latter has 10 goals and 28 points, which are both second on the Oilers. But how about Zach Hyman or Evan Bouchard?

Hyman leads the playoffs with 14 goals, three of them game-winning. Bouchard is third on the team with 27 points and leads the playoffs with a plus/minus of +14. He’s formed a “Big Three” with McDavid and Draisaitl, particularly on the power play.

Stuart Skinner has perhaps been the biggest difference-maker for Edmonton. The netminder had a rough start to the postseason. But he turned it around when it mattered most. He stopped 33 of Dallas’s 34 shots in Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Final-clinching victory. And he’s not allowed more than two goals in seven of his last eight starts.

3. They Play *Gasp* Defense

Skinner does plenty of the lifting on defense. But Edmonton is actually playing sound two-way hockey now. Gone are the days when Edmonton would have to score 5+ goals to get a win. Check Edmonton’s last five wins: 2-1, 3-1, 5-2, 3-2, 3-2. This looks more like the Boston Bruins’ victory scores.

Edmonton is holding opponents to 25.8 scoring chances per 60 minutes on 5-on-5. This ranks them squarely in the middle among playoff teams. But here’s the kicker: Edmonton is allowing fewer high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes on 5-on-5 (10.2) than Florida (10.6).

We also have to credit Edmonton’s bottom-six forwards. Adam Henrique has proven to be a staunch acquisition as the third-line center. He forms an unofficial “checking line” with Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark. They’ve limited opponents’ quality scoring chances. And on defense, Brett Kulak and Philip Broberg have made up for their partners’ mistakes.

Overtime is one thing. Overtime in Game 6 to send your team to the #StanleyCup Final is a whole other thing…

Adam Henrique came up HUGE for his club on this day in 2012.

🗓️: May 25, 2012 pic.twitter.com/eDRQZwIvt8

— NHL (@NHL) May 25, 2024

4. Oilers Special Teams Is Truly Special

What makes Edmonton’s run special is its special teams. The Oilers have scored 19 power play (PP) goals and have conceded three. Their +16 PP goal differential is first in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as are their marks: 37.3% on the PP and 93.9% on the penalty kill (PK). This is 95.9% if we use the net rating (they scored one short-handed goal).

This will be an edge for Edmonton as Florida’s net PP is only at 18.3%. The Panthers may be a more prolific 5-on-5 outfit, but they will commit penalties. Florida has had to kill off three or more penalties in 10 of its 17 playoff games.

Even if most of the game is played on 5-on-5, the Oilers have proven they only need a few seconds of opportunity to score. This makes Edmonton a deadly opponent and Canada’s best hope at ending the drought in over 30 years. Bet online on it.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

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Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.