Fink: If Any Team Can Do a Reverse Sweep, It’s The Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers entered Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final trailing 3-0 and one loss away from coming up short of the title. They stomped the Florida Panthers 8-1 in a game where everything seemed to go their way. Up next, a Game Five in Florida.  

A reverse sweep is when a team trails 3-0 in the series and wins the next four games. The Oilers can technically do that. It seems impossible. There have only been four in NHL history and the last one was a decade ago. The last one in the Final? 1942. 

It’s a tall task but if anyone can do it in the Final, it’s the Edmonton Oilers. They have the team that can do it and their recent win is a reminder that they are capable of making a run at the impossible.

Winning Streaks Are Familiar Territory for the Oilers 

The Oilers saw their season embodied by winning streaks. They won eight in a row from late November to early December. They also won five consecutive games just as the trade deadline was approaching. Most notably, the Oilers won 16 games in a row from December 21st until January 27th, a stretch that made their season as good as it was.

Along with the streaks, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a team that started slow and flicked a switch. They were 3-9-1 when they replaced their head coach and went 46-18-5 since. 

From this perspective, it’s not crazy to see the Oilers winning four games in a row. It’s what they’ve done all season long. They have a tough opponent to do it against but it’s not out of the question. Now, the catch is based on whether they can win different types of games.

Oilers Can Win With Offense & Defense

It’s been stated before and it’s worth noting again. This Oilers team is different, something the playoffs have shown firsthand. Since Kris Knoblauch was hired, the Oilers have won in multiple ways and aren’t that same cliche overpower the opponent with offense type of team. 

Their offense was never in question. They’ve averaged 3.00 goals per game or more in each of the past five seasons. Their offense with both speed and skill is capable of taking over games and running up the score.  

Then there’s the defense which has come onto the scene as well. It’s led by a great top pair from Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm leading the way to Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci rounding it out. It can shut down any offense and it has, allowing them to reach the Stanley Cup Final in the first place.

McDavid & Draisaitl Playing at a High Level Can’t Be Stopped

One distinct advantage the Oilers have is star power. The Panthers have great players and the better goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, who before Game Four, looked poised to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. That said, the Oilers' two best players are two of the top 10 players in the NHL. 

Connor McDavid had his best game of the series in Game Four with a goal and three assists, proving how he can take over a series with his performance. In space, he will dominate and that’s what he did against the Panthers.

There’s also Leon Draisaitl who when he’s on his mark, isn’t going to be stopped. The Oilers will lean on their stars to complete the series comeback and with the three most important games in their career up ahead, they can do just that.

Game 5 is a Different Beast

The Oilers steamrolled the Panthers in Game Four. The next game is back in Florida, the same setting where they were outscored 7-1 in two games. It will be a different setting and the Panthers will look to hoist the Stanley Cup in front of their home crowd.

The Panthers will look to dictate the game. They’ll slow things down and make sure the Oilers don’t win with their offense. The Oilers can adapt but it will be a grind to win and all this just to force the series back to Edmonton for another must-win then followed by another must-win. Needless to say, the efforts to complete a reverse sweep are still in the early phases.