Nugent-Hopkins has been quiet through these first two games, failing to put up a single point while mustering five shots on goal. Aside from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, he is expected to be a main driver on offence for this team, especially with Zach Hyman out of the lineup. He’s going to need to be much better moving forward.
Connor Brown
Though not expected to produce at the level of Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Brown has proven throughout this run that he can score big goals and produce offence at key times. The numbers show just that, as he’s registered five goals and eight points through 16 playoff outings.
Though Brown has by no means played poorly through the first two games of this series, he has yet to muster up a single point. Playing against a loaded Panthers roster, the Oilers need everybody to be at their absolute best, and we haven’t yet seen that from the 31-year-old winger.
Evander Kane
Expecting the world from Evander Kane may be unfair, as he is truly still trying to get back into the feel of games, having missed the entire regular season. Like Brown, the 33-year-old has by no means been bad in this series. In fact, he was even able to score the Oilers’ opening goal on Friday night. That said, his health for this year’s Stanley Cup Final was viewed as a huge asset for the Oilers.
Though Kane hasn’t been bad through these first two games, he has yet to take over like we have seen him do in the past in the playoffs. When at his best, he is putting up goals in bunches and imposing himself physically. If the Oilers are to come out on top of this series, Kane needs to become the dominant force he has proven he can be in the past.
Trent Frederic
Something? Anything? That’s all that Oilers fans are begging for from Trent Frederic at this point. The 27-year-old has struggled immensely in the playoffs, perhaps due to the fact that he may still be labouring from a high-ankle sprain suffered during the regular season. Either way, his one goal and four points through 16 games are massively disappointing for a player who was brought in at the trade deadline to play an impactful role.
Frederic has been absolutely ice-cold offensively throughout this run. While regaining confidence when the stakes are this high is not an easy task, the Oilers desperately need Frederic to find a way to start contributing on the scoresheet. If he can get things going, it would be huge in his team’s quest to hoist the Stanley Cup.
Oilers Need a Split on the Road
While it’s far too soon to press the panic button, losing the second game on home ice is a huge blow for the Oilers. It now puts a lot of pressure on them heading to Florida, as they will need to find a way to pick up a win on the road. Should they be able to get a split, they would once again be in the driver’s seat heading back to Edmonton for Game 5.
