Latest news with #MattiasEkholm
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oilers Player Makes Bold Stanley Cup Final Guarantee Before Game 6
Oilers Player Makes Bold Stanley Cup Final Guarantee Before Game 6 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Edmonton Oilers trail the Florida Panthers 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final heading into Game 6, scheduled for Tuesday in Sunrise, Florida. Advertisement To return to Canada with a chance to hoist the Cup, the Oilers must win on the road to force a decisive Game 7 back home. Despite falling 5-2 in Game 5 and being outplayed for long stretches, Oilers blueliner Jake Walman has no doubt the series will return to Edmonton, as he told The Athletic following Saturday's defeat while making a quite bold prediction — if not a straight guarantee. 'This was always going to be a long series,' Walman said. 'We're going to come back here after a game there, and that's it. 'There's no doubt.' Walman and fellow defenseman Mattias Ekholm had a rough outing on Saturday, as Florida outshot the Oilers' first defensive pairing. Advertisement Moreover, Florida's Brad Marchand beat Walman clean for both the opening goal and then the game-winner, the latter following an extraordinary move. Walman's confidence, however, hasn't wavered. 'It's frustrating when you come into the (dressing) room and you're down,' Walman said. 'We're struggling to get to our game right away. It takes us a little bit. I don't know what the reasoning is.' Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) reacts with left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) after scoring a goal against the Florida Nelson-Imagn Images That slow-start trend should be a real concern for the Oilers, as Edmonton has trailed by at least two goals after the first period in each of the past three games. Game 6 is at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday night in Sunrise, and Walman has already made his bold prediction for what will happen on the ice come puck-drop time. Advertisement Related: NHL Makes Historic Connor McDavid Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final Related: Don Cherry Makes Pick for 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"Oilers are the second-best hockey team": Mattias Ekholm's wife Ida offers comfort to Oilers fans after Stanley Cup dreams shatter
Mattias Ekholm's wife shares touching open letter with Oilers fans (Instagram/@ibjornstad) The Edmonton Oilers' dream of clinching the Stanley Cup came to a devastating end yet again, this time in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers. With a 5-1 loss sealing a 4-2 series defeat, the heartbreak ran deep — not just among players and fans, but also within the families who've stood by through every exhausting moment. Mattias Ekholm 's wife praises Oilers Nation with raw, emotional letter after crushing Stanley Cup loss Amid the emotional wreckage, one voice quietly stood out — not from the locker room, but from the sidelines. Ida Björnstad, wife of Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a respected Swedish sports journalist, took to Instagram to deliver a deeply moving message that resonated far beyond the final score. 'As you might know, I'm a writer, and I love to put my thoughts into sentences and stories,' Ida began, in a post that felt more like a journal entry than a public statement. 'Most of my texts stay with me. This time, though, I would like to share some words with you.' Her post was more than a show of support; it was a heartfelt window into the emotional toll a Stanley Cup run takes on not only players but also their families. Ida's perspective came not as a reporter, but as a partner who's been living the ups and downs of the season behind closed doors. 'I know how much hockey means to the Canadian people, and I understand that the people in Edmonton are heartbroken today, including our family,' she wrote, capturing the collective disappointment that enveloped the city after the Oilers fell short again. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo She went on to highlight the intense mental and physical demands that playoff hockey imposes: 'Throughout the playoffs, many things are happening behind the scenes. Boundaries are being pushed in the most demanding way, both physically and mentally. For the players and their families, everything is about maximizing the chances of winning.' Despite flashes of brilliance from Edmonton — including two hard-fought overtime wins — the Panthers controlled much of the series. Edmonton was behind for a record-setting 255 minutes and 49 seconds and was outscored 28-17 overall. Game 6 saw Florida dominate early, with the Oilers unable to find their rhythm again. Still, Ida chose to focus on the positives. 'For two years in a row, we have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers are the second-best hockey team in the world, and we have fans who support this team in both good times and bad. There is so much to be proud of and thankful for.' And in her final thought, she reminded everyone of the bigger picture: 'As much as it hurts when you lose, this is a journey we will look back on one day, reflecting on the highs and lows and understanding that everything made sense.' As the Oilers now prepare for a pivotal offseason, Ida's message offers something rare — a sense of grace and perspective in the face of loss, reminding fans why they fell in love with this team in the first place. Also Read: Wayne Gretzky loved Panthers' Cup win over Oilers but also admits one part didn't sit right Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup dreams die again in Florida
In any other era, in almost any other year, this Edmonton Oilers team is good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Good enough, even, to be a two-time champion solidifying its place in NHL history. But not in this era. Not during the Florida Panthers' reign. For the second year in a row, with the dreams of a city and its seasoned No.1 contender hanging in the balance, it all came crashing down at Amerant Bank Arena, where the Oilers were once again left to accept their place as the second best team in hockey. Florida's convincing 5-1 victory in Game 6 closed out the series 4-2 and forced the Oilers to spend another night in a tear-stained dressing room listening to the Panthers and their fans celebrate another Stanley Cup title. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. That the Oilers lost twice to one of the best teams in the last 30 years, a potential dynasty in the making, does nothing to ease a collective heartbreak they promised themselves would never happen again. Year-old wounds stat still haven't healed since last June are torn open again. It hurts when your Stanley Cup window is being used by somebody better. But the Panthers are better and they've proven it twice now. Florida's last three wins in this series were by scores of 6-1, 5-2 and 5-1, and they were up 3-0 before Edmonton made a once-in-a-century comeback in Game 4. They scored 28 goals on Edmonton in six games. So there's not a lot of grey area here. Florida's top guys were better than Edmonton's top guys, Florida's depth destroyed Edmonton's depth and Florida's goaltending was better than Edmonton's goaltending. It was a clean kill. The Oilers came out with a sense of urgency that delivered some big hits and generated some good scoring chances, but two too many defensive zone mistakes put them in another terrible spot. Gaffes from Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard allowed Sam Reinhart to score on the ensuing breakaway at 4:36. Then Bouchard and Connor McDavid combined on Matthew Tkachuk's goal at 19:13. Just like that, the Oilers were down 2-0 again at the first intermission again. This makes deficits of 2-0, 3-0, 2-0 and 2-0 in the first periods of the last four games and six-straight games allowing two or more goals against in the opening 20 minutes — the first time that's ever happened in Stanley Cup Final history. Head coach Kris Knoblauch waited about three shifts before putting McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together on the top line and they were minus two by the first intermission. He took the whip to his top line in the second period, playing them almost every second shift (McDavid played 16 of the first 40 minutes) but Florida's ability to shut opponents down left Edmonton's superstars frustrated and without answers. The situation went from bleak to grim when Stuart Skinner served up a horrendous rebound that Aleksander Barkov banked in off Reinhart's skate to make it 3-0 after two periods. And that was it. A couple of empty-netters for Reinhart gave him four goals on the night and turned the lights out on Edmonton's season. E-mail: rtychkowski@
CTV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
'It sucks, it's painful': Mattias Ekholm
Edmonton Watch Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm says the Oilers failed as a team, it wasn't any one player or position that resulted in losing the Stanley Cup Final series to the Florida Panthers.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Oilers up against the clock to find a winning mix against Panthers in Stanley Cup final
The Edmonton Oilers were the favourites to win the Stanley Cup before the season began but now find themselves on the brink of elimination from the final for the second straight year. After a defeat on Saturday, the Oilers trail the Florida Panthers 3-2 in the best-of-seven and now must win in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday to stay alive. They must then do it again on Friday to clinch their first NHL championship in 35 years. It has been a great and odd final series where the opponents have alternated victories. Neither has been able to maintain momentum but now the Panthers are just one victory shy of capturing the Stanley Cup for the second straight year. Florida beat Edmonton in seven games a year ago and at present would seem to hold the upper hand. The Oilers have fallen short in two critical areas that they will have to address to have a chance. The issues are related as well. The first is being outplayed at the beginning of games. They have been outscored 11-4 overall in the first period and 7-0 over the last three contests. 'We have come out flat for most of the series,' Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton's veteran defenceman, said after Saturday's 5-2 loss. 'We have to find a way to be better at that. 'We have to make sure we bear down in games, and it hasn't happened for us. We need to go to Florida and win a game and flip that.' Perhaps Ekholm is being hard on himself and his teammates in so far as three of the five games have gone to overtime. But at this time of year there should be no shortage of desperation. There is no reason a team should not be ready to go at the opening puck drop. Cathal Kelly: Any team can win the Stanley Cup – but only the Panthers truly want to Opinion: Stanley Cup pursuit reignites debate about taxes on player salaries The other crucial issue is that the Oilers' goaltending has been erratic. Stuart Skinner has been excellent, but also pulled from the net twice. Calvin Pickard came on in relief on Thursday and was splendid in an overtime victory where Edmonton fell into a 3-0 hole in the first period. As such he was given the starting nod on Saturday but allowed four goals on 18 shots. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch cast no blame his way, but it should be pointed out that Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers' goalie, has been just OK so far. Knoblauch would not say who would start Game 6 during a media availability early Sunday morning, before the team boarded its charter flight for Fort Lauderdale. 'It's not an easy decision,' Knoblauch said of who would be put in the net while facing elimination. 'We have two goalies that have shown they can play extremely well. We feel no matter who [we would] choose can win the game.' The bigger problem is that Edmonton has been collapsing early and its high-powered offence has turned into a popgun in the three losses. 'It would be nice to get some goal support,' Knoblauch said. 'It would be nice to have the lead and for our goalies to not be in a position where the pressure is on them and they have to make every single save to keep the game close or keep us ahead. 'We've had high-quality chances early. Capitalizing on them would be something good for us.' Neither of the team's superstars – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – spoke to journalists after Saturday's game or on Sunday morning. That certainly makes it seem like frustration is mounting. The Oilers took only two penalties in Game 5 but in previous outings have allowed the Panthers to have too many opportunities with a man advantage. 'We have to clean up that issue,' Knoblauch said. 'That has been a big story throughout the series.' There are things that need to be fixed for Edmonton to win. Time is running out.
