Latest news with #Vanecek
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
With Taylor Swift in house for Panthers-Oilers, Stuart Skinner can't 'Shake it off'
SUNRISE ― Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner was the subject of pregame mind games from Florida Panthers backup goalie Vitek Vanecek. And it appears to have worked. Just like he did before a Game 3 steamrolling by the Panthers, Vanecek lined up directly opposite Skinner before Game 4, looking him directly in the eyes. Advertisement It occurred at a red line, in pregame warmups, and it was all a bit awkward and uncomfortable. Vanecek is from the Czech Republic. Skinner is from Edmonton – ouch. We don't know whether Vanecek delivered any intimidating messages in Czech. Goaltenders have very specific routines. Just ask Florida star Sergei Bobrovsky. Taylor Swift in attendance as Stuart Skinner yanked by Oilers And it seemed pretty clear that Vanecek wanted to annoy Skinner by getting all up in his space. "I've never seen that before," Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky said on TNT. "Trying to get in his head and they haven't even finished warmup." It worked in Game 3, as Skinner was yanked after allowing five goals. Advertisement In Game 4, Skinner was benched again after allowed three first-period goals. It was 3-0 Panthers after Period 1. The Panthers have "Big Game Bob" and the Oilers don't. Florida Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky gives edge vs. Oilers Pop superstar Taylor Swift was in the house and it was quite clear that despite that, Skinner was unable to "Shake it off." Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift and Wayne Gretzky, from left, sit together during the second period as the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers play in Game Four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 12, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. Before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, then-backup goalie Anthony Stolarz pulled off the exact same shenanigans, lining up in Skinner's space. It may have helped, as Florida won the game, and the Stanley Cup, of course. In pregame of Game 4, Oilers backup goalie Calvin Pickard skated over to Skinner while he was being harassed by Vanecek. It appeared he may have been telling Skinner to pay Vanecek no mind. Advertisement Didn't work. By the time the second period had begun, Pickard had replaced Skinner. Florida Panthers game score Stanley Cup Final: Darnell Nurse scores to put Edmonton down by one Stanley Cup: Florida Panthers ignoring whining Edmonton Oilers before Game 4 | D'Angelo Gary Bettman calls notion Panthers have advantage because of Florida tax situation 'ridiculous' Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@ and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Edmonton Oilers' goalie yanked after pregame mind games from Panthers goalie works
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Florida's third and fourth lines are grinding down Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Final
Brad Marchand joked that when he was traded to the Florida Panthers from the Boston Bruins, he looked at the lineup and wondered if he would be playing on the fourth line again. 'Back to my roots,' Marchand said. Sorry, Brad. There was no room there. But coach Paul Maurice figured the third line alongside young Finns Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen was the perfect place for Marchand, and it has worked out swimmingly. The Marchand-Lundell-Luostarinen trio is responsible for six goals in the Stanley Cup Final, and the gritty fourth line of A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich has been a big part of wearing down the Edmonton Oilers to take a 3-2 lead in the series going into Game 6. 'We're not here without them,' Maurice said. 'Both of those lines have a strong identity, and they shape the identity of our team.' All three of Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich were healthy scratches for the opening two games of the second round against Toronto. Florida lost those games, Maurice brought them back and the Panthers won that series in seven and rolled over Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. In the Cup final, the third and fourth lines have not only helped at even strength but against Edmonton's potent power play, holding it to four goals on 23 opportunities, a 17.4% conversion rate. That, combined with tilting the ice on the Oilers, has been a recipe for success, especially after Greer returned from injury in time for Game 3. 'The Lundell line is producing offense, Marchand's producing offense, these guys have good numbers but they're all penalty killers,' Marchand said. 'That's what makes them special because there's no cheat in their game.' More travel There was only one day between Games 4 and 5 going from Sunrise to Edmonton. There is an extra travel gap to return to Florida, but it's still a five-plus hour flight for each team. 'It's part of the NHL schedule: a lot of travel,' Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. 'There's a lot of science behind it of the importance of sleep, nutrition, all that recovery, exercises that go into it just so that the players are feeling at their best or as close to their best as they can.' Vanecek's recognition Sergei Bobrovsky has been the Panthers' starting goaltender this entire playoff run. Backup Vitek Vanecek only got some attention after cameras caught him and the Oilers' Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in a stare down during warmups prior to Game 4. 'I was just doing my routine,' Vanecek said. In Game 5, Vanecek watched from his usual seat at the end of the bench as Bobrovsky made 19 saves to push Florida to the verge of another championship. Afterward, Gadjovich — who got the game puck for fighting in Game 3 — handed it to Vanecek. 'There's a great recognition (and) care in the room for all the hard work that goes on,' Maurice said. 'Some of those guys don't get to be on the ice for a celebration after a win, but they're critical to the group, to the personality of the group and the closeness of it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Florida's third and fourth lines are grinding down Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Final
Brad Marchand joked that when he was traded to the Florida Panthers from the Boston Bruins, he looked at the lineup and wondered if he would be playing on the fourth line again. 'Back to my roots,' Marchand said. Sorry, Brad. There was no room there. But coach Paul Maurice figured the third line alongside young Finns Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen was the perfect place for Marchand, and it has worked out swimmingly. The Marchand-Lundell-Luostarinen trio is responsible for six goals in the Stanley Cup Final, and the gritty fourth line of A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich has been a big part of wearing down the Edmonton Oilers to take a 3-2 lead in the series going into Game 6 on Tuesday night. 'We're not here without them,' Maurice said Sunday. 'Both of those lines have a strong identity, and they shape the identity of our team.' All three of Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich were healthy scratches for the opening two games of the second round against Toronto. Florida lost those games, Maurice brought them back and the Panthers won that series in seven and rolled over Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. In the Cup final, the third and fourth lines have not only helped at even strength but against Edmonton's potent power play, holding it to four goals on 23 opportunities, a 17.4% conversion rate. That, combined with tilting the ice on the Oilers, has been a recipe for success, especially after Greer returned from injury in time for Game 3. 'The Lundell line is producing offense, Marchand's producing offense, these guys have good numbers but they're all penalty killers,' Marchand said. 'That's what makes them special because there's no cheat in their game.' More travel There was only one day between Games 4 and 5 going from Sunrise to Edmonton. There is an extra travel gap to return to Florida, but it's still a five-plus hour flight for each team Sunday. 'It's part of the NHL schedule: a lot of travel,' Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "There's a lot of science behind it of the importance of sleep, nutrition, all that recovery, exercises that go into it just so that the players are feeling at their best or as close to their best as they can.' Vanecek's recognition Sergei Bobrovsky has been the Panthers' starting goaltender this entire playoff run. Backup Vitek Vanecek only got some attention after cameras caught him and the Oilers' Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in a stare down during warmups prior to Game 4. 'I was just doing my routine,' Vanecek said. In Game 5, Vanecek watched from his usual seat at the end of the bench as Bobrovsky made 19 saves to push Florida to the verge of another championship. Afterward, Gadjovich — who got the game puck for fighting in Game 3 — handed it to Vanecek. 'There's a great recognition (and) care in the room for all the hard work that goes on,' Maurice said. 'Some of those guys don't get to be on the ice for a celebration after a win, but they're critical to the group, to the personality of the group and the closeness of it.'
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Florida's third and fourth lines are grinding down Edmonton in the Stanley Cup Final
Associated Press Brad Marchand joked that when he was traded to the Florida Panthers from the Boston Bruins, he looked at the lineup and wondered if he would be playing on the fourth line again. 'Back to my roots,' Marchand said. Sorry, Brad. There was no room there. But coach Paul Maurice figured the third line alongside young Finns Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen was the perfect place for Marchand, and it has worked out swimmingly. The Marchand-Lundell-Luostarinen trio is responsible for six goals in the Stanley Cup Final, and the gritty fourth line of A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich has been a big part of wearing down the Edmonton Oilers to take a 3-2 lead in the series going into Game 6 on Tuesday night. 'We're not here without them,' Maurice said Sunday. 'Both of those lines have a strong identity, and they shape the identity of our team.' All three of Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich were healthy scratches for the opening two games of the second round against Toronto. Florida lost those games, Maurice brought them back and the Panthers won that series in seven and rolled over Carolina in the Eastern Conference final. In the Cup final, the third and fourth lines have not only helped at even strength but against Edmonton's potent power play, holding it to four goals on 23 opportunities, a 17.4% conversion rate. That, combined with tilting the ice on the Oilers, has been a recipe for success, especially after Greer returned from injury in time for Game 3. 'The Lundell line is producing offense, Marchand's producing offense, these guys have good numbers but they're all penalty killers,' Marchand said. 'That's what makes them special because there's no cheat in their game.' More travel There was only one day between Games 4 and 5 going from Sunrise to Edmonton. There is an extra travel gap to return to Florida, but it's still a five-plus hour flight for each team Sunday. 'It's part of the NHL schedule: a lot of travel,' Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "There's a lot of science behind it of the importance of sleep, nutrition, all that recovery, exercises that go into it just so that the players are feeling at their best or as close to their best as they can.' Vanecek's recognition Sergei Bobrovsky has been the Panthers' starting goaltender this entire playoff run. Backup Vitek Vanecek only got some attention after cameras caught him and the Oilers' Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in a stare down during warmups prior to Game 4. 'I was just doing my routine,' Vanecek said. In Game 5, Vanecek watched from his usual seat at the end of the bench as Bobrovsky made 19 saves to push Florida to the verge of another championship. Afterward, Gadjovich — who got the game puck for fighting in Game 3 — handed it to Vanecek. 'There's a great recognition (and) care in the room for all the hard work that goes on,' Maurice said. 'Some of those guys don't get to be on the ice for a celebration after a win, but they're critical to the group, to the personality of the group and the closeness of it.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and recommended
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
What was up with the goalie stare down before Game 4? Panthers' Vanecek, Oilers' Pickard explain
It's not every day goaltender warmup routines become a story. But it certainly became one in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. As the teams took the ice pregame at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday, Florida Panthers backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek locked eyes with Edmonton Oilers starter Stuart Skinner at the red line between the team's benches. Eventually, Edmonton's Calvin Pickard got in on the fun as well, making it a two-on-one stare down before they ultimately went their separate ways. So ... what exactly happened? 'I was just doing my routine,' Vanecek said, 'and then [Pickard] said 'if I want to go stretch with him.' I said 'no, I'm good, I like this side.'' Has this always been Vanecek's routine? 'It's a new one,' he said. 'For this series.' Pickard, who entered in relief for Skinner following the first period on Thursday, confirmed that's how things unfolded. 'It's nothing,' Pickard said. 'I just went over there asking, because he's just, I don't know, I think he's trying to get into [Skinner's] head. But it really wasn't anything. Obviously, the cameras, you can't hide out there. You guys are making it be a bit of a story, but I was just asking if he wanted to stretch next to me. He said, 'No.' I said, 'That's OK.'' Vanecek was able to appreciate how Pickard handled himself after being thrust into Game 4. Florida built a 3-0 lead against Skinner in the first period before Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch made the change. Pickard then went on to stop 22 of 23 shots he faced as Edmonton rallied to win 5-4 in overtime. 'It's always tough. He's an old guy, a lot of experience, and then he come into the game. He played great. I think that's something special for him.' Pickard will be back in net for Edmonton for Game 5 on Saturday at Edmonton's Rogers Place, with the best-of-7 series tied 2-2. Will another stare down ensue? 'I don't have much routine there,' Pickard said. 'I'll be probably facing our end.'
