OverDrive - Boucher on the Panthers' winning style of play, McDavid and Draisaitl at the forefront and Skinner's role in the crease

Episode Date: June 11, 2025

NHL on TNT Analyst Brian Boucher joined OverDrive to discuss the Stanley Cup Final impressions, the Panthers getting the upper hand in the series, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl bound for a big performance, Stuart Skinner's role and if he should start in the net, Sergei Bobrovsky continuing his consistency in the crease and more.

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Here's Brian Boucher. Give us a weather update. What's it like down there, Brian? Oh, unbelievable. 89 degrees, no thunderstorms. The pool is, it's been fantastic all day. Shade is just taking over. But a remarkable

two days off here in here in for lauderdale so would you splash some water on your face or would you ask jake walman to do that for you uh... we've been seeing about that boosier or is that just a test to use it between the bed and to work and i i'm embarrassed by truthfully i I thought I was being a bit of a baby there.

Like the one squared I got, then he did it like two and three times. And I don't know why I reacted. I reacted like a dad almost like I was banging on the glass, like telling my kid to cut it out, you know, and immediately right after I had complete remorse, I was like, Oh man, what did I just do? And I you know, you guys know how it is like it's their game It's there it's not about I shouldn't even be you shouldn't even know that I'm there and I was I truthfully I was embarrassed that I that I did that but he came over and apologized at the start of the third period He was totally cool about he's like he's like I'm totally sorry because I was mad because you know They took my glove and stuff. I said, I'm sorry too. So it's all good. He was a he was a big cool about it. He's like, I'm totally sorry because I was mad because you know, they took my glove and stuff. I said I'm sorry too. So it's all good. He was a big boy

about it, but I wish I could have gone back and played that differently. Boosh, from what you saw at ice level, that 6-1 kind of thrashing there, the Panthers put on the Oilers. How far of a distance did the Oilers have to travel to kind of take the next game? Because that was a beat down and people are talking about the ice being tilted the series being tilted Like how far do these guys have to go to kind of make a statement and take game four? It feels it feels like a long way truthfully Just the way it the way it went down you know you understand third period it's garbage time you're taking you know you try and get your licks in

I get all that but you know aside from that like I haven't seen like Nugent Hopkins to me I haven't seen him in this series so far and he's playing hurt he doesn't look right it's you know they took him off the power play there in game three the depth that play there in game three. The depth that was there in game one that I was so impressed with, like Kaepernick and Pod Coles and Arvidsson, not as noticeable, probably partway through game two,

now into game three, and it feels like that gap is widening. It feels like Florida's, that annoyance and that ability to get underneath your skin and get you off your game, and it feels like Florida's you know that that annoyance and that ability to get underneath your skin and get you off your Game and it feels like it's growing You know at least that ice level that's what I feel like and maybe the two days off is perfect for Edmonton and they can kind of they can kind of regroup reset But you know unless some other guys get going I going, I mean, it's gonna take huge games from 97 and 29 to get this thing back to even.

And I gotta stay out of the box. I mean, you can't take the penalties you took in the first period. I understand the penalties were even, kinda, but the reality is, what if Edmonton has three to one power plays in the first period and they score and they get those guys going? They took penalties that I thought were careless penalties, and I thought it took them out of the flow of the game and they get those guys going. They took penalties that I thought were careless penalties and I thought it took them out of the flow of the game and they never could catch up. With Brian Boucher the NHL on TNT game four kept final tomorrow and you know Hyman's not walking through that door like you said Nugent Hopkins clearly is not at a hundred percent and

and for me and I think for all of us like our focus goes to McDavid and Dry Settle because they weren't very good the other night either and everything was out of rhythm for the Oilers But you know, how much can you expect out of them individually tomorrow night? And if you're Paul Maurice and the Panthers You know, it's impossible to completely neutralize them if they're on their game But Florida does a really good job of finding a way to poke away at superstars What do you think that's gonna look look like for McDavid and dry subtle tomorrow night? What do you, what would you expect them to be, you know, facing in terms of how Florida is going to attack them tomorrow night?

I think we're going to see more of what we saw in game three, where they just very little space dry subtle had very little space aside from McDavid's first shift to game three. I, you know, it looked like a frustrating night for him. McDavid's gotten hit twice in this series. He got hit in game two in the middle of the ice. He got hit by Ekblad last game. It just feels like those guys are trying, but there's just not enough behind them the

way Florida has that depth and the way that they've got such responsible players on Florida that can do it at both ends of the ice. It's committee that they can put out there. It can be Barkov, it can be Lundell, it can be Bennett, and it doesn't have to just be Forsling and Ekbladik. So they've got so many different people that can shoulder the load of trying to shut those guys down. And unless Edmonton can find some depth contributions,

I mean it just feels like, I know it's exciting to watch 97 and 29 together but it feels like they've gotta do it separately and they need more from other people in order for those guys to be effective. And yeah, you can put them together at certain times and obviously on the power play but if you go too early,

I just feel like it's a, I think's a death trap for for the Oilers and I think you know somehow they got to get some other guys to help them out. Bush the last time I checked none of us four are filing any stories this evening if I could that's correct I don't think any of us are reporters we don't care what players talk players don't talk what did you make of the Oilers kind of not having the guys out there to talk today? Is that like no big deal? That's their choice or what do you make of it? I don't have a problem with it. I think in playoff time you've got to find a way to keep the guys fresh.

I think if you can, you know, with the two days off, it's kind of weird too. It's not like it's a typical, it's not like it's a typical off day. You know, you've had a couple of, you know, yesterday was the day. So I don't have a problem with it. I mean, it's just odd that you have two to two off days

in one city without travel. So I can understand it. These guys have got to get, they've got to reset. They've got to find a way to find some energy And they got to win one game if they can find a way to do that However, you need to do it get this thing to two two and it's the best of three and you got home ice Maybe you know them keeping them away from everybody's is a good thing Bush what do you make of the goalies? I mean Stuart Skinner didn't have a game obviously

But you know Bob Bobrowski, what do you make of his game, your ice level? And I thought he was really good early on last game and then didn't really have to contribute after that. But overall, you know, what do you make of that matchup and how it's unfolded? Yeah, it's unfolding probably the way I think, you know, everybody would expect right Bob is a guy that's at the height of his game His focus is impeccable his preparation He stays out of all the all the nonsense. He doesn't get caught up in a lot of you know extracurricular and He's doing what I think we all expect him to do Skinner

Unfortunately, this was the big question mark coming in, you know, what we what Skinner were we going to get? And game one was encouraging. Game two, I thought that, you know, there was, there was signs that there was some cracks and I think in game three, we saw what we saw early on in the playoffs. And then to me, that's, that's troublesome. I mean, just the idea that some people are talking about boy. They should go to Pickard for game four. I Don't know what you think noodles, but I mean like I mean you go to you go to Pickard

I mean it's over in my opinion. I think I give I give Skinner one more shot here like I Let's see what he can do here in game four. I mean, I know he's got like great game four numbers. I don't know what the heck that means, but maybe it means something and win one game. But if he doesn't and you're down three one and you want to get desperate and go to Pickard and have the guys fight for the backup, I get it. But I think turning to Pickard right now

would be a panic move and I think unnecessary. I think, yeah, Skinner wasn't, I don't blame it on him. He, you know, would he love to get a couple of saves, like maybe fight off Verhage's great shot or find a way to, you know, fight off Reinhardt's, maybe get a big save on the Bennett breakaway. It didn't happen. I'm not blaming it on him, but certainly he's been outplayed by Bobrovsky so far. Yeah, I agree. I think it's just, you know, the biggest thing for me is, is I thought

it was pretty even the first couple games last game. He got exposed, but so did the rest of his team. So if it was that his team played well and he was no good, then like game one, I believe it was game one or game two against LA, where McDay, what was the big comeback where McDay was? Game one where they stormed back. Yeah. Like that, that to me should have been a one game by by the oilers to storm back and i didn't think skinner was good i thought their whole team stunk last game so i think you come back with skinner saying everybody gets an opportunity for retribution and if they lose then yes then you start throwing changes into

the into the mix to try and uh to try and get back into the series. Well, again- I'm with you on that. Yeah, I think he's undefeated in game fours, like you said, Brian. I don't know if it's worth anything, but it can't be a bad thing necessarily that he shows up well in game fours.

And it does feel like that's just always an underlying story. We're talking, and when they win, Skinner is not a big part of the chat. When they lose, he is a big part of the chat. Yet the combo of Skinner and Pickard, they've been to back-to-back cup finals. And I'm curious, you experienced that in your time. You've got Bob on the other side who is just this invincible figure that can't be stopped and can't be beaten.

You know he's playing every single night. On the other side, the two guys have jockeyed back and forth for a couple of years, but that's the nature of the NHL with 32 teams. There aren't that many superstar stud goalies, so patchwork is almost necessary for a lot of teams. It's going to take a big effort from their group, everybody, right? I mean, they've got two of the best players,

and they have the best player, and then maybe arguably the next best player, but it's gonna take a group effort in order to help out the back end, in order to help out the goaltender, so that they can give themselves a chance. I think, stay out of the box. I mean, if you can, like,

I understand you wanna play in your face, like, I understand you want to play in your face, like, you can't be taking stick penalties. Keep your stick down. You can't be, you know, those are just, they're bad, they're momentum killers, especially a team like Edmonton that I think they feast off of getting going and getting on the power play and they get buzzing.

If they can do that, allows Skinner to kind of settle in. I still felt like it was a game though like it's funny like in the second period they were right there I just I could sense they were getting they were getting frustrated in the second period obviously they took that late penalty at the end of the second period but and I know it was garbage time in the third but they were right there even if you know they were as bad as like they were man if they just get a power play or two and you you pop one in and there's life but it didn't happen they've they got to

find a way to reset and hope that their goaltender isn't isn't the story the way it's been in the series who do you have as the cons my favorite on the Florida side of things thanks uh... better the made that's got to be better now uh... this one with how many road goal how many road goals of the other the other

as well for whatever i have spent only guy that can catch him is marsh and march and has to have tricks or something crazy here possibly but that's what it'll take for him to dethrone him because it's been it all day long. Yeah, I mean 12 goals on the road, that's remarkable. And just, you can't even quantify, it's not a statistic that you can put, but like that shift, smokes two guys

and then scores on a breakaway, you kidding me? It's like magic. Yeah, it's an incredible story and it speaks to the depth of Florida that the Leaders in the clubhouse through three games are the second line center and the third line left winger Like that's who we're talking about as the cons might blocks Like that that's true depth You have kind of good players up and down your lineup. You have guys on your second line and your third line that could win a Con Smythe.

That's true depth. That's exactly what it is. Alright, Brian. Great stuff, man. Stay cool down there. Get back in that pool and thanks for doing this. We appreciate it. I'm heading right back in the pool right now.

Thanks, guys. There he is, Brian Boucher, the NHL on TNT. The biggest songs in the world. You've heard them countless times. Now learn the details of how they came to be. Join Ruby Carr for Encore, the stories behind the songs you love. New interviews and newly unearthed archive footage make for a fascinating weekly deep dive.

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