OverDrive - Lowe on the Oilers shooting for the top, Skinner under the microscope and using experience as leverage

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

Former Oilers General Manager, Head Coach and Stanley Cup Champion Kevin Lowe joined OverDrive to discuss the perspective of the Oilers' run in the playoffs, Stuart Skinner's inconsistency in net and playing through adversity, using the experience as leverage, Mikko Rantanen adding to the history book and more.

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Can you believe it fellas? Like shockingly, I think that was the beginning of wokeness, you know, when wokeness really began and we were the first thing on their agenda like take the City of Champions sign down but yeah you know messes got a commercial they I think they want to put it back up so okay and it's a great city great people yeah you can't take that down man who's that a fatty that's not gonna be a friend anybody unless there's some other city that wins a bunch I guess Boston maybe maybe Boston complained and then Edmonton had to adhere to that. I don't know but

It's a big one tonight Kevin and I'm curious like if you're in that room and you know Riley Smith scores with point four left and it's kind of a circus and somehow Vegas walks away with that win How do you regroup? How would you expect Edmonton to regroup for the game tonight? Well, they didn't play very well for starters, you know, which is sort of understandable. I hate to admit it, you've won six in a row, you're kind of cruising, you think you're a little invincible and they look that way and not for a minute am I suggesting that they underestimated the opponent, but it's just a natural instinct that sort of drop off a bit.

Yeah, you know the playoffs are all about having your back against the wall. So the good thing is they won two on the road, deserve the wins, they win tonight, they're in the driver's seat, but the sad part is they've given Vegas some life. So I think they believe they're the better team. I think they are the better team. They just have to limit the mistakes and uh... as uh... james suggesting just part of the jumping on the goalies gotta make one more save don't think he played poorly but

uh... he needs to get a win for them and uh... to get the fans of the sort of back on side and to get the team in a good position how do you explain that what's going on in that cabin i mean there's no it's just crazy that picker goes in there in the six and oh and this guy can't buy a win like does he need a break does he just need to steal one or is it just need to be a solid nhl goaltender to get out of this

yeah i could could question jeffie at the heat you know we his year wasn't as good i think he had to battle a lot uh... uh... he i didn't think he played poorly in the first two LA games, to be quite frank. I think LA was just, they were hot on their power play. They got a few fortunate bounces. The team wasn't as good, but all the critics see is an own three start and they see Pickard do what he was doing. Now, having said that, Pickard's been very good since the day he arrived here in Edmonton. I mean, I think his safe percentage is one of the best

in National Hockey League, so, but he hasn't had to carry the load. Skinner proved it last year. Stu proved that he could be a top goalie. He got the team rate to game seven and he's always been able to rebound. He just, you know, I thought the game for seven and he's always been able to rebound. I thought the game for him to rebound would have been the other night.

I'm hoping it's tonight. So Kevin, you played with Fierzi. I was lucky enough to play with Fierzi as well. The demeanor was obviously the talent and everything he brought to the table, but a lot of it for me was watching Grant and his demeanor in the net. Now Stu is a very calm guy, he looks to be very composed for, we'll call it a young goaltender. You know how noisy that market can be. All Canadian markets are.

We live in Toronto, it's a noisy market as well. How is the balance of blocking out the noise of the market and just going to play? Would he be anxious today because a lot of times as a player it's about getting to puck of blocking out the noise of the market and just going to play? Would he be anxious today because a lot of times as a player it's about getting to puck drop because there's so much noise leading up to it. That's the biggest challenge. Do you think that's a challenge for Stu right now? No, no question.

I mean he hears it. I would hope that he's not paying attention to that. The last thing I did was pick up a newspaper when we lost the game. You know what's going to be said, you know what's going to be written. If you believe in yourself, just go out and do it. I suspect his teammates have seen enough of him that he can do it. Think about that last game. They get to overtime, they maybe win the game, and it's all over. And the fans want to criticize Skinner for that goal.

Well, at one point, that was a one on four with 12 seconds left. And all of a sudden it ended up in our net. And I think he did a good enough job to sort of keep the guy out. But yeah, there's going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on them. The good thing is that our top guys didn't play well, so they're gonna be highly motivated. And the team as a whole, they don't wanna give away the great work they did in Vegas by getting up 2-0.

So they have to win the game tonight just to justify the good work they did. So all of those things are heading in the right direction now now you know he'll could stand on his head tonight the orders could play unbelievable you know skinner gives up two goals and and and these they don't win the game these own foreign things don't look good but uh... he proved it last year i believe it can prove again this year

which had a kevin low uh... you know part of the discussion in in toronto is you know comparing the discussion in Toronto is comparing the Leafs and their hunger compared to the Panthers and their hunger. The Panthers have won and maybe that means they're more satisfied or at least it's one of those things where they can always go home and there's, the ring's there and their names are on the cup where there's no excuse for the Leafs to ever be anything

but as hungry if not more hungry. I'm curious where you stand on that as a guy who's won six Stanley Cups. Like how did how would you how would you classify or quantify your appetite for winning after you had already won? It was every bit as great as as wanting to win. The only difference is you know how to win and you know how to sort of get through situations. I can't really speak for the Leafs. I would think that those guys want to win badly as well.

Lord knows they've had enough disappointment. I mean, they've been a great team for a bunch of time and they look like, you know getting up 2-0 on Florida it looked like I was sinking Leafs Oilers in the finals but but you got to play the games but relative to being fired up and wanting to win a cup the one thing I really one of the reasons why I have a strong belief that the Oilers can get there is that their two main guys really want to win. And they can bring it. They can bring the physicality when they need to and they can bring the skill when they need to.

And they can eliminate the mistakes when they have to. And so that bodes well for the orders chances. Well, and again, with your experience, you know, there's those famous stories that came out after the 83 Cup final where the Islanders got you and the Islanders that was their fourth cup and you know Gretzky always talks about walking past the room and they got ice bags and all that kind of stuff and that inspired you guys the next year. Do you do you see a similar mentality in terms of McDavid and Dry Settle in particular but not only them Hyman's still there, Newton Hopkins, Bouchard, Nurse, et cetera. They were so close a year ago. And this year, you know, the regular season, there were some ups and downs,

and they came into the playoffs not playing very well, and they lose the first two games against LA, and they were awful. But what have you seen recently that might suggest to you that, you know, they're starting to realize, okay, we're back in the dance, we went through what we went through last year, and we're not gonna allow it to happen again.

Yeah, that's a good point and you know shame on me to discount guys like you mentioned, you know, Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse and Nuge and you know I'm just trying to think of the roster right now but there's a lot of guys that they've been in the playoffs for a number of years. They got to game seven last year. They know they can do it, you know, having been so close last year. And you know, that goes a long way. It's a big difference when you get in the playoffs for the first few years and you don't really know. I mean, you think you're playing good, then all of a sudden you're out of the playoffs

and you go, well, maybe we're not as good as we thought. The Oilers, the team they've assembled that Stan Bowman put together when he finally got healthy with Kane back in the lineup and Trevor, Trent Frederick rather, they got the needed size up front that they hadn't had in previous years. And the other big point is the two puck moving guys on the back end, Klinberg and Wallman. I mean, when you can get the puck up the ice to the top players and you can get in there and lay the body when the skill isn't taking over the game, I mean, that's the one-two punch that

you need and those are big differences from the year before. And I think guys like McDavid and Dryside will know that. They know the pieces are there and it's on them to deliver. With Kevin Lowe, when you consider the heater that Miko Rantanen is currently on where it seems like it's three points every single night, if not more than that in a single period, you would have witnessed some real heaters like when you were in Edmonton. Some of the grossest heaters of all time. All time. What would that be like?

Take us into that world where you're watching a guy like Gretzky or Massier and you're just like, I can't believe these guys keep doing this every night in the playoffs. Yeah. You know, to be honest, we kind of became immune to it, right? We, you know, no one really... It was, for us, it was wins and losses I'm sure Gretz and Yari and Paul Coffey and those guys messed with it they were keeping track but but having said that I don't think they were I think it was

just all about wins and losses it just turned out that you know we played against some inferior competition particularly Chicago that one year where the scores were ridiculous, when Orval Tesse said they all had to go to the Mayo Clinic to get a heart transplant. Yeah, but the irony is with a little bit with with Rantanen is that I mean for a while there he looked like he'd lost his game. You know when he was in Carolina and then even when he first got to Dallas and then all of a sudden the shackles were off and it's great to see because obviously the guys

having fun and but I would say that Rantin would be the same as those guys. It really is about the wins and losses and trying to win a cup. So Kevin, the parity in the National Hockey League now, I mean anybody can win on any given night. Were there nights where you guys were playing and rolling where it's like, hey we're in Hartford, we know this is a scheduled win just based on who's on the ice of the other one. Was it in the room? Did you guys go, hey, this is going to be an easy one? Or you just felt like, hey, we're going

to flick the switch? Or did you prepare the same way? We always prepared the same way, Jamie. You're just maybe subliminally you're thinking, obviously it's not the Battle of Alberta or you're not going in the Montreal Forum or the Boston Garden or the Spectrum where you better have your A game or you get your head punched in. But we always respect our opponent. Regular season for sure, there would have been nights, especially for a guy like myself, who am I to go into another NHL team and think it's going to be an easy night? I had a hard night every night, but that's the way I prepared.

But I'm sure the top guys, they knew that some nights would be easier than others. But come playoff time, it was never easy. And we ran off years where in one year we only had two losses in the playoffs. But I mean, a lot of those games could have gone either way. Within the context of one 60-minute game, it was just never as easy as the series outcome appeared. I think there's even more balance in the National LAC League right now. I think really of all the sixteen teams that got in this year

i can't really on much we always a little bit green but for a while there looked like you're going to get washed in a run but otherwise is there's a lot of contenders and and uh... you know that's great for the game hockey kevin we just need to clarify one thing with you before we get you out of here we have jason strudwick on the show and on a weekly basis he claims that he gets recognized in public a bunch people

do you think it's possible that people would recognize him as a former n.h.l. player in the city of edmonton of all places do you think people go up to him or is he lying to us uh... studies a great man as you guys know. He was a great NHLer, like a really deserving NHLer. He gave everything he had. I think they probably recognize him for his wife because she is just a wonderful lady. I'm really happy to see that they've they've

Settled in Edmonton. He's got a great thing going on the radio and he's on with you guys and and he's worked at it And I'm happy for him I I enjoyed when he played for us and I still I see him quite often when I'm in Edmonton and yeah There's a guy that deserves what's ever you ever any of the accolades and I'm sure he does get recognized here, Jeff. You know, Edmonton loves their hockey players. Oh yeah, sure man. Whenever, like that's Mr. Spangler Cup, Jason Strudel.

Hey, you know he's got a defenseman camp too. If you ever want to learn how to rip it off the glass, just sign up. Get your kids, whatever whatever involved in his camp that's right the best of the best uh all right kevin good luck watching the game tonight it should be a fun one thank you for doing this hey anytime guys thanks there he is kevin low introducing brian adams radio on iheart radio Brian Adams Radio, on iHeartRadio. Hosted by Brian Adams himself. Join me for an insider look on a wild ride through 40 years of global rock and roll.

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