OverDrive - Nielson on the Oilers advancing to the cup final, McDavid and Draisaitl's mentality and the redemption against Florida

Episode Date: May 30, 2025

President of Edmonton Sports Talk Dustin Nielson joined OverDrive to discuss the Oilers advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, the journey for the team looking for the cup, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's mentality, Stuart Skinner becoming a big factor, the redemption against the Panthers and more.

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first time since right before Grey Cup. So it's time to get her mopped up. I got to be a fancy TV boy for CFL next week, so I got to clean myself up a bit. You do. So I know it's extremely hot in Edmonton right now. What is it, like 35 degrees every day, but I mean, just like I'm sitting in a black, I'm sitting in a black pickup truck right now. So it's like 45 degrees where I am right now.

I can't even imagine just a level of excitement for this upcoming series after everything we've seen from the Oilers here since the first two games against LA. I mean, this team has been dominant. They throttled Dallas in that series. I mean, how are Oilers fans feeling at the moment Dusty? They're pumped. I mean they shouldn't be. You're right like they killed Dallas. They've won four games in a row by three goals or more and it was a little, it was closer than that but that's how it ended right? Four straight games with three goals or more after falling apart in game one

where it would have been maybe just a sweep and And you mentioned it, the first two games against LA were awful. They didn't look like a team that was going to get back to the Stanley Cup final. But since then, the only two games they lost was the one against Vegas when Dry Settle put that puck into his own net. And then that penalty kill collapsed at the beginning of game one. So they just, they defend so much better than they have over the last few years. And you know, I think there's a, there's a belief in town that Connor McDavid will refuse So they defend so much better than they have over the last few years. I think there's a belief in town that Connor McDavid will refuse to lose in a Stanley Cup

final this time around. So they're excited. Florida is obviously a different animal than I think anybody would be facing the West, but good reason to be excited here right now. So Dusty, you talked about the start against the LA Kings. You and I talk a lot, especially down the stretch. It didn't look good. I mean, there was injuries.

Stuart Skinner was injured. McDavid was injured. Dry-Sidle. I mean, there was all different question marks. Frederick, even John Klingberg, I think was wearing a ball cap for the most of it. How did this all come together? And was it almost like game three,

there's a TSN turning point, or, you know, if you have to go back, could you point to one thing that goes, okay, that changed the fortunes of either their season or their playoffs here? Yeah, I mean, you're right, Noodle, it's like we talk every week, and down the stretch, the whole question was, well, can you just flip this? Can you just flip a switch?

Can you just flip a switch? And it didn't seem like it'd be reasonable even a good team to flip a switch. But you know, game one against the Kings happens. And then in game two, they get Kane, they get Frederick and then Klingberg. We didn't even talk about Klingberg as a possibility to really play in the playoffs,

let alone factor in as much as he's had. You know, I think what you have to look at, we still talk about the Jim Hiller coaching challenge in that King series. And then the fact, I mean, if Byfield just clears a puck past Bouchard, they would have been down three nothing in that series. So, you know, kind of got fortunate there in game three against the Kings. But since that moment, they haven't looked back and Dallas, Dallas just isn't built to beat the others. I was more worried about Vegas than I was about Dallas. And the others have just owned Dallas for a couple of years now.

So, you know, they managed to get some bodies healthy. It's weird going into the playoffs. They can game two of the playoffs, putting together a lineup that had not been together all year. Like that's risky. But it's worked out very well and Knoblock's got a good feel for the group. He is Dustin Nielsen, Edmontonsportstalk.com, The Nielsen Show. And you mentioned Knoblock.

That's where I wanted to go next because seemingly the man could do no wrong at the moment. Hyman gets hurt. Like, all right, why don't we just move Corey Perry up to PP1? Oh, well, we need a spot in the lineup. Jeff Skinner, come on down. Both those guys score last night. Matthias Janmark scores for the Oilers. You see a Vander Kane scoring. The dagger late in the third period. I mean, Chris Naubach deserves a lot of credit for what's going on with the Oilers, no? Yeah. Edmonton Sports Talk exists to talk about line combinations and like criticize coaches.

But after he brought in Kaepernick and I remember when he was putting Kaepernick in the lineup, I was like, wait, Kaepernick really? Like this is the move and Kaepernick has been great. In fact, Kaepernick had the most goals by a Finnish player in this last series. And think about the Finns that were on Dallas. It's ridiculous. But Kaepernick managed to do it. So the moment that the Kaepernick thing worked out, I just said on my show, like, I mean, I got opinions,

but I will not criticize Knobloch for any decision he makes with the lineup because it's been masterful. It's been a masterful performance. I mean, even, I mean, the Skinner thing's wild because we didn't think he'd even play another game. And then when when they lost Hyman, I think a lot of us thought they might go 11 and seven before even putting skinner in and then he puts skinner in and he scores like eight minutes into a huge game. So whatever he does works. It's it's it's almost beyond criticism at this point I think most of us would look like idiots if we call out any of his moves because he's And even he admitted to it we were talking about this the other day Like he talked about it starting the playoffs that they tried a lot of different line combinations through the regular season

And he actually said he goes probably even more than we should have like we probably move things around too much And now they've sort of locked it in and everybody's contributing and I mean that's what you're going to need if you're actually going to finish this job Dustin the Leafs could probably say a similar thing to Jim Hiller in LA they could have had the Panthers down three zip in their series against the Panthers had two nothing lead in that game at a three one lead that game couldn hold on. And the talk around Toronto has been about the DNA of the group. And Brad Shreving, the GM, was trying to put his finger on yesterday what this group needs in terms of playing well in the critical moments. What do you observe about this McDavid Dry Cytol-led team?

Can you kind of get inside that a little bit? And what is the quality that those guys bring? Is it them dragging their teammates along? Is it them injecting their teammates with inspiration and making guys better? How do you see that? You know what? I think with what this team's been through over the last few years and for the most part being together, I'm not going to take away anything from the leadership of McDavid and dry so but I think The core of this team has been together like they've all been through it

I think if we had to put a figure on what those guys have done best for this team and that you know a DNA or a culture perspective is They've remained extremely calm through the ups and downs over the last two years like McDavid and dry subtle There is no panic in those guys after any of these four losses so far in the playoffs. You know, they get sick and tired of talking about defense. They get sick and tired of this and that. But those two guys are on a mission right now.

Like it is all business after last night's game. It was all business. McDavid was angry. Like he came across as angry after they knocked off the Golden Knights in five. You're just like, man, it's okay to smile a little bit. But I think we saw the disappointment last year and Connor McDavid just seems like he's a man on a mission right now. And I think that's an easy guy to buy into.

And when he is calm and when he is leading the way, he's been one of the best defensive forward so far in the playoffs, I think. So when he's doing little things, I just don't know how anybody else in that team can't be like, I'll do what you're doing because if you're doing it, I think we'll probably win. Looking ahead to Wednesday night when game one goes down from Edmonton,

Oilers taking on the Florida Panthers in a rematch of last year, I think this is a really unique situation in that. I think you could make a pretty compelling case that both teams are actually better this year than they were last year. Florida adding Marchand and Seth Jones and Edmonton just looks like a team that's possessed. How would you handicap this one? FanDuel has it as a central pick them.

How do you pick a winner between these two right now? I mean, I can't. I said it this morning like I can't I think this is gonna be a phenomenal series like it might come down To a bounce here there a bad goal here there. We had somebody this morning on our show It's a dusty, you know what? I'm most excited for the black arts of Perry and Marshawn in a series going head-to-head I thought you know what that's's going to be highly entertaining. I simplified it probably too much on our show this morning. But I mean, to me, if you had to put everything together and find one X factor, come back

around to 97. And I just, I mean, it's the whole Gretzky loss and then one Crosby loss and then one. I just don't see Connor McDavid losing a series this year. I just, I mean, and that's an okay guy to back in this situation. Florida is an unreal team. I mean, Florida, I did look at their lineup today

and what they've done so far. I know people don't like to hear it in this market, but there's no shame in losing to the Florida Panthers and there's no shame in losing to the Oilers if it's the Panthers on the other side. Like this is gonna be a hell of a series, but I think if I have to side one way it would be with Connor McDavid not losing two Stanley Cup finals in a row. Yeah, it makes sense, but you look at it too.

I could simplify it and say it's just really going to come down to the goaltenders. And I don't know if you talked about it, Dusty, but Darcy Kemper had a Vezna type of season. He allowed five goals once all season long, and the Eulers did it like three games in a row against him. Aiden Hill was a Stanley Cup champion, is their number one, and Vegas is a rock solid team. They got to Hill. Now they got to Ottinger. That's the biggest thing that that's the X factor for me. If Stuart Skinner, he doesn't have to steal the series, but he can't cost them that.

And I looked at, you know, that's where the Oilers, they've been so good at getting to top tier goaltenders and Bobrowski might be at the top of the mountain right now. And that's the biggest challenge for them. Yeah, I think you're probably right. I mean that's second line of Bennett and Kachuk and Verhegg is kind of insane too. That's going to be a tough line to deal with. But yeah, I think today we were kind of going over some numbers live on our noon hour show and I actually technically until this morning did not realize the Emmetton Oilers are averaging four goals per game in the playoffs.

Like they are averaging 4.08 goals per game in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which now Florida is at 3.88. So both of these teams can score in bunches. Bobrovsky, you know, if it wasn't for Bobrovsky early in that series last year, the Oilers, the Oilers probably win the Stanley Cup. Bobrovsky was outstanding and they kept at him and kept at him and eventually got to him and the joke in town here is if you can get if you can get to a game four with Stuart Skinner between the pipes then it's it's shutdown time because he's the greatest game four goalie statistically in the history of the league which doesn't make any sense but it is. He's been amazing from games four to seven.

He really has. So, you know, we were talking about it on the show and like, depending on who you talk to in town, some people want to try to say it's a wash, but Bobrovsky is Bobrovsky, man. And I think you have to respect them until you can get to them. The others are three for three and rattling goaltenders. So we'll see if they can do it to Bobrovskyowski but he's just a different beast. Can't wait next Wednesday night in Edmonton you guys will be covering it on Edmonton sports talk a ton probably not a lot of Elks talk these days Dusty I imagine ahead of

the preseason game tonight yeah I felt bad I mean we're pretty good partners with the Elks but I guess we couldn't find time for a preseason game this morning. Great board Cody, it was tough. Great board, Cody Fijardo. What a quarterback do you have out there in Edmonton? Thanks for doing this, buddy. Enjoy the haircut. Yeah, yeah, you know what?

I will. It's been a long time. I look forward to it. See you later, boys. All right. That's Dustin Nielsen from Edmonton Sports Talk. Hey, this is Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast Encore. This week, a song so good, you feel like you could kick a door down.

The story behind Shania Twain's Man, I Feel Like a Woman. I was always such a huge fan of rock and pop and anything other than country. Find out more with Encore, the stories behind the songs you love, and the unbelievable story of Shania Twain's Man, I Feel Like a Woman.

Listen to Encore on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts for that and more stories behind the songs you love.