SUNRISE, Fla. -- On the eve of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, both teams and fan bases are ready for the puck to finally drop after a long wait.
For the last week, we’ve heard a lot about what the Panthers had to say about the Oilers.
But during Media Day on Friday at Amerant Bank Arena, we finally got to hear from the other side.
What are the Oilers expecting against the back-to-back Eastern Conference champions?
Continue below to find out!
“I’d expect the same guy (as in Calgary). He’s a great player. Smart, effective, he understands the gamesmanship side of the game and he’s good at it.” – Oilers forward Connor McDavid on Matthew Tkachuk
“They’re an aggressive team. They defend well. They obviously have a really good goalie.” – Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl on the defensive game of the Panthers
“They’re a great hockey team and we’re going to have to be at our best at all times to beat this team. You only play them twice and we haven’t seen them in six months. It’s going to be a challenge.” – Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the Panthers
“He’s a skilled player. He gets pucks to the net. He can fight and grind in the corners. He’s obviously a leader on their team. He’s a special player to watch. He’s a great player, a player that I’d say everybody in here respects. I think we respect everybody on that team, obviously an incredible team.” – Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner on Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers
“He’s a presence out there. He makes things happen when he’s on the ice. He likes possession with the puck and if he doesn’t have the puck, he’s elite at getting it back. You need to be sure to manage the puck well when you’re on the ice with him and you need to limit time and space. You play him like you play a lot of other superstars around the league, you don’t stray too far away from him.” – Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak on Aleksander Barkov
“They’re a deep, skilled team that plays fast, and so do we. It’s going to be some fun hockey. I’ve played against a lot of these guys for a long time, dating back to Junior. It’ll be a fun series. They’re a good team, you can’t knock them. There are very little holes in their team and in their game.” – Oilers forward Connor Brown on Florida’s depth
“He’s a great two-way player. He’s very good offensively, but I don’t think he gets enough credit for his defensive game. I think that’s come a long way over the years and it’s a big part of his game. Overall, just a really great player.” – Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci on Aleksander Barkov
“They’ve got a lot of good players. Whether it’s the defense, forwards, a lot of good players throughout their lineup, especially led by (Aleksander) Barkov. He’s one of the best two-way centerman in the league. They’re aggressive, but they don’t get caught out of position very often.” – Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch on the Panthers
To see what the Panthers had to say on Media Day, check out our live blog by clicking HERE.
