Quickest Route to Lord Stanley’s Cup? Take the North-South Highway
The Florida Panthers are putting on a clinic on how to win a Stanley Cup. (Never mind that I picked Edmonton to win.)
Ergo, steamroller the opposition.
Bobby Clarke once described the Flyers’ style thusly. “We take the shortest route to the puck and arrive in ill humor.”
While not quite as snarly as those Broad Street Bullies squads of yore, Clarke’s quote pretty much describes the Panthers’ style under coach Paul Maurice to a tee.
Fast. Aggressive. Forceful and direct.
Mega-talented as they are, the Oilers are struggling to breach the red line against the swarming Cats, let alone mount any type of sustained attack. On the rare occasions they were able to do so during last night’s 4-3 Game 3 loss, they spent way too much time on the perimeter.
Pretty may dominate the regular season and get you to the playoffs. Pretty doesn’t win once you’re there.
I found myself yelling at no one in particular, on occasions too numerous to count, “Go to the net. That’s where you score.” As if arguably the most skilled hockey team on the planet needed a hack like me to tell them what to do.