Cracks in the Edmonton Oilers? Fans question key players' performance after suspicious Game 2 collapse

The Edmonton Oilers suffered a gut-wrenching 5-4 double-overtime defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night. While the back-and-forth showdown showcased plenty of grit and offensive firepower, several Oilers underperformed at critical moments—contributing to the Panthers tying the series 1-1 as it shifts to Florida for Game 3.Kasperi Kapanen had been showing flashes of promise in the postseason, but Game 2 proved to be a setback. The winger logged just under 15 minutes of ice time, sharing shifts on the second line with Leon Draisaitl. But it was a first-period turnover that turned heads for the wrong reasons.As the Oilers attempted to clear the puck from their zone, Kapanen misplayed a pass that immediately turned into a Florida scoring opportunity. The mishap allowed Seth Jones to sneak in and net the equalizer. Kapanen’s minutes diminished from there, as head coach Kris Knoblauch sought to adjust the lines in pursuit of a late comeback.Another skater whose impact went largely unnoticed was Vasily Podkolzin. With just 12:45 of ice time across 17 shifts, his involvement in the high-stakes battle was minimal. Despite managing two shots and one hit, Podkolzin—alongside fourth-liners Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Janmark—was barely deployed in the third period and overtime, indicating a lack of trust in Edmonton’s bottom six.Goaltender Stuart Skinner had a strong statistical showing with 37 saves on 42 shots. However, it was the pair of goals he surrendered to Brad Marchand that proved fatal.Marchand scored the game-winner in double overtime by slipping the puck through Skinner’s five-hole—nearly identical to his earlier goal. “Unfortunately, Skinner was unable to bail out his teammates when they needed it the most on two separate occasions,” one analyst noted, summing up the goalie’s bittersweet night.As the series heads to Florida, the Oilers will need sharper performances from their entire roster—especially from players who fell short on Friday—if they hope to reclaim control in Game 3.Also Read: “Nobody wins here”: NHL insider warns Mitch Marner to avoid Panthers at all costs or risk destroying his career and reputation