Hyman: Oilers' stars can't 'get frustrated' amid scoring struggles
The Edmonton Oilers' top players have been largely shut down by the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, but Zach Hyman hopes keeping a clear mind can lead to a breakthrough with his team facing a 3-0 deficit.
"Not get frustrated," he said Friday when asked how he and his fellow star teammates can get rolling. "Keep getting the looks that we're getting, I think we can go to the harder areas. ... Those are the goals that you need to score this time of year."
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Hyman were among the Oilers' top producers through the first three rounds, but they've uncharacteristically struggled to get on the scoresheet against Florida. Draisaitl and Hyman have yet to register a point in three games, Bouchard has mustered just one helper, and McDavid has three assists.
Without the usual support from its stars, Edmonton has been outscored by Florida 11-4.
Despite the series deficit, the Oilers have dictated more than their fair share of the play. Edmonton has controlled 52.8% of the shot attempts, 55.6% of the expected goals, and 56.8% of the scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
As a result, Hyman said "it doesn't feel like a 3-0 series."
"I don't think (we've) spiralled, I think we're down 3-0 because we've given up freebies," he explained. "It's not like we're going out there and getting absolutely dominated by a team that's better than us. It's moments in the game where they've shown a little bit more maturity than we have. ... You just gotta win one and you're gonna start the momentum."
One area the Oilers need to improve on is the man advantage. They entered the Stanley Cup Final with the league's best postseason power play (37.3%), but they haven't been able to find the back of the net in 10 opportunities against Florida.
"We're getting one good look per power play essentially, it seems like," Bouchard said, per theScore's Jolene Latimer. "If one of those goes in, it's a different game. We've just got to make sure we put one in when we get the chance."
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner kept his belief after Thursday's Game 3 loss, and Hyman is aiming to do the same.
"The odds say that we won't win. ... The odds said that we weren't going to make the playoffs at American Thanksgiving," he said. "Multiple times in these playoffs, we've been down. I think we play our best when our backs are against the wall, and facing elimination."
Puck drops on the Oilers' must-win Game 4 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
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