Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As always, I&#8217;ve got a fresh mailbag ready to go, after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever&#8217;s on your mind. This week, we&#8217;re discussing the Edmonton Oilers&#8217; penalty trouble, supposed home-ice advantage, depth scoring, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a>, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.

<figure id="attachment_176652" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-176652" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-176652" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Corey Perry" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-176652" class="wp-caption-text">Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry against the Florida Panthers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
1) James asks &#8211; The Oilers have had plenty of early penalty trouble in this series. Is that nerves? Not being focused? It&#8217;s tough to beat the Panthers when you&#8217;re always in the box.
Jason Gregor:
I don&#8217;t think it was nerves. Often it was carelessness with their sticks. They took too many stick infractions. They looked too aggressive and it cost them.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I think it&#8217;s being over aggressive. There are a few guys who aren&#8217;t really rolling offensively, like Evander Kane, and I feel like they&#8217;re trying too hard to make an impact on the series in other ways. When that happens, you can cross the line and we&#8217;ve seen that. I fully believe that now that they&#8217;re backs are against the wall, we&#8217;ll see them dial it in.
Baggedmilk:
All of the above. I don&#8217;t know that there&#8217;s a singular reason for why the Oilers can&#8217;t stay out of the box, but there are very clear examples you can show that they look intimidated and less than ready to go.
<figure id="attachment_176912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-176912" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-176912" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Florida Panthers celebrate goal" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres.jpg 1836w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-176912" class="wp-caption-text">Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
2) Yves asks &#8211; The series is now a best-of-three with the Oilers having home-ice advantage. The Panthers, however, have been an excellent road team throughout the playoffs. How much do you think location truly matters when it gets late in the series?
Jason Gregor:
So far, the home teams are 2-3, and Edmonton will need to make it 3-4 to win the series. I think it matters in the sense Florida gets all the matchups they want at home and that will be key for Game 6. Edmonton will need McDavid to have a big game in Florida. He has done it, Game 5 last year, but in the other five games he only has one assist.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I mean after watching Game 5, I feel like I can&#8217;t say that it matters all that much. The Panthers just don&#8217;t seem phased by the raucous crowd in Edmonton and the Oilers haven&#8217;t been able to harness that energy. The good news for the Oilers is that they&#8217;ve shown they can win in Florida and they just need to do it one more time.
Baggedmilk:
Sure didn&#8217;t look like it on Saturday, did it? Home-ice advantage only matters if you show up. The Oilers didn&#8217;t, and now they&#8217;re fighting for their lives in a building that hasn&#8217;t been too kind to them over the last two springs.
<figure id="attachment_173251" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-173251" style="width: 959px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-173251" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Edmonton-Oilers-Connor-Brown-goal-Connor-McDavid.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Connor Brown goal Connor McDavid" width="959" height="639" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Edmonton-Oilers-Connor-Brown-goal-Connor-McDavid.jpg 959w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Edmonton-Oilers-Connor-Brown-goal-Connor-McDavid-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Edmonton-Oilers-Connor-Brown-goal-Connor-McDavid-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 959px) 100vw, 959px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-173251" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 13, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (28) celebrates a goal against the Winnipeg Jets with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) in the second period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
3) Gregg asks &#8211; Much was made of the Oilers&#8217; depth scoring through the first three rounds, and I&#8217;m wondering how everyone thinks they&#8217;ve done so far in the final?
Jason Gregor:
Edmonton has nine players on pace for 48 points (Kane and RNH aren&#8217;t among them), if you prorate the first five games of the series. And RNH has played fine for a guy banged up. Depth scoring isn&#8217;t the issue. Edmonton has allowed too many goals. They need to tighten up defensively as a group.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Not enough. No one has done enough. They need more from their big guns, they need more from their depth and they need more from their blueline. No one has been good enough and yet, they still have a shot in this series. If the depth can wake up and score a few big goals, then this thing is not over. Of course, Connor McDavid taking over the next two games would certainly help up forget about the struggles from the depth.
Baggedmilk:
We&#8217;ve had goals from RNH, Podkolzin, Arvidsson, Nurse, and Perry, so I think there is some depth showing up, but we need more from everyone. <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/06/15/another-bad-game-edmonton-oilers-power-play-struggles-stanley-cup-elimination-game-florida/">Saturday&#8217;s game was as disappointing</a> as it gets and I don&#8217;t know that it was depth scoring issues more so than getting completely outplayed.
<figure id="attachment_176350" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-176350" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-176350" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1-1024x590.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Stan Bowman Kris Knoblauch" width="1024" height="590" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1-1024x590.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1-300x173.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1-768x442.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1.jpg 1250w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-176350" class="wp-caption-text">Jun 3, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman along with Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch are seen during media day in advance of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
4) Bryson asks &#8211; How would you compare Kris Knoblauch&#8217;s adjustments to those made by Paul Maurice?
Jason Gregor:
What adjustments has Maurice made. I haven&#8217;t seen much change in this series. Edmonton took too many penalties in the first period of the first four games and allowed nine goals. I don&#8217;t see that as a great adjustment by Maurice, over undisciplined play by the Oilers. The Oilers have trailed much of the series and that is a big advantage. I don&#8217;t see coaching adjustments as the reason the Oilers are down 3-2 in the series.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Much like the series on the ice, I feel like these two coaches are very close to each other. I haven&#8217;t noticed too much and at least through the first 3-4 games, it&#8217;s really just been these two teams really trying to push through by using the style and tactics that got them here, which makes sense.
Baggedmilk:
The biggest difference I see between these two teams is that one is ready to play every night and the other is not. Is that on the coaches or the players? I don&#8217;t know, but it&#8217;s been a massive problem the last three games now.
<figure id="attachment_171517" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-171517" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-171517" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-1024x683.jpg" alt="Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-171517" class="wp-caption-text">Dec 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) talks to referee TJ Luxmore (21) after a called penalty against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
5) Mitch asks &#8211; Is game management ruining the game? The Panthers know they&#8217;re only going to get called a handful of times per game, so why wouldn&#8217;t they keep playing dirty when they know only a fraction of the penalties are going to get called?
Jason Gregor:
Some won&#8217;t like this response. Florida has been more disciplined than Edmonton in the series. Florida is good at the borderline interference call. They did get away with a clear penalty when Verhaeghe hit Bouchard, but that&#8217;s because the NHL is moronic in their stance (or lack thereof) on hits from behind. Emotions are higher in the playoffs, and every hit/contact in home games in Edmonton the fans want a penalty. That&#8217;s great for crowd noise, but most of them aren&#8217;t actually penalties. Has Florida got away with a few, yes, and so has Edmonton. The difference is that Edmonton has stuck guys in the face, which is an easy call for the referees to make over a guy obstructing a player.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
100%. It&#8217;s a joke. The standard of officiating in these playoffs has been borderline embarrassing. The Panthers know that even if 50% of their infractions get called early, the refs won&#8217;t call them late, so they commit a penalty every other shift (like in the first period of Game 5) and then just trust that the referees won&#8217;t want to call anything later when they&#8217;re desensitized.
Baggedmilk:
Wouldn&#8217;t you? There are so many missed calls — for both teams, frankly — that it seems logical that the Panthers would lean into chaos mode when that&#8217;s already in their DNA.
<h2>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</h2>
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Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to you all. As always, I've got a fresh mailbag ready to go, after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever's on your mind. This week, we're discussing the Edmonton Oilers' penalty trouble, supposed home-ice advantage, depth scoring, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a>, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.



[caption id="attachment_176652" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-176652" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26413975-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Corey Perry" width="1024" height="683" /> Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry against the Florida Panthers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images[/caption]

1) James asks - The Oilers have had plenty of early penalty trouble in this series. Is that nerves? Not being focused? It's tough to beat the Panthers when you're always in the box.

Jason Gregor:

I don't think it was nerves. Often it was carelessness with their sticks. They took too many stick infractions. They looked too aggressive and it cost them.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I think it's being over aggressive. There are a few guys who aren't really rolling offensively, like Evander Kane, and I feel like they're trying too hard to make an impact on the series in other ways. When that happens, you can cross the line and we've seen that. I fully believe that now that they're backs are against the wall, we'll see them dial it in.

Baggedmilk:

All of the above. I don't know that there's a singular reason for why the Oilers can't stay out of the box, but there are very clear examples you can show that they look intimidated and less than ready to go.

[caption id="attachment_176912" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-176912" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26457698_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Florida Panthers celebrate goal" width="1024" height="683" /> Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images[/caption]

2) Yves asks - The series is now a best-of-three with the Oilers having home-ice advantage. The Panthers, however, have been an excellent road team throughout the playoffs. How much do you think location truly matters when it gets late in the series?

Jason Gregor:

So far, the home teams are 2-3, and Edmonton will need to make it 3-4 to win the series. I think it matters in the sense Florida gets all the matchups they want at home and that will be key for Game 6. Edmonton will need McDavid to have a big game in Florida. He has done it, Game 5 last year, but in the other five games he only has one assist.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I mean after watching Game 5, I feel like I can't say that it matters all that much. The Panthers just don't seem phased by the raucous crowd in Edmonton and the Oilers haven't been able to harness that energy. The good news for the Oilers is that they've shown they can win in Florida and they just need to do it one more time.

Baggedmilk:

Sure didn't look like it on Saturday, did it? Home-ice advantage only matters if you show up. The Oilers didn't, and now they're fighting for their lives in a building that hasn't been too kind to them over the last two springs.

[caption id="attachment_173251" align="aligncenter" width="959"]<img class="size-full wp-image-173251" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Edmonton-Oilers-Connor-Brown-goal-Connor-McDavid.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Connor Brown goal Connor McDavid" width="959" height="639" /> Apr 13, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Edmonton Oilers right wing Connor Brown (28) celebrates a goal against the Winnipeg Jets with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) in the second period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images[/caption]

3) Gregg asks - Much was made of the Oilers' depth scoring through the first three rounds, and I'm wondering how everyone thinks they've done so far in the final?

Jason Gregor:

Edmonton has nine players on pace for 48 points (Kane and RNH aren't among them), if you prorate the first five games of the series. And RNH has played fine for a guy banged up. Depth scoring isn't the issue. Edmonton has allowed too many goals. They need to tighten up defensively as a group.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Not enough. No one has done enough. They need more from their big guns, they need more from their depth and they need more from their blueline. No one has been good enough and yet, they still have a shot in this series. If the depth can wake up and score a few big goals, then this thing is not over. Of course, Connor McDavid taking over the next two games would certainly help up forget about the struggles from the depth.

Baggedmilk:

We've had goals from RNH, Podkolzin, Arvidsson, Nurse, and Perry, so I think there is some depth showing up, but we need more from everyone. <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2025/06/15/another-bad-game-edmonton-oilers-power-play-struggles-stanley-cup-elimination-game-florida/">Saturday's game was as disappointing</a> as it gets and I don't know that it was depth scoring issues more so than getting completely outplayed.

[caption id="attachment_176350" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-176350" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_26363837-1-1024x590.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Stan Bowman Kris Knoblauch" width="1024" height="590" /> Jun 3, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman along with Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch are seen during media day in advance of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images[/caption]

4) Bryson asks - How would you compare Kris Knoblauch's adjustments to those made by Paul Maurice?

Jason Gregor:

What adjustments has Maurice made. I haven't seen much change in this series. Edmonton took too many penalties in the first period of the first four games and allowed nine goals. I don't see that as a great adjustment by Maurice, over undisciplined play by the Oilers. The Oilers have trailed much of the series and that is a big advantage. I don't see coaching adjustments as the reason the Oilers are down 3-2 in the series.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Much like the series on the ice, I feel like these two coaches are very close to each other. I haven't noticed too much and at least through the first 3-4 games, it's really just been these two teams really trying to push through by using the style and tactics that got them here, which makes sense.

Baggedmilk:

The biggest difference I see between these two teams is that one is ready to play every night and the other is not. Is that on the coaches or the players? I don't know, but it's been a massive problem the last three games now.

[caption id="attachment_171517" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-171517" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/USATSI_25049455-1024x683.jpg" alt="Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad" width="1024" height="683" /> Dec 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) talks to referee TJ Luxmore (21) after a called penalty against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images[/caption]

5) Mitch asks - Is game management ruining the game? The Panthers know they're only going to get called a handful of times per game, so why wouldn't they keep playing dirty when they know only a fraction of the penalties are going to get called?

Jason Gregor:

Some won't like this response. Florida has been more disciplined than Edmonton in the series. Florida is good at the borderline interference call. They did get away with a clear penalty when Verhaeghe hit Bouchard, but that's because the NHL is moronic in their stance (or lack thereof) on hits from behind. Emotions are higher in the playoffs, and every hit/contact in home games in Edmonton the fans want a penalty. That's great for crowd noise, but most of them aren't actually penalties. Has Florida got away with a few, yes, and so has Edmonton. The difference is that Edmonton has stuck guys in the face, which is an easy call for the referees to make over a guy obstructing a player.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

100%. It's a joke. The standard of officiating in these playoffs has been borderline embarrassing. The Panthers know that even if 50% of their infractions get called early, the refs won't call them late, so they commit a penalty every other shift (like in the first period of Game 5) and then just trust that the referees won't want to call anything later when they're desensitized.

Baggedmilk:

Wouldn't you? There are so many missed calls — for both teams, frankly — that it seems logical that the Panthers would lean into chaos mode when that's already in their DNA.
<h2>PRESENTED BY STAR MECHANICAL</h2>
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Monday Mailbag: How does Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch match up against Panthers’ Paul Maurice?

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