2024 Stanley Cup Finals: Edmonton Oilers “prepared” for Florida Panthers, coach says | FULL

2024 Stanley Cup Finals: Edmonton Oilers “prepared” for Florida Panthers, coach says | FULL

from the Oilers we have general manager Ken Holland and head coach Chris noblock please raise your hand wait for the microphone we’re going to start third row on the left side ran two questions for address line line and draws in maybe just a thought on you’re playing him the change there um whether he comes in game one or game whatever um he will see him sometime in the lineup I think uh what he provides us is a little bit of offense obviously scoring 20 goals this season 40 plus points um also just another guy who adds some more speed to our team so um you know obviously we took him out the lineup which wasn’t easy for us to do um after the year he had but um it’s nice to have the opportunity to put him back in Philip broberg was skating on the right side today uh I know you tried that with him a little bit in the past but is he playing well enough you feel he might be ready for that challenge on this well through his career he spent a lot of time on the um on his offside uh through this year um more on the left side than the right but uh we feel that the way he’s been playing and his skills that he has he’s very adaptable to move on to his offside on the right side second row uh hey Kenny um I was talking to bobsky today and he was very impressed with Stewart’s get in his second year making it all the way to Stanley Cup Final he said he was a backup in his second year I just want to ask both of you I guess if you can weigh in on this on that decision earlier this year to say you’re our guy you sent Jack down to the American League what did you see in him and and it was a kind of a gutsy decision to make but maybe you can give me both your your thoughts on why you made that decision you talking about when we sent when we put jack on waivers yeah Jack um we just lost in Van couver six to something I think we were 27 and one uh I felt that needed to do some almost going to be impossible to make a trade you’re 10 games into the season needed to do something to jolt the team um made a decision to uh called both goalies in Dustin and I we were in Vancouver and told Jack he was going on waivers and he was going to if he cleared he was going to be going to the miners and I told call steu in and told him it was his opportunity to uh grab the Reigns uh we believed in him he had won 29 games last year was a was a finalist for the cder trophy was 24 years of age it was his time um and and then you know obviously we lost Thursday night in h San Jose and made a decision on Friday to to hire Chris noblock and Chris came in I think we won in Seattle on Saturday and Chris came in but certainly uh Chris was a big reason why we got the the the the season turned around and also Stu Skinner’s play I think you know we just we weren’t playing very good I I think Stu was 855 saves percentage Jack Campbell was 870 at the time um hard to I Knew both goalies were better I knew we could play better team defense but I felt that the team needed a jolt uh certainly believed in uh in Stu Skinner and um I think he’s one of the really good top Young net miners in the game and uh he grabbed the re and took it from there yeah yeah since I’ve been here I’ve been very impressed with them and there hasn’t been very many poor performances I think he’s been very solid and anytime he has had a PO poor performance he’s always responded and played really well for me so I know um my time in Edmonson there’s been a lot of talk about goal tending and what what we’ve had you know from my point of view stew and uh picks have been a great tandem for us throughout the season left side third row Chris uh you talk spoke earlier this week about the the interviewing with Paul in Winnipeg and I’m just wondering if you can sort of take us back what that process was like would you remember about it and how that relationship has has grown um yeah we met in a hotel and talked for I don’t know whatever an interview is um and other than that we haven’t really stayed in touch very much like it’s um I reached out to him I think it was 2017 when I was taking a job in the um for the Philadelphia Flyers and other than that I don’t know if we’ve talked besides that so you know obviously the first time I met him um or before I met him I heard a lot of positive things about him um I had a somebody who worked with him um not in the um with the winter Pig Jets uh not as a coach but I just knew him very well spoke very highly of him so when I met him you know everything that he had told me about him I felt was true very genuine very U nice person and um you know I reached out to him and he followed up and said yes he’d help if I had any questions or something like that but uh other than that we haven’t spoken very much left side second row yeah Ken you come here five years ago right here Ken oh okay yeah how are you you got yourself good uh you come here five years ago uh and you have you know you got a team with a young Conor McDavid a generational player every once by that point he’s the best player in the game you had good players in Detroit when you were there I know you have but when you come to this project with that player was there any special pressure to get to this point you know when you have tools like that to work with yeah for sure but I also you know I’ve been at the it’s a long time you just I think I said at the Press conf you just don’t come in and wave magic wands you know they you got to build certainly Peter Shelli and his people did a great job in drafting Stu Skinner drafting buard drafting mlau drafting Vinnie de har there’s one or two others and they needed some time to become NHL players so you know you’re you’re trying to put players in to get competitive in the in all the while behind the scenes trying to believing the people we’re going to develop into bigger roles so I think that uh that’s what we do you know great job by Peter Shelli and then uh as we’ve gone along you know some things have turned out some things haven’t turned out but uh certainly I knew we had a core I knew we had Connor we knew we had Leon I was 3,000 miles away I knew they were great young players I didn’t know a lot about them as people but uh learned very quickly that they had a lot of determination a lot of pride a lot of push they were team players um they were motivated and that’s a massive start to uh and then along the way there’s been some you know the Chicago series the first year we were there we it’s a summer series in the playoffs we lose three games to one they got Duncan Keith and taaz and you know they’ve got veteran people and I I thought the next year we played Winnipeg and we played last we got swept but we three of the games were I think 0 0 111 22 we were playing playoff what I believe playoff hockey I saw what Scotty Bowman did in Detroit in the mid mid 90s and the importance of learning to to check to compete and that’s what Chris noblock is is coming in I think done a great job with our team where’re we’re we’re getting more and more we’re comfortable now in low-scoring games we’re we’re comfortable uh you know when there’s adversity and you think it’s 3-2 in Vancouver with four or five minutes to go and the place is going crazy how we were able to kind of hang on and get that that that that win and then the other night against Dallas it’s two to one um you know and I think that’s that’s on the players and being being in those those moments and I think it’s also on the job that Chris has done as coach Fred left can uh following up on Mark’s question can you put in the words now that you’ve live lived it for 5 years what it is to be a GM of a Canadian team wanting to get here the 31-year cup drought the scrutiny that comes with being the GM in a passionate market like Edmonton is ever a time where you said why did I do this no I’ve loved every moment uh you know per the the the the National Hockey League is a roller coaster ride you know it’s if you think you’re just going to be on top and you’re going to go sailing Along on top should get another business because I I’ll advise you right off the bat you’re in the wrong business there’s going to be lows and there’s going to be highs and we’re in this business for the highs but you got to got to have thick skin for the lows whether and and sometimes you’re going to make some decisions that you know if you make 10 decisions you got to make seven or eight good ones one or two or three aren’t going to work out and you hope that they’re not they’re not uh they’re not too bad um um love the passion um I was fortunate to work in two franchises in Detroit now in Edmonton that great fan bases that’s that’s why you come to the rink is because what you’re doing is important to people and certainly in Edmonton what we do on an everyday basis what the players do is important to that to those fans to that city um and I know that when uh you know you’re 29 and one uh they’re not happy we’re not happy you know so uh but that’s important you’d rather be than with somebody else go and somewhere else and find something else to do they’re with you they’re in it so uh it’s been been an incredible uh incredible run and thrilled to have this opportunity back right you didn’t know Conor or Leon as people before you came to Edon you know them now this many years later we all as players what do you know about them that you didn’t know before you got there I didn’t know you know I didn’t know how driven um competitive um Team driven uh sacrifice commitment you know those are all words and they’re intangibles but certainly I learned those things in Detroit around lots of great players in the leadership and if you’re going anywhere you know as we sit here today and the final you know both teams have it like you’re not this you don’t fluke this league you need you need skill and you need you need an engine and that engine of of those those group of players have got to drive your team on and off the ice day every come to the rink every day they practice hard they compete they sacrifice and you know when you’re 3,000 miles away and I’m in Detroit I I I I see the points I see the assists I see the highlights but you don’t you know to be in every day to watch how they practice how they’re competitive how they’re driven uh um those are things that you when you live with people and you’re on the bus and you go to practice those are the things you see and that’s those are the things that I didn’t know and um that’s they’re they’re they’re all World on the ice and all World off the ice closer to you know what I don’t want to compare players I’ve been really lucky uh to watch those players but uh these are two of the greatest players that I’ve ever seen front left Chris uh can just mentioned both you get to this point both teams have it seems like two very different styles of teams the way you guys play the way Florida plays as a coach that does that get you geeked up to to want to like play the x’s and o’s in a series like this that that could be two very different styles and whoever gets there wins it um I think um you know obviously they have their style and we have ours and you know there’s little tweaks that we can make to our game plan but if we’re making too many changes it just we’re we’re we’re not who we are and we aren’t the same team that got us here um and as a coach you have to be careful how many changes you make to a team because the more changes you make the more things that are going on their heads and more analyzing they’re doing and you’re just it’s it’s about the players and them performing and them playing um at um at ease so if we’re changing our systems and what we want to do and focusing so much on um Florida it’s we’re we’re handicapping our players so you know obviously there’s been a lot of talk about Florida being an aggressive hard-hitting tight checking team you know um yeah we’re we’re prepared for that we saw you know not so much Dallas Dallas was a different team but uh Vancouver La you know they were just as aggressive you know you look at the hits per game through the playoffs they’re very similar if not more um those other teams that I just mentioned than Florida so yes we’re expecting them to finish our checks as much as possible and US slow us down but um we’ll hopefully be able to make some plays and get around that a second here we’ll go to Frank in the fourth row oh good thanks does this work okay I was hoping you could uh both chime in on this every year we talk about players that find a way to elevate their game uh Brett kulak has been able to do that pretty consistently uh in these playoffs why do you think he’s been able to do that and and how big a part of your run has he been well I’ll handle that first um you know before first of all throughout the regular season we’ve been very impressed with Brett and I think he’s played a really good season and um you know he’s been on that third pair but that third pair has been really good and I know most teams would be very happy to have a third pair like we had all year with Vinnie and but um you know through my time where I said to my coaching staff you know we like it and we like how they’re playing and they told me numerous times of how much better he has even been in the playoffs he’s elevated his game and I know there’s been in the past with the Oilers where whether it’s injuries suspensions or whatever that they had to rely on him a lot more and he came and played some really solid hockey and you know in the playoffs it’s it’s it’s a tougher game there’s more there’s more hits there’s more on the line there’s some pressure where some players don’t handle that pressure as well as others well Brett thrives on it he likes that so um so that’s my perspective on Brett you know I remember when we got him at the deadline Frank um our our scouting Department was pushing hard for him was sitting on him and and uh Glenn glixon had been with him in Calgary I think so knew him as a person so you know we we trade a second round pick we wanted you never have enough defense def but come come playoff time and for me game that that year game six we go into La round one Darnell nurse gets suspended we’re down three games to two uh he steps in and he took uh doc minutes and we found a way to win uh game six on the road get it home and win game seven I think two- nothing um you know for me right from right right from the first series that we’ve had him he went when when you need him when was time to step up and like talk about game six he’s done that and he’s always played uh as Chris has said he’s he’s he he plays good come playoff time he uh can skate and uh he’s competitive and um and he’s he’s he’s low maintenance he just comes and plays plays Left plays right whatever you need him to do he’ll do we are going to take some more questions but players are making their way up to their pods if you want to catch the players please make your way out quietly and our next question comes from the back right uh question for Ken on your right side in corner right over here no problem I’m swamped over here um you said earlier that out of 10 decisions that you take you need to have seven good ones uh Brett kulak was certainly a good one but two others were the signing of Zack Ean and the acquisition of uh Mattias eom would you take us to the last two how tough it was to get that done if it was tough and what brought you there uh on eom and and and hman um on Zach kimman obviously he was unrestricted free agent um that year I can’t remember it was after my first year second year we had our May or June whatever our meetings um our team was not we were a a rush team you know talking about analytics we were a rush team we needed to get more for checking we needed to get more Cycles we needed to get more blue paint and two of the top five in the league that year were Zack kimman and in Fogle and obviously you know my my my son is lived in in in Toronto it worked for the Toronto M belief so obviously you know you got to I’m big on people character so you know we we we we like the way Zach played he went to the blue paint he for checked he cycled we Fogle did the same um and Zach kimman became an unrestricted free agent um and we negotiated with his agent and and and ultimately obviously signed to the deal you know he had had 15 goals I think in 43 games the year before I can’t tell you I you know I think what’s he got here 68 goals this year I can’t tell you ever envisioned he’s going to score 68 goals in the season um but certainly thought he could be a 25 goal scorer cycle go to the blue paint hang on to pucks uh bring character and Leadership and in echome much the same we got to the deadline uh last year was talking to four or five teams about some defenseman wanted to acquire a defenseman um and ultimately you know actually worked out better than you think in two ways you know as it turned out um in order to make the eome deal uh had to move money and the day before uh pvy went on a deal to uh to to Carolina and had to include Tyson Barry in the deal and certainly when Tyson very moved it freed up um opportunity for Evan buer so really two things kind of happened at the same time we added a 6 foot4 veteran guy left shot D and I that’s why a year before I I had acquired Duncan Keith I wanted Duncan Keith to play with with board to kind of Mentor him and grow him and then Duncan retired and we were playing the two kids together for a lot of that year broberg and uh and um and B kind of in the third pair and as as the as the deal happened out went Barry and bushard moved up and EOL came in and again it probably couldn’t have it’s it’s way better turned out way better than I could hoped at the time we’ll take two more questions front right uh can a little while ago Paul Maurice was in here he’s been in the league since the mid 90s and he was talking about how the game has changed how the people have changed etc etc I wonder your perspective having been in the game for so long and trips to the Stanley Cup Final how that has even changed uh for you if you have any perspective on that well the game’s way more way more skilled I mean the players coming in now you see these goals where they got Pucks in their sticks and they’re whipping them around and throw them in the top corner I didn’t see that 20 years ago so um players are way more skilled um you know very very talented um but I think games changed a lot and I think they’re way more skilled all the people coming in are way more skilled probably ready way earlier you used to maybe have to spend more time in the miners there’s more players coming in making the jump from college and Junior right in the NHL or spending a little bit of time in the American League But ultimately you know when you see you guys have been watching the playoffs at the end it’s it’s it’s it’s that will determination battle compete um that that really is probably the Difference Maker I mean there’s so many teams that are so close you know I you know we’re down 3-2 to Vancouver and you know either team could have advanced and found a way and you know we’re down 2-1 to Dallas and down two nothing in game four and Ne team could have advanced and you know it’s just there there’s such a fine line between so many teams so it’s the skill level is the skill level is way better um but I think the game still is determined by a lot of the same ingredients that it was determined uh many years ago last question right side second row Chris uh just two-parter one on the team and one about your personal Journey but um first what is what has allowed Bou to to take that next step I mean he’s approaching some records that your assistant Paul coffee has had just and not only the points he’s putting up but when he’s getting them and the second half is you come from a town of 360 people um Imperial I don’t know if you’ve seen the put a sign out in front of the of the town home of Chris noblock and just just you know when you take take a look back just how surreal that might be uh well first of all Bush um you know obviously very smart hockey player um really taken off especially this year you know I think a lot of that to do with um Paul coffee running the defense but also EOL being partner with EOL eoles a great compliment player for him and then you know coming up in big throughout the playoffs you know you see the uh the amount of points he’s putting up he scored some really key um times um the overtime against Vancouver um late third period against Vancouver you know on the power play you know he gets a lot of recognition about having that big shot but um you know he’s able to see the ice really well and making plays so obviously he gets a lot of recognition for the offensive play but he probably doesn’t get enough recognition for a defensive play too and I think best um attribute a defensive player can have is being able to make the right plays with the puck getting it out of your zone so you don’t have to defend and then when he does have to defend he’s so smart that he’s usually a step ahead of everyone can read plays and break them up so you know we’re very happy with the way obviously he’s playing that was for me um yes um I knew about that went up and I got a friend from a um a call from a friend soon as I went up and um asked if I could FaceTime because she wanted to show me it before I got out and um I was just landed um I think we’re were just getting into Dallas I think that’s the day it happened and um so I didn’t face time because I was on the plane and on the bus and anyway she told me what had happened and you know for me um you know I’m very proud of that I’m proud that I came from Imperial and um you know there’s very small population now there’s they have two signs up there with uh Conor Ingram’s picturers up there also so you know they’ll be nice go home and you know we’ll see how how long before it gets vandalized but um for now I’m very happy thank you for your time than thank you very much that was great thank you very much take care

Ahead of the highly-anticipated Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch and general manager Ken Holland spoke with the media on Friday. The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are preparing to square off in the first game of the series, which is set to get underway in Sunshine, Fla., on Saturday.

“Obviously there’s been a lot of talk about Florida being [an] aggressive, hard-hitting, tight-checking team. We’re prepared for that,” Knoblauch said. “Vancouver, L.A. — you know, they were just as aggressive.”

“I’ve been at this [for] a long time… You just don’t come in and wave magic once,” Holland said about the young players of the team. “I learned very quickly that they had a lot of determination, a lot of pride, a lot of push. They were team players. They were motivated.”

The Oilers are hoping to bring the Cup back to Edmonton for the first time since 1990, while the Panthers are looking to win their first-ever Stanley Cup. The Oilers last made it to the Stanley Cup final in 2006, where they ultimately lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/10552588/edmonton-oilers-florida-panthers-stanley-cup-final/

Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB

#GlobalNews #EdmontonOilers #StanleyCup #nhl #edmonton #oilers