NHL Analyst Reveals Three Critical Factors That Could Cost Oilers The Stanley Cup

Florida is still a bad match for Edmonton, and after being rolled over in Game 5, head coach Kris Knoblauch and company must be looking at every possible lineup tweak.

And how is it that this has occurred? NHL analyst Travis Yost notes three key issues.

'So, what's going wrong for this Edmonton club? Three big things, starting with what we talked about in our series primer.

1. Florida's middle-six forwards are dominating

2. Power Play vs. Powerless Play

3. Goaltending, Goaltending, Goaltending'

- Travis Yost

The first is that Florida's middle-six forwards are dominating. The Panthers' depth has taken over the series.

While line combinations have been shuffled, Florida's middle-six, Anton Lundell (+5) and Sam Bennett (+6) in particular, have thrived, especially at even strength. Worse, they're doing so against Edmonton's best-of-best.

The second factor is power play issues. The Oilers' once-lethal power play has been inert.

The regular season power play struggles have carried into the playoffs

While a slump in the regular season, owing to injuries to elite players like Connor McDavid, was understandable, the lack of production has carried over into the playoffs. Against Florida, it's a glaring weakness.

The third and arguably most important issue is goaltending disparity. Sergei Bobrovsky has distantly outpaced both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

No matter your style in the goalie position, workhorse or tandem, poor returns in the net are hard to overcome. Edmonton's inconsistency between the pipes is now a gigantic vulnerability.

Yost believes that if the Oilers can't reverse at least two of these trends, the Cup might just be going to Florida as soon as Tuesday evening.