Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Oilers' Leon Draisaitl Gets Brutally Honest After Blowout Loss Against Panthers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 2:17 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers now find themselves down 2-1 in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final after dropping Game 3 to the Florida Panthers. Edmonton was run out of the building in Game 3, losing 6-1 on the road.

Florida showed massive championship poise in front of its home fans and used it to their advantage. But as the two teams get ready for a crucial Game 4, the Oilers aren't giving up hope.

This team understands that if they can steal Game 4, then it's a best-of-three series, with two games played at home. Even with the blowout loss, the Oilers aren't allowing their mindset to change.

“I’m not going crazy,” Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said after practice Tuesday. “I don’t know if anybody’s going crazy. It’s an emotional time. It’s two teams that want to win, two teams doing it their own way, but I don’t think anybody is going crazy here. They’re good at what they do, but last night was the first night where it got out of hand a little bit.”

Game 3 was very sloppy for the Oilers as Edmonton took 21 penalties for 85 minutes. Florida was able to massively take advantage of the situation and jumped all over the Oilers early on.

If the Oilers want any chance to tie the series, they will need to be much more disciplined in Game 4. Edmonton can't afford to beat themselves, especially against such a strong team like the Panthers.

“Florida does a really good job of that,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “That’s their game. They like that. We have to play our game. That’s with the puck, good defensive hockey. Some guys thrive on those extracurricular activities, things that happen after the whistle. But I think some of our guys got a little distracted with that. I think it’s most important for us to play in between the whistles.”

Game 4 between the two sides is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, at 8 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: