We’re in the endgame now. After months of enduring a grueling hockey schedule, the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will once again lock horns: this time with the Stanley Cup on the line. For the second straight year, these two behemoths will cross paths in the Finals, and the Oilers’ coach, Kris Knoblauch, couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming dance on the ice.
“We overcame so many obstacles; so much adversity,” the veteran coach said after the Cats took the best-of-7 series last year. But this year, things won’t be any easier. Both the Oilers and the Panthers finished the regular season in third place in their respective divisions. With an impressive 94-47-10 regular-season record, Knoblauch’s boys have already picked up a lot of miles even before the playoffs. However, the coach thinks the hectic schedule isn’t something that could affect Edmonton’s Stanley Cup dreams.
In a YouTube upload by the official Edmonton Oilers account from June 1, Coach Knoblauch could be heard talking about the squad’s preparation for its second straight Stanley Cup Finals. Talking to reporters at Rogers Place, Kris also shared his thoughts on the busy schedule that the athletes have to work with.
Upon being asked how Knoblauch and the Oilers stars spend their time during travels, the coach said, “Well, I look back and I’m thinking about some of the road trips I used to do when I was in the Western Hockey League, and this is absolutely nothing, just a breeze,” underscoring how flying in a plane is so much more easier than having to cross thousands of miles on a coach bus for the WSL.
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“…it’s usually watching a lot of video, getting prepared for our next meeting and doing lineups,” Knoblauch went on to mention how strategizing for the Stanley Cup is the most recurring thought on his mind during the extensive traveling hours. Interestingly enough, just a day ago, the Panthers’ coach, Paul Maurice, also shared a similar thought on traveling.
Dismissing the idea that the schedule affects the player’s performance, Maurice told reporters on Saturday, “There’s no more than seven games left of this season, no matter what. So you will see a new energy source from both teams in this series.”
The story is developing…
The post After Paul Maurice, Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch Brushes Off Travelling Concerns Amid Focus on Stanley Cup: “This Is Nothing” appeared first on EssentiallySports.