Panthers Spill the Oil, Corey Perry and More

Hey all. Just a few mish-mash items to toss your way on an overcast Sunday afternoon in the ‘Burgh.

After blowing a 3-0, first-period lead and bowing to the Oilers on home ice in Game 4, the Panthers clawed back with a vengeance last night. Powered by two absolutely extraordinary goals from 37-year-old Brad Marchand and one by playoff leader Sam Bennett, the Cats pretty much had their way with the Oilers en route to a 5-2 Game 5 victory and a 3-2 series lead.

Not only are they deep and good and tough, but they’re mentally strong as well. To let a potential 3-1 series lead slip through your grasp, then have to play the next game in your foe’s barn to boot?

It takes a special kind of fortitude and character. Or as coach Paul Maurice so succinctly put it, “If you plan for seven games, that means you’re losing three of them. So you have to take that pain that we did and come back.”

Come back they did.

The Cup will be in the house for the Panthers taking when the series resumes on Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

On the flip side, one of the Oilers’ goal-getters last night (Connor McDavid being the other) was Corey Perry. That makes 10 (count ‘em 10) goals in these playoffs for the 40-year-old power forward, including three in the Final. This on the heels of a 19-goal season.

For perspective, fellow golden oldie Marchand also has 10 goals (including five in the Final). Leon Draisaitl has 11 goals and McDavid seven (one in the Final).

With the possible exceptions of former Pens menace Patric Hornqvist and the Red Wings’ rugged Tomas Holmström, Perry’s arguably the best net-front player I’ve seen since Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito, effectively using his 6”3” 208-pound frame to wreak havoc and score ugly goals. Even at his advanced age, he still has a great pair of hands.

As for the metrics mavens who might question his wheels, or lack of? Perry’s put up strong possession numbers, especially during the post season.

Pretty and fancy he might not be. But he gets ‘er done…and then some.

When Perry was released by the Blackhawks in November 2023 following an off-ice incident, I mildly postured for the Pens to take a flyer on him. It probably wouldn’t have made sense—at the time we had fellow oldie Jeff Carter playing out the string and were already loaded with 30-somethings.

Rather, it’s the type of player Perry was and still is that attracted me. A battler and a winner who’s played in the Cup Final in five of the past six seasons and six times in all.

Yet another reminder that when fleshing out a hockey team, you can’t overlook the need for grease, grit and grind.

Fortunately, there are signs that POHO/GM Kyle Dubas is casting a wider net now that Mike Sullivan has moved on. Recent signees Flip Hållander and Melvin Fernström aren’t going to win any speed-skating competitions, which may have excluded them from Sullivan’s play list. Heavyweight Boko Imama likely wasn’t on a short list of Sully faves, either, but provides a most necessary and needed physical presence.

Especially in today’s NHL, one size/style definitely doesn’t fit all.