3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers lost 6-5 against Florida Panthers in Stanley Cup Final rematch: Skinner shaky, special teams letdown and more 

The Edmonton Oilers lost a tough 6-5 affair against the Florida Panthers on Monday night at Rogers Place. The Oilers blew a 4-2 lead in the second period, trailing by a goal at 5-4 at 7:23 of the third. While the Oilers came back to tie the game, Carter Verhaeghe scored at 13:05 to give the Panthers the win.

Zach Hyman had two goals for the Edmonton Oilers with Connor Brown, Leon Draisaitl, and Kasperi Kapanen adding the others for the Oilers. Connor McDavid had three assists for Edmonton.

Jesper Boqvist, Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Sam Reinhart, and Verhaeghe had the goals for the Panthers.

Here’s a closer look at three reasons why Edmonton lost to Florida on Monday night.

3 reasons why Edmonton Oilers lost 6-5 to Florida Panthers

#3. Special teams didn’t get the job done

The Edmonton Oilers’ special teams were an interesting story on Monday night. The power play went 1-for-3 on the night, with Leon Draisaitl getting the marker with the man advantage. However, the Oilers gave up a shorthanded goal in the first period.

Jesper Boqvist took advantage of a missed puck during the Oilers’ first power play opportunity, opening the score at 2:42 of the first.

Then, the penalty kill went 3-for-4, giving up a goal to Matthew Tkachuk to give the Cats a 2-1 lead without about 30 seconds to go in the first period.

Overall, the Oilers’ special teams disappointed on the night. Instead of helping the Oilers win, the special teams were a letdown.

#2. Oilers couldn’t match Panthers' physicality

One big reason why the Cats took the game on Monday night was their physicality. Florida outhit the Oilers 39-21. That difference in physicality is a big reason why the Panthers were able to get back into the game and hold on to the lead down the stretch.

It’s also worth pointing out that despite scoring five goals, the Edmonton Oilers had trouble matching the Panthers’ intensity. Thus, the Oilers struggled to keep up with the Panthers, allowing them to get back into the game.

#1. Stuart Skinner inconsistent

The wrong Stuart Skinner showed up on Monday night. After stringing several solid starts together, including his last outing in which he made 39 saves on 42 shots, Skinner allowed six goals on 28 shots on Monday night.

While the power play and shorthanded goals can’t be solely pinned on Skinner, he didn’t keep the Oilers in the game. As such, Skinner's relatively shaky outing gave the Cats a chance to get back into the game.

Bear in mind that the Oilers defense was questionable against the Panthers. The Oilers’ D didn’t exactly play a tight-checking game. Ultimately, the lack of strong backchecking allowed the Panthers to leverage their physicality into a win.

The Oilers will hit the ice again on Thursday night when they host the Boston Bruins.