The Edmonton Oilers are going to win The Stanley Cup.
That's The Maven's firm conviction based on the manner in which they are demolishing the Dallas Stars and will outlast Florida.
But while watching Connor McDavid & Company, I became aware that the Rangers can learn something from The Oil.
Edmonton has talent and mental toughness. The Rangers have talent and no mental toughness.
A Sweet 17 Thoughts About What Rangers Fans Should Know About The Playoffs
<b>1.</b> The most unheralded hero so far in the playoffs almost was a Rangers coach. Edmonton bench boss Kris Knoblauch has his Oilers hellbent for a leap into the Cup Final with Dallas now on the ropes.
"There are players who have all the talent in the world but don't succeed because they can't conquer the mental aspect of the game," says The Maven's Round Table panelist Mark Linde.
The Blueshirts who immediately come to mind are Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière.
Mika has the offense, to be sure, but winds up a minus-24 and traditionally fails in the playoffs. Likewise Lafrenière is totally gifted but plays half the time like he's shuffleboard captain on the Queen Mary.
"There are others," addes Linde, "who don't have superior talent but get every ounce out of their ability because of their strong mental focus and high octane motor."
He's talking about Oilers workhorse Corey Perry. The guy is going on 40 years old and has been a prime reason why Edmonton is one measly win from entering the Stanley Cup Final round.
While leading his team to a 4-1 victory last night at home, Perry scored a goal and an assist. What's more – fourth-liner or not – he comes to play every night.
Linde: "Teams like the Oilers win because they have enough top level leaders to inspire middle level and lower level players to up their games to contribute to the success of the team.
"They also seem to have coaches who find a way to get the most out of every player on their roster."
And how do they compare to the Blueshirts?
"The Rangers don't have enough leaders, not enough middle and lower players who play to their potential. Nor did they have a coach in Laviolette who got the most out of their roster!"