NHL Insider Ray Ferraro Rips Oilers Game Tactic and Reveals how to Beat Panthers

NHL insider Ray Ferraro revealed that the Oilers need to absolutely stop flipping the puck in, as if they're punting a football, if they want to beat Florida.

In an analysis by ESPN's Ray Ferraro, one of the game's quickest minds, the Edmonton Oilers' inability to clear their zone cleanly in Game 5 ultimately cost them.

Discussing on The Ray & Dregs Podcast, Ferraro explained that Edmonton kept losing possession by lobbing or rimming the puck out unnecessarily, and ending up losing possession in the neutral zone.

'That high flip has become a tactic around the league,' Ferraro said. 'And I always hated it because we finally get the puck, and now it's like we're on the punt coverage team. Right? They flip it up, we go down, they've got the puck again. Like, why can't we pass it out? And if Edmonton's D can get back to make a first clean touch, I think their first play has got to go up the middle of the ice. You rim it around the boards, and Florida just snuffs it out. Like, (Edmonton needs to) get back quick as you can. Maybe that open spot is the middle of the ice, and that backs off their D. And if it doesn't, then you can go to the high flip.'

Those errors were taken advantage of by the Florida Panthers, who attacked immediately and maintained pressure.

The Panthers scored in Game 5 due to poor Oilers puck movement

Florida capitalized on a 2-0 first-period lead, in part because of the Oilers' poor puck movement. The second came when Mattias Ekholm muffed a clearance, and Florida exploited the moment to get back into the zone rapidly and score.

Ferraro's recipe for success was easy to follow: crisp exits that reached the other end with flying colors. Defensive and neutral-zone turnovers? Failing grades.

Ferraro added: 'But it's not easy, right? Like Florida is not going to give you any time to do it.'