Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, and we have made it through the first week of the two-month gauntlet to claim the Stanley Cup. Here are a few bobbleheads from this week’s playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers: Goalie Stuart Skinner
The Oilers began game one with the Kings on April 21. In front of a rowdy Los Angeles crowd, Edmonton fell behind quickly, with Skinner allowing four goals behind him by the end of the second period.
Skinner remained in net for the third period — a period that saw him let in a fifth goal, all from five different Kings Players.
The Oilers were willed back into the game by Connor McDavid’s one goal and three assists to level the score 5-5.
When Overtime looked all-but-inevitable, a late Kings rush saw Phillip Danault score the game-winning goal with 41 seconds left in the third period to officially send six goals past Skinner.
Game two was far less eventful as Skinner got the start for Edmonton again.
The Oilers only let up one goal in the first period on a power-play rush from Brandt Clarke.
The Kings’ power play struck again as they widened the lead 3-1 by the end of the second period.
As Edmonton closed the gap by quickly scoring two goals, Los Angeles got two more past Skinner before he was pulled for Calvin Pickard.
Pickard got the start for game three, a game that saw the Oilers concede only four goals in a wild 7-4 win in Edmonton.
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The Oilers look to ride the momentum with Pickard in net to try to even the series at 2-2, while leaving Skinner to keep the bench warm in the meantime.
Dallas Stars: Forward Mikko Rantanen
In what has been the most exciting series so far, the firepower between the Avalanche and Stars has not disappointed.
While most of the Stars’ mainstays have shown up this series, the biggest disappointment so far for Dallas has to be its big trade acquisition in Mikko Rantanen.
The storyline, of course, has been Rantanen facing his old team — and so far, the lights seem too bright for the Finnish forward.
In four games, Rantanen only has one point off an assist.
Going into game four, the Stars looked to Rantanen to help bring the series to 3-1, going back to Dallas. Instead, Rantanen could not solve Avalanche Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who posted the second shutout of these playoffs in a 4-0 Colorado Victory.
With the series returning to Dallas on Monday, Rantanen will look to break his slump, but so far, he has contributed the least to the series for the Stars.
Ottawa Senators: Forward Drake Batherson
The Senators were the first to face an elimination game this round, as they fell behind 3-0 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not helping the Senators’ cause was Drake Batherson, who finished the regular season with 26 goals, only trumped by Brady Tkachuk’s 29.
Though Ottawa was able to stay alive in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory, Batherson has been mostly absent, contributing only 2 points this series with a goal in game one and an assist in game three.
Ottawa hopes to ride the momentum of its victory into Toronto and will look for Batherson to live up to his productive season and bring the series to a game seven.
Simon Reseigh is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @simon_reseigh
