Unfortunately there's no clip to the segment, but Subban ruffled some feathers both online and with Mark Messier by calling the Oilers soft. It's one of the worst things you can say about a hockey player considering the physical intensity of the sport, especially in the Stanley Cup Final. Messier looked seriously ticked off, maybe because he disagreed with the criticism, or he was embarrassed for his former team.
Plenty of fans took to social media, surprisingly mostly to praise Subban for his assessment of the Oilers defence.
The Oilers defence has been an obvious weak point, but calling them soft is unjustified. They're not avoiding hits or getting overly beat up by the Panthers forecheck, but Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, and even Evan Bouchard have made far too many costly turnovers and defensive blunders in the Cup Final.
Still, the Oilers defence will have to be much better if they want to win even one game in this series. Tomorrow night's game will have the Oilers season on the line, and if they lose, Matthew Tkachuk and the Flames will lift the cup in Edmonton. If the Oilers win, we've seen them go on heaters before, and it could be the beginning of something special.
Source: @MissConduct24 on X
Messier reaction to Subban criticizing Oilers defence
POLL | ||
Do you think the Oilers defence is soft? | ||
Yes, Subban's right, they're soft | 508 | 58 % |
No, Oilers defence isn't soft | 308 | 35.2 % |
See Results | 60 | 6.8 % |
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