Panthers Now 2 Wins From The Stanley Cup, Top Oilers 4-1 For 2-0 Lead In Title Series

SUNRISE, Florida – Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton knocked out Florida’s Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers were sure to reply by landing the greater blow.

And the Stanley Cup Final heated up Monday night.

Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the third period, Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad also scored, and the Panthers used another close finish to defeat the Oilers 4-1 and take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 shots for Florida, which had a 1-8 record in Cup final games prior to this series and is now two wins away from its first championship. The score in the two games was Florida 7, Edmonton 1.

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Panthers Now 2 Wins From The Stanley Cup, Top Oilers 4-1 For 2-0 Lead In Title Series

“A six-man job against the best players in the world,” Ekblad stated.

But the victory came at a cost for Florida, as the Panthers lost captain Barkov after Edmonton forward Draisaitl rushed at him midway through the third period and smacked him in the head. Barkov stayed down for some time, required assistance getting to the bench, and then went down the tunnel to the Florida locker room for additional evaluation.

Florida coach Paul Maurice provided no update on Barkov’s status and was significantly more reserved than he usually is after a win.

“This isn’t The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Maurice commented about the Barkov hit. “My feelings don’t matter.”

Mattias Ekholm scored, and Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for the Oilers, who now must overcome some heavy history.

Edmonton has only once overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series against San Jose in Round 2 of the 2006 playoffs. In 54 previous Stanley Cup Finals, teams that have fallen 2-0 have won only five times.

“I think we believe we came here and played well enough to deserve a split,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It doesn’t always happen.”

The series will resume with Game 3 in Edmonton on Thursday night.

“We can certainly do better,” Draisaitl added. “It begins with me… I surely have a lot more to offer. Not my greatest night. Of course, I’m taking responsibility for that.”

Draisaitl received only a minor penalty for roughing on the hit that removed Barkov from the game. Rodrigues scored on a tip-in to make it 3-1, the first power-play goal Edmonton has allowed in its previous 34 man-down situations.

With around 6 minutes remaining, Connor McDavid had a breakaway opportunity to pull Edmonton within one. Bobrovsky stopped him, and he and Matthew Tkachuk tussled a bit along the boards after the play, with the Panthers still upset about the hit on Barkov.

“I have no response or comment on that,” Tkachuk said when asked what he thought of Draisaitl’s hit on Barkov and whether he was concerned that Florida’s captain would miss time.

McDavid said of the hit, “I thought it was part of the game.”

Ekblad added: “We’re hoping he’ll be fine.”

Emotions were intense all night. Edmonton’s Warren Foegele was ejected in the first period for a knee-on-knee hit that briefly took Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen out of the game; that ejection, along with an injury to Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, left the team with only 11 forwards and five defensemen for much of the game.

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Panthers Now 2 Wins From The Stanley Cup, Top Oilers 4-1 For 2-0 Lead In Title Series

Rodrigues scored early in the third period following a turnover, giving Florida a 2-1 lead and setting the tone for another comeback. The Panthers, who trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, are now an NHL-best 5-2 when trailing after one period in the playoffs.

With 2:28 remaining, Ekblad sealed the deal with an empty netter.

“It’s intended to be hard. “It’s supposed to be difficult,” McDavid explained. “I’m excited to see what our group’s made of.”

Just as in Game 1, one team capitalized on its first shot. On Saturday, it was Florida, and now it’s Edmonton.

There wasn’t much to it: Ekholm skated nearly the whole length of the ice as the teams played 4-on-4, taking a harmless-looking shot that went between Bobrovsky’s leg pads and into the back of the net. McDavid, playing in the same venue where he was selected in 2015, assisted on the goal, giving him 27 assists this playoffs.

The Panthers tied the game halfway through the second period. Mikkola had two shots in a shift; one was at the wrong net and the other more than made up for that near-miss.

Moments after clumsily wheeling a backhand toward Bobrovsky, who was alert enough to spare his teammate from the shame of an own goal, Mikkola handled an Anton Lundell delivery and blasted it past Skinner to level the game at one.

Panthers | AP news Image

Panthers Now 2 Wins From The Stanley Cup, Top Oilers 4-1 For 2-0 Lead In Title Series

“Bob was awake,” Mikkola explained.

Shots were 22-7. After 40 minutes, Florida leads the league in shots on goal, while the Oilers are kept to a season low entering the third. Bobrovsky was put to the test far more in the third period than in the first two, but he rose to the occasion, allowing two goals or fewer for the 12th time in 13 games.

And, for the first time, Florida is two wins away from the Cup.

“It’s special,” Rodrigues stated. “I’m trying to embrace it. Trying to stay present. That’s two significant wins for our team, but I believe we’ve already turned the page and are preparing for Game 3.”