Florida Panthers pull away in third period to defeat Edmonton Oilers, take commanding 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final

CNN
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Evan Rodrigues scored twice within the third interval, and the Florida Panthers scored 4 unanswered objectives to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 within the NHL Stanley Cup Closing Monday to take a commanding 2-0 lead at Amerant Financial institution Area in Dawn, Florida.

“It’s particular. Attempting to embrace it,” mentioned Rodrigues postgame. “Attempting to remain within the second. It’s two large wins for our group, and I believe we’ve already turned the web page and we’re preparing for Recreation 3.”

The Oilers received on the board first, on their first shot try, halfway by the opening interval. Oilers famous person Connor McDavid made a well timed go to Mattias Ekholm, who skated previous the defenders and buried the wrister five-hole on Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovksy for the purpose.

In Recreation 1 of the collection the Oilers didn’t internet a purpose regardless of outshooting the Panthers 32-18. On Monday, the roles have been considerably reversed with the Panthers outshooting the Oilers, 22-7 by the primary two intervals.

Shot try after shot try, the Panthers struggled to get previous Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. Niko Mikkola, nonetheless, discovered his second of glory within the second interval as he snapped a one-timer in on Skinner’s glove aspect to tie the sport 1-1. The Panthers troubles of discovering the again of the web disappeared from that time on.

Rodrigues gave the Panthers the 2-1 lead somewhat over three minutes into the third interval, profiting from a pricey Evan Bouchard turnover and wiring within the shot that deflected off of Ekholm and into the again of the web.

Rodrigues scored a power-play purpose with 7:31 left within the third interval, for his second of the sport, and third of the collection, to increase the Panthers result in 3-1. The facility-play purpose ended the Oilers’ streak of 34 consecutive penalty kills.

“I believe our mentality modified within the third, the place we stopped treating it like a power-play and began treating it like 5-on-5. They arrive with a number of strain and if we attempt to make a cute play, it’s by no means going to work,” Rodrigues mentioned of the power-play purpose.

Together with his two objectives, Rodrigues grew to become the primary participant in Panthers franchise historical past with a multi-goal recreation within the Stanley Cup Closing.

Aaron Ekblad added a fourth for the Panthers, scoring an empty-net purpose to shut out the victory.

The Panthers misplaced captain Aleksander Barkov halfway by the third interval, after taking a success within the head from Oilers ahead Leon Draisaitl. He would go away the sport and never return. Draisaitl acquired a minor penalty for roughing.

After being shutout within the opening recreation of the collection, the Oilers once more didn’t get a lot going offensively.

Their seven shot makes an attempt by the primary two intervals tied the file for the fewest-ever in Stanley Cup Closing historical past. Edmonton – who led the league with photographs on purpose in the course of the common season – completed with 19 makes an attempt, with Bobrovsky making 18 saves.

“We really feel we got here right here and we performed sufficient to get a cut up,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch mentioned after the sport. “That doesn’t at all times occur. We simply should take it one recreation at time.

“I don’t see any purpose to panic or do something drastic … We simply should win the following recreation.”

Getting into the collection with a 1-8 file within the Stanley Cup Closing, the Panthers will journey to Edmonton with a 2-0 collection lead for Thursday’ night time’s Recreation 3.