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The Florida Panthers took a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-1 home ice win over the Edmonton Oilers Monday night.
The Panthers recorded the game’s first six shots on net and had a golden opportunity to score first when Warren Foegele was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing Eetu Luostarinen. However, Mattias Janmark was tripped by Oliver Ekman-Larsson while killing the penalty. With the teams playing four-on-four, Mattias Ekholm beat Sergei Bobrovsky on a two-on-one to make it 1-0 Oilers with 8:43 left in the first. It was the Oilers first shot of the game.
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The Panthers carried most of the play in the second and tied it up on a shot by Niko Mikkola with 10:26 left in the period. Stuart Skinner made a big save on Matthew Tkachuk on a two-on-one. On a Panthers power play, he denied a point black look from Sam Bennett. Florida outshot Edmonton 13-3 in the second.
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Early in the third, Evan Rodrigues picked off Evan Bouchard’s clearing attempt and beat Skinner over the blocker. Rodrigues added a power play redirection goal with 7:34 on the clock to make it 3-1 and ended the Oilers consecutive penalty kill streak at 34.
The Oilers pulled Skinner for an extra attacker with 5:53 left and went on the power play not long after when Ekman-Larsson shot the puck over the glass. However, the Oilers couldn’t break through. Aaron Ekblad scored into an empty net with 2:28 to go.
Darnell Nurse barely played after taking a hit from Rodrigues in the first period. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov didn’t return after taking an elbow from Leon Draisaitl halfway through the third.
The Panthers outshot the Oilers 28-19.
The Oilers will host game three on Thursday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 4 pm, game at 6 pm).
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