Evan Rodrigues, Panthers surge
late, down Oilers in Game 2
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[June 11, 2024]
The Florida Panthers are halfway to winning the Stanley Cup
Final thanks to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday
night in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers, on a quest for the first championship in franchise
history, lead the best-of-seven series 2-0, having taken both home
dates to kick off the set.
They are also well aware of the danger of looking too far ahead
going into Game 3 on Thursday in Edmonton.
"We don't change our game for anything," Florida defenseman Aaron
Ekblad told Sportsnet. "Up 2-1, down 2-1 in a game, it doesn't
matter. We're not going in their building up 2-0, we're going in
there to play a hockey game."
Florida now has history on its side, as 49 of the 54 previous teams
that won the first two games of the finals went on to capture the
Stanley Cup.
Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the third period to break a 1-1
deadlock, while Niko Mikkola and Ekblad added single goals for the
Panthers, who emphatically responded with four unanswered markers
after falling behind just past the midpoint of the first period.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves.
The victory may have come at a high cost, though. Florida captain
Aleksander Barkov left the game after taking a forearm to the jaw
from Leon Draisaitl in the middle of the third period, and he did
not return.
Draisaitl said of the hit, according to The Athletic, "I don't think
that's frustration. It was just a hit. I don't think there's
anything dirty about it. Maybe I got him a little high. Certainly
not with intent to injure, though, or anything like that."
Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who was stern at times during his media
availability, provided no update about his star center. Draisaitl
was handed a minor penalty, and Maurice refused to divulge publicly
whether he felt that was the correct call.
"This isn't ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.' My feelings don't matter,"
Maurice said.
If there was some consolation, Rodrigues netted his second goal of
the game during the ensuing power play -- which snapped Edmonton's
perfect run of kills at 34 -- to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
Mattias Ekholm had the lone goal for the Oilers, who managed only
seven shots on target through the first two periods. Goalie Stuart
Skinner stopped 25 shots.
Edmonton has managed only one goal through the first two games with
all of its big guns having gone silent, but coach Kris Knoblauch
said his team has no reason to panic.
[to top of second column] |
Jun 10, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Evan
Rodrigues (17) skates with the puck against Edmonton Oilers forward
Adam Henrique (19) during the second period in game two of the 2024
Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam
Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
"Just pucks not going in. I think we've had good
chances," Knoblauch said. "We've got some really good looks. We'd be
talking about how good our power play is if those three that go off
the goalpost go in."
The Oilers have little time to change the series by converting more
of those chances.
"It's not ideal, obviously, but we have two games at home," Edmonton
forward Zach Hyman said. "You've got to take care of business at
home. They just did that at home, and it's our job to go home and
win two. And it starts with one."
Right now, the odds are stacked against the Oilers, who have enjoyed
a remarkable run after being near the bottom of the league standings
one month into the campaign.
"It's exciting," Edmonton captain Connor McDavid said. "It's another
opportunity for our group to come together and dig our way out. It's
supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be difficult.
"I'm excited to see what our group's made out of. I'm excited to see
our group come together. I'm excited to see us fighting through
adversity and looking forward to people doubting us again. We're
good with our backs against the wall."
The Oilers have an injury concern of their own, with defenseman
Darnell Nurse limited to only a few shifts after appearing to be
injured following a check from Rodrigues midway through the first
period.
--Field Level Media
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