The 2025 Stanley Cup Final was about as tight as it could get through the first two games.
Two overtime games for the first time since the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Teams within a goal of each other for all but 77 seconds. Four lead changes for just the second time in the past 42 seasons.
The defending champion Florida Panthers made sure there would be no repeat as they pulled away for a 6-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3. That gives Florida a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series. Game 4 is Thursday, June 12, in Sunrise, Florida.
Brad Marchand scored 56 seconds into the game and the Panthers never gave up the lead. The Oilers pulled goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period after he gave up five goals on 23 shots.
The Panthers’ power play, which had struggling at home at 3.6%, scored three times as the undisciplined Oilers gave them opportunity after opportunity. Sam Bennett scored his second home playoff goal to go with his record 12 goals on the road.
Referees began handing out misconducts in the third period as the game got out of hand.
Highlights from Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers:
Florida leads the series 2-1. The plastic rats start flying on the ice.
Evan Rodrigues gets the Panthers’ third power-play goal of the game.
Evander Kane is gone as is Kasperi Kapanen.
Trent Frederic starts it by breaking his stick while cross-checking Sam Bennett. Jonah Gadjovich and Darnell Nurse get involved into an extended fight. Panthers get a power play out of this, but the Oilers kill it.
Brad Marchand is called for hooking.
Mattias Janmark goes off roughing. Oilers kill it off.
Calvin Pickard comes into the game after Skinner gave up five goals on 23 shots.
Sam Reinhart makes a great behind-the-back pass to Aaron Ekblad, who has a wide-open net. That’s two power-play goals for Florida.
Stuart Skinner called for delay of game after putting the puck over the glass.
Stuart Skinner still in the Edmonton net. Oilers kill off the remaining Panthers power play.
The Panthers build on their lead with goals by Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett following the Oilers’ opening goal by Corey Perry. Florida was physical in that period with Bennett delivers back-to-back before his goals and Aaron Ekblad knocks down Connor McDavid. Florida will have a power play to start the third period.
Darnell Nurse cross-checks Anton Lundell. There will be a 1:16 carryover into the third period.
Oilers defenseman Jake Walman was caught on camera spraying his water bottle at the Panthers bench. Why? Before that, Florida’s A.J. Greer had ripped off Walman’s glove and dropped it into the bench. Fines coming?
He left after an Aaron Ekblad hit but is now back.
Oilers turn over the puck and Panthers get a 2-on-0 breakaway. Sam Bennett scores his 14th playoff goal. It’s his fourth goal of the series and just his second one at home during the playoffs. He had two big hits before the breakaway. Bennett, a pending unrestricted free agent, is helping his cause this summer.
Sam Reinhart scores 80 seconds after the Edmonton goal. Aleksander Barkov starts the play by checking John Klingberg. Carter Verhaeghe picks up the loose puck and feeds Reinhart. No assist for Barkov, who’s still scoreless in the final.
Edmonton scores on the power play as Corey Perry converts a rebound of a Mattias Ekholm shot.
Oilers starting the period with a power play.
The penalties and the power plays piled up in that period. Florida’s Brad Marchand opened the scoring on a delayed penalty. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told TNT that the constant trips to the penalty box was a “recipe for disaster.” He was right as Carter Verhaeghe scored to give the Panthers just their second home power-play goal of the playoffs. Shots were 12-10 Edmonton, which also led 11-5 in hits.
Evan Bouchard cross-checks Anton Lundell, who punches the Oilers defenseman. A scrum breaks out. Lundell will be in the penalty box for roughing when the second period begins.
Paul Maurice puts out the second power-play unit out to start. Panthers move the puck quickly and Carter Verhaeghe scores. This is just the second two-goal lead of the Stanley Cup Final.
Viktor Arvidsson knocks Sergei Bobrovsky into the net and is called for goaltender interference.
Sam Bennett is called for high-sticking. And this one is killed, too.
This time, it’s too many men on the ice (seven players, actually) for Edmonton. Panthers are getting plenty of opportunity to work on their struggling home power play. Again, it comes up short as Aaron Ekblad is called for tripping. There will be 4-on-4. During the ensuing Edmonton power, Sergei Bobrovsky makes a glove save on Evan Bouchard.
Evander Kane takes another penalty, this time for high-sticking. Edmonton kills that off, too.
Evander Kane in the box. Panthers’ power play is clicking at only 3.6% at home during the playoffs. Oilers kill it off.
Anton Lundell called for tripping. Edmonton is dangerous but can’t score. One shot goes off Sergei Bobrovsky’s mask. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins misses the net on a rebound opportunity. Power play ends early when Evander Kane is called for cross-checking.
Brad Marchand stays hot, scoring 56 seconds into the game on a delayed penalty. He had two goals in Game 2, including the double-overtime winner.
Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov line vs. the Oilers’ Connor McDavid line. Edmonton outshoots Florida 2-0 with those lines out there.
The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.
Not only is he playing, he’s in the starting lineup. His line, centered by Connor McDavid, will go against the Aleksander Barkov line.
Of note, the Oilers appear to be going with their Game 2 defense pairings. They had switched up the pairings during their June 8 practice.
The early roster report lists Edmonton’s Jeff Skinner as a scratch, which would indicate that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is playing. Skinner would have been his replacement.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on the ice, as coach Kris Knoblauch said he would be. He’s a game-time decision.
Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (13-6, 2.21 goals-against average, .912 save percentage) vs. Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (7-5, 2.61, .901).
The Oilers have four of the top five scorers in the series: Connor McDavid has a league-best 31 points, followed by Leon Draisaitl (29). Evan Bouchard (21) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (18). Draisaitl has a team-high nine goals.
McDavid has five assists in the final and has three goals and 11 assists during a seven-game point streak.
The Panthers have 11 players with double-digit points, led by Sam Bennett (19) and Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk (17 each). Bennett is the playoffs’ leading goal scorer with 13.
The 16 goals through two games are tied with 2023 for the most of a final over the past 42 seasons.
But Panthers coach Paul Maurice said despite the high number of goals, the defense and goaltending have been strong.
“Everything is contested all over the ice,” Maurice said. “So … it’s more intense. What a wonderful thing to see in the final instead of the first round. These men are going that hard. It’s awesome.”
The Oilers changed their defense pairings during practice on June 8. Per NHL.com, Darnell Nurse moved up with Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm was with John Klingberg and Jake Walman was with Brett Kulak. For Game 2, their pairings were Bouchard-Ekholm, Nurse-Kulak and Walman-Klingberg.
Coach Kris Knoblauch didn’t make a big deal about the change.
“Throughout Games 1 and 2, we had some changes and throughout the rest of the series, there will be some more,” Knoblauch said.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed practice June 8 with an undisclosed injury but did take part in the optional skate on the morning of June 9. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch says he will be a game-time decision. “He’ll take warmup and we’ll decide from there,” he said.
Jeff Skinner would return to the lineup if Nugent-Hopkins can’t go. He has a goal and an assist in two playoff games.
“He’s been a true professional and when we’ve needed him, he’s been ready to play,” Knoblauch said.
He’ll return to the Panthers’ lineup in Game 3 and Jesper Boqvist will come out. Greer, who plays on the fourth line with Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich, missed Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, was limited in Game 5 and missed the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.
All times Eastern; (x–if necessary)
All odds via BetMGM (as of Monday, June 9, 4 p.m. ET
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