Panthers aim to take 3-1 series lead in Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. – Whether you win big or lose big, the plan for the next game is the same.
Wipe the slate clean.
After a 6-1 beatdown of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3, the Florida Panthers will try to take a 3-1 series lead when they return to the ice for Game 4 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday.
“You take it for what it is,” head coach Paul Maurice said of turning the page. “You just don’t want to spend a lot of time in it, whether it’s a loss or a win. I don’t believe in momentum, so it doesn’t have any effect on when the puck drops as long as you don’t allow it to.”
Right from the get-go, things were clicking for the Panthers in Game 3.
After Brad Marchand broke the ice just 56 seconds after the puck dropped, Carter Verhaeghe picked a corner on the power play to make it 2-0 after the first period.
Just 1:20 after Corery Perry cut Edmonton’s deficit in half early in the second period, Sam Reinhart responded for the Panthers to regain the two-goal cushion and make it 3-1.
Following a pair of big hits, Sam Bennett buried a breakaway to make it 4-1.
A Conn Smythe candidate, Bennett leads Florida in goals (14), points (20) and hits (97).
“He has been incredible,” captain Aleksander Barkov said. “Obviously, he is scoring goals, but he is doing so much more. He’s carrying the puck in the neutral zone, making plays and defending well. He is just unreal right now.”
After a power-play goal from Aaron Ekblad early in the third period put the Panthers up 5-1 and sent Stuart Skinner to the bench, the Oilers turned their attention to settling scores.
Losing their cool, Edmonton piled up the penalty minutes for most of the final 20 minutes.
When their number was called, the Panthers, of course, answered the bell and won some fights.
Closing out the lopsided contest — and with both benches missing a few players — Evan Rodrigues cashed in with the extra attacker to make it 6-1 with 3:50 remaining in regulation.
While it’d be easy to look at the six goals the Panthers scored, it’s important to not forget that Sergei Bobrovsky only surrendered one goal and was solid once again between the pipes.
After becoming the first goaltender to start a Cup Final with back-to-back games with at least 40 saves, the future Hall of Famer turned aside 32 of 33 shots in Game 3.
Per NHL stats, Bobrovsky’s 116 saves so far in the series are tied for the second most through the first three games of a Cup Final.
“You’re trying to build the moment and stay in the moment,” said Bobrovsky, who’s gone 14-6 with a 2.15 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and three shutouts this postseason. “You want to help the guys to win the moment.”
As you’d expect, the Oilers enter Game 4 looking for answers.
From a lack of goals to a lack of discipline, not much went right for them in Game 3.
After combining for nine points (three goals, six assists) in Games 1 and 2, Edmonton’s superstar duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were kept in check by the Panthers.
McDavid recorded one shot attempt, while Draisaitl had zero for the first time this season.
With both skaters seeing more than six minutes on the power play, the penalty kill really got the job done for the Panthers and has been a major difference maker in the series.
Through three games, Florida sits at 13-for-16 on the penalty kill.
Gustav Forsling leads the Panthers with 14:21 of shorthanded ice time in the series, while Aaron Ekblad (11:07), Barkov (10:53), Seth Jones (8:19), Tomas Nosek (7:59), Sam Reinhart (7:57) and Eetu Luostarinen (7:44) have also been logging big minutes.
“We’ve got a Bobby,” defenseman Niko Mikkola said of the success on the penalty kill.
While the Panthers expect to roll with the same lineup, the Oilers will be making changes.
Based on lines from this morning’s skate, it appears that Jeff Skinner will be coming in for Viktor Arvidsson up front, and Troy Stecher will take John Klingberg’s spot on the blue line.
Appearing in his first playoff run at 33 years old, Skinner has notched a goal and an assist in two games thus far, while Stecher has tallied seven blocked shots and six hits in six games.
Among the adjustments, Perry looks to be moving from the first to the fourth line.
After giving up five goals on 23 shots in Game 3, Skinner, who was replaced by Calvin Pickard in the third period, is expected to return to the net and get the start of Edmonton.
In the first three games of the Cup Final, Skinner owns a .866 save percentage.
While it’s safe to call this a must-win game for the Oilers, the Panthers treat every game that way.
“We expect their best,” Verhaeghe said. “We expect them to come out hard, play really hard. We just expect them to make a push. They’re a really good team. They’re here for a reason. They’ve got a lot of skilled players. We’re going to be ready for it, and it’s got to be our best, too.”
THEY SAID IT
“He’s matured a lot. was mature when he came, but he’s been just growing into playing like a real man and veteran out there. He’s been unreal.” – Gustav Forsling on Anton Lundell
“They’re going to bounce back. They’re a very, very good team and they’re going to want to answer for the game that just happened. We’re expecting their best. At the end of the day, we just focus on us and our game.” – Jonah Gadjovich on the Oilers
“I think this will be the fastest, most-disciplined game by both teams.” – Paul Maurice on Game 4
“You look to the big guys like Bobby, Barky and all those guys. They set the example. You try to learn every day what they do.” – Niko Mikkola on Florida’s mental fortitude
FIVE CATS STATS
– Nate Schmidt has dished out five assists through the first three games of the Cup Final.
– Anton Lundell is expected to skate in his 75th career playoff game, becoming just the fourth player in NHL history to achieve that feat before their 24th birthday.
– Evan Rodrigues has tallied a team-high seven points (1G, 6A) at home these playoffs.
– Carter Verhaeghe has scored a team-high three game-winning goals this postseason.
– Matthew Tkachuk has logged a team-high nine power-play points these playoffs.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
TV: TNT, truTV, Max, SN, CBC, TVAS
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM & 1230 WBZT-AM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 220 / App & Streaming 931
Tickets: Click Here
