Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers continued their dominant run in the Stanley Cup Final, narrowly defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 at Edmonton’s Rogers Place on Thursday. This victory gives the Panthers a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series, putting them just one win away from claiming the Cup for the first time in their 30-season history.
Key contributions came from Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, each tallying a goal and an assist. Vladimir Tarasenko and Sam Bennett also found the back of the net, while goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves on 35 shots.
The Oilers showed resilience, narrowing the gap to one goal with a late surge. Brett Kulak's point shot deflected off Ryan McLeod to make it 4-3 with just over five minutes remaining. Earlier in the third period, a Philip Broberg shot ricocheted off a Florida defenseman to bring the Oilers within two goals.
Florida’s offense was in high gear during the second period. Barkov scored to extend the lead to 4-1, while Sam Bennett capitalized on a Darnell Nurse turnover to make it 3-1. Vladimir Tarasenko had earlier regained the lead for Florida with his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Edmonton’s Warren Foegele scored a breakaway goal early in the second period, marking the Oilers’ first five-on-five goal of the series and the first five-on-five goal the Panthers allowed since the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers.
The Panthers struck first in the opening period with Sam Reinhart tipping in a Gustav Forsling pass during a four-on-four situation, securing his ninth goal of the playoffs.
Both teams demonstrated strong penalty killing early in the game, each nullifying a power play opportunity.
Lineups:
Florida Panthers:
- Forward Lines: Evan Rodrigues - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart; Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk; Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Vladimir Tarasenko; Steven Lorentz - Kevin Stenlund - Kyle Okposo
- Defense Pairs: Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad; Niko Mikkola - Brandon Montour; Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Dmitry Kulikov
- Goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky, Anthony Stolarz
Edmonton Oilers:
- Forward Lines: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman; Corey Perry - Leon Draisaitl - Ryan McLeod; Mattias Janmark - Adam Henrique - Connor Brown; Warren Foegele - Derek Ryan - Dylan Holloway
- Defense Pairs: Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard; Darnell Nurse - Philip Broberg; Brett Kulak - Cody Ceci
- Goaltenders: Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard
Series Schedule and Recaps:
- Game 1: Panthers win 3-0. Sergei Bobrovsky with 32 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs.
- Game 2: Panthers rally to a 4-1 win. Evan Rodrigues scores twice.
- Game 3: Panthers win 4-3.
- Upcoming Games:
- Game 4: Saturday, June 15, at Edmonton’s Rogers Place, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
- Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 18, at Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, June 21, at Edmonton’s Rogers Place, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
- Game 7 (if necessary): Monday, June 24, at Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
Pregame Panthers Reading:
- Highlights:
- Aleksander Barkov will play in Game 3 after an injury scare.
- The Panthers’ flight to Edmonton was delayed, but the team downplayed its significance.
- Anton Lundell has been a key player throughout the playoffs.
- History favors the Panthers with a 2-0 series lead.
- Niko Mikkola’s impactful moments in Game 2.
- Evan Rodrigues' pivotal role in Game 2 comeback.
Edmonton Perspective:
- The Oilers are focusing on adjustments and strategies to overcome the Panthers’ dominance, with articles discussing lineup changes, player performances, and potential ways to turn the series around.
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