Stanley Cup Final: Panthers take 3-0 series lead over Oilers

Connor McDavid’s dream of hoisting a Stanley Cup this spring is popping right into a nightmare.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves because the Florida Panthers held on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Thursday and take a 3-0 chokehold within the best-of-seven title sequence.

Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, with a purpose and an help every, Vladimir Tarasenko and Sam Bennett scored for Florida, which has smothered McDavid and the Oilers’ assault by means of 9 intervals.

And every time the Oilers have had a glance — apart from temporary surges like Thursday’s third interval after trailing 4-1 — Bobrovsky has been near good.

Warren Foegele, Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod replied for Edmonton. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 photographs. McDavid had two assists.

The Panthers can clinch their first Cup on Saturday again at Rogers Place. Sport 5, if obligatory, can be Tuesday at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment.

Florida, which misplaced to the Vegas Golden Knights final spring, is trying to turn out to be simply the third group within the NHL’s post-1967 growth period to hoist hockey’s holy grail after shedding the ultimate the earlier yr, becoming a member of the Oilers (1984) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009).

The Oilers, in the meantime, will hope to keep away from changing into the primary group swept within the championship spherical for the reason that 1998 Washington Capitals.

Barkov suited up after taking a forearm to the jaw from Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl within the third interval of Florida’s 4-1 victory Monday. Edmonton was with out winger Evander Kane (sports activities hernia), however defenceman Darnell Nurse (suspected hip harm) was good to go.

Tied 1-1 after Foegele, who was ejected from Sport 2 for kneeing, scored his second purpose of the playoffs below Bobrovsky’s glove at 1:49 of the center interval, the netminder made massive stops on Zach Hyman and McDavid inside a frothing Rogers Place.

The Panthers then took benefit of a Skinner miscue on the different finish of the rink when he could not cease a puck behind his internet. Eetu Luostarinen gained a race with Cody Ceci and located Tarasenko in entrance for his fourth at 9:12.

Nurse dedicated one other turnover that led to Matthew Tkachuk passing to Bennett, who roofed his seventh at 13:57.

Barkov added to Edmonton’s distress on a breakaway 1:34 later to make it 4-1 — and additional silence the orange-and-blue-clad crowd.

Broberg gave the Oilers some life at 6:02 of the second when the rookie defenceman fired his first purpose upstairs on Bobrovsky.

McLeod made it 4-3 at 14:43 together with his second on a deflection to breathe extra life into Rogers Place.

Bobrovsky then denied the winger of the tying purpose from in shut, and the Panthers held on from there regardless of some nervy moments.

Reinhart opened the scoring with 62 seconds left within the opening interval with the groups taking part in 4-on-4 after an enormous scrum round Bobrovsky’s internet.

The winger, who scored 57 occasions within the common season, redirected Gustav Forsling’s feed previous Skinner for his ninth of the post-season after some good work from Barkov.

The Oilers had loads of possibilities earlier than Florida’s breakthrough, however Bobrovsky was there at each flip.

Connor Brown had two short-handed alternatives, whereas a pair of power-play possibilities failed to attach regardless of a string of excellent seems to be for McDavid, Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl.

Bobrovsky’s greatest save got here on a cross-ice go from Draisaitl to McDavid, who has 34 factors within the playoffs, however simply two assists on this sequence, that the goaltender learn completely.

DRAISAITL ESCAPES

The large German prevented supplementary self-discipline for the play in Sport 2 that knocked Barkov out of the motion.

“I am not a participant who performs with an intent to injure anyone by any means,” Draisaitl, who has by no means been suspended, stated Thursday morning. “I’ve no observe document of that. I am not a participant who enjoys that a part of the sport — injuring different gamers or something like that. I caught him in an unlucky spot.”

DAVIES IN THE HOUSE

Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies, who grew up in Edmonton, was at Rogers Place supporting the Oilers forward of the Copa America event later this month.

TRAVEL WOES

The Panthers had been delayed arriving in Edmonton by three hours Wednesday by a large storm that drenched the Miami/Fort Lauderdale space.

Florida head coach Paul Maurice downplayed any potential influence for his group, however added there was a draw back.

“The coaches placed on seven kilos,” he quipped. “That is the one ramification — we ate 12 meals.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 13, 2024.