Maurice: Opponents match our physicality

New York Times

16 hours ago

Florida wins at home to take 2-1 series lead as Game 3 descends into constant fights Getty Images
The Florida Panthers thrashed the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 in a chaotic and violent Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, giving them a 2-1 lead in the series.
The game was characterized by constant scraps after the whistle, which descended into a full line brawl in the third period set off by Trent Frederic cross-checking Sam Bennett. That fight resulted in misconduct penalties that effectively ended the game for six players, and yet the remaining time still saw another 36 penalty minutes handed out.
Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett each scored for the third straight game in the series, while Florida also scored on three of its 11 (!) power plays.
Stuart Skinner was chased from the game after allowing five goals on 23 shots.
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Panthers score early and often in penalty-filled Game 3 rout of Oilers: Takeaways Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images
In the leadup to Game 3, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice addressed the physical nature of his team's style.
'We take some beatings,' he said. 'We take hits, we get hit. People have a general, pretty strong idea of the game that we play, and they play the same game when they play us. For the guys that play on both teams, you just get used to it.' Getty Images
The Panthers have a reputation for being in and around an opponent's blue paint with great frequency, so the Oilers aren't raising eyebrows about those tactics so far.
What the Oilers are scratching their heads about a bit, however, is what the Panthers — namely longtime nemesis Sam Bennett — are allowed to get away with when it comes to contact against goalie Stuart Skinner.
'You can accidentally drop into him, but, at one point, enough's got to be enough,' Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said.
An important component early in this Stanley Cup Final has been the battle for the space near Skinner's crease, and the calls and decisions after contact from Panthers forwards.
The Oilers have failed on a coach's challenge on one Panthers goal, opted not to seek a review on another Florida tally and benefited from one penalty call for goalie interference.
Read on at the link below.
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Panthers' net-front play becoming an issue for Oilers: 'Enough's got to be enough'
Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves in Game 1 and posted the very same number in Game 2. You don't normally say this about a goalie who has given up eight goals across two games, but the Russian netminder has played very well in this series.
He's the first goaltender on record to post back-to-back 40-save performances to begin a Stanley Cup Final, and he's just the 11th on record all-time to have multiple 40-save outings in his career.
No one has ever recorded three straight 40-save performances in the Final. Getty Images
Through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final:
Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA) Shots against: 92
Goals allowed: 8
Saves: 84
Save percentage: .913
GAA: 3.30
Stuart Skinner (EDM) Shots against: 74
Goals allowed: 8
Saves: 66
Save percentage: .892
GAA: 3.35 Getty Images
Caroline D.: Loving the Panthers and what they've been able to achieve on the road. They seem to thrive on adversity which definitely helps. Cross fingers they are able to take that into the next couple of games.
Christopher M.: I got into hockey in the late 70s and fell in love with the Oilers in the old WHA. I cheered their runs in the 80s, and still think Bill Ranford is the ultimate "luck into being amazing for 16 wins" player of all-time. That said, I'm cheering for the Panthers because I love the narrative of the greatest player of a generation not winning the Cup.
Bear B.: Is Brad Marchand actually becoming likeable?
You can send us your thoughts, questions and predictions by emailing us at [e-mail]. If you're a subscriber, you can also join the Game 3 discussion page here.
Connor McDavid was asked what advice he'd have for a young kid trying to master the unbelievable move he made to set up Leon Draisaitl's goal in Game 2. He struggled through an answer.
Draisaitl interjected. "You can't learn that," he said. "Let me answer it for you. I'll answer it for him."
Kurt T.: Blackhawks fan here rooting hard for the Oilers. That Connor McDavid assist was unbelievable. Couldn't believe my eyes. He's going to will this team to a Cup victory.
R O.: Oilers keep playing the way they have – while cleaning up a few things – and they stand a very good chance of knocking off Florida. At some point here soon, Bennett is going to disappear and Marchand will cool off.
Victor E.: Getting dominated in the second period is a major concern but, for me, the power play was the main difference in Game 2. The only way to dissuade Florida from their style is to consistently punish them on the scoreboard for their transgressions. Great PP goal but they needed more. Failing on the 5-on-3 and giving up the short-handed goal were major turning points in the game.
Matt S.: Kasperi Kapanen has obviously played well but it was his miscues that allowed the third Florida goal. He has a chance to send puck in deep in the offensive zone when he crossed the red line and made a weak cross-ice pass that was intercepted . Florida brought the puck back into the Edmonton zone, where he had another chance to clear the zone and failed, brutal shift. Florida scored after that failed attempt.
You can send us your thoughts, questions and predictions by emailing us at [e-mail]. If you're a subscriber, you can also join the Game 3 discussion page here. Getty Images
Could this Stanley Cup Final be any tighter?
Two overtime games. One win apiece. Each team takes control before the other punches back until someone lands the final blow.
There have been unbelievable goals and thunderous hits. There's even been some controversy.
The Oilers nearly went up 2-0 in the series but had to settle for a split as things shift to South Florida. There's been a lot to like about their performance and also some aspects to quibble about.
Let's look at three areas where they're doing well and three where they're not.
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What's gone right and wrong for Oilers against Panthers in Stanley Cup Final Getty Images
Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT) Shots: 42 - 46
42 - 46 Shot attempts: 71 - 66
71 - 66 Power play: 1/4 - 1/6
1/4 - 1/6 Penalty minutes: 8 - 6
8 - 6 Faceoff percentage: 54.3% - 45.7%
54.3% - 45.7% Hits: 60 - 39
60 - 39 Blocked shots: 15 - 24 Getty Images
Thanks to the Oilers and Panthers splitting the first two games, this will mark the 26th consecutive Stanley Cup Final to require at least five games. Of the past 25 SCF series from 1999 to 2024: six went to five games, 11 went to six games, and eight went all the way to seven games.
While it's common for the SCF to avoid being a sweep, it's quite rare to have an entire postseason without one. This is just the fifth postseason since 1987 (when all rounds went to best-of-seven) without any sweeps, following 2020, 2016, 2002 and 1991. Getty Images
With the game on his stick during a second clean breakaway look at Stuart Skinner on the night, Brad Marchand had only one thought in his mind.
'Just don't forget the puck,' he said. 'That's the main thing. I've done that before. It's not a good feeling.'
Marchand evened the Stanley Cup Final with Friday's double-overtime winner in what had to be the biggest Florida Panthers goal of this season. The only other one even in the conversation was the overtime goal Marchand scored in Game 3 of Round 2 against Toronto, which kept Florida from falling into an 0-3 hole during that series.
Read more below.
Two goals, and the final one serving as the game winner in double overtime? There was no doubt who was Game 2's first star.
The 37-year-old has scored seven goals in this postseason, three of which have come in the opening two games of the Stanley Cup Final. Furthermore, Marchand's rating of +14 is the second-highest mark of any player in the playoffs.
While it was not enough to push the Oilers to a win in Game 2, defenseman Evan Bouchard was critical for Edmonton, especially early in the game.
All three of Bouchard's points came in the first period, assisting on goals by Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane while scoring on a snap shot of his own. Having also recorded a three-point period during the Stanley Cup Final last year, Bouchard became just the fourth player in SCF history to record multiple three-point periods.
He now has the third-most assists in the NHL during these playoffs.
Connor McDavid continues to leave his imprint on the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, turning in another stellar performance in Game 2.
He assisted on three of the Oilers' four goals and is now up to 25 assists total during this playoff run.
McDavid also leads the postseason in points, now up to 31 points in 18 games.
Less than four minutes after Dmitry Kulikov tied the game at 3-3, Brad Marchand scored his second career short-handed goal in the Stanley Cup Final.
In fact, it came exactly 14 years to the day after his last one in Game 3 of the Boston-Vancouver series against Roberto Luongo — the now-Florida Panthers special adviser to general manager Bill Zito.
With the Panthers dominating the Oilers over a five-minute stretch, it appeared as if Niko Mikkola would douse momentum by hooking Connor McDavid. But instead, Anton Lundell sprung Marchand for the shortie.
Marchand then came up clutch in double overtime, scoring 8:04 into the frame.
Marchand's seventh goal of the playoffs was also his 10th career goal in the Stanley Cup Final, the most amongst active NHLers, one more than Corey Perry. Marchand is the second player age 37 or older to score in each of the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final (Hall of Famer Larry Robinson in 1989).
Lundell set up both of his goals. Asked where he thinks Marchand gets the energy from at his age, Lundell quipped: 'I hope he gets the energy from me and (linemate Eetu Luostarinen). It seems like nothing is stopping him.'
Remember when Leon Draisaitl failed to score in all seven games in this series a year ago? Well, that's a distant memory.
Draisaitl was the beneficiary of Connor McDavid's beautiful feed before he beat Sergei Bobrovsky on a power play in the first period. The goal was his third in two games this series.
That tally was also his 10th of the postseason, marking the third straight year he's reached that mark. Draisaitl joined rare and elite company as a result. The only other players to do this are Mike Bossy (four times from 1980 to 1983) and Wayne Gretzky (three times from 1983 to 1985).
Draisaitl also had an assist on Evan Bouchard's goal, giving him 29 points in 18 games. He's two points behind McDavid for the lead in the scoring race. Draisaitl is now two points behind his total from last year and three back of his personal best of 32 set in 2022.
Connor McDavid has assisted on five of Edmonton's first eight goals to open the Stanley Cup Final, and his wizardry was on full display while setting Leon Draisaitl up for the 3-2 goal in Game 2.
McDavid turned defenders Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov inside out as he attacked through the middle of the offensive zone before feathering a perfect pass over to Draisaitl at 12:37 of the first period — drawing massive praise from Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time scoring leader, who won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers.
Gretzky is an analyst on TNT's coverage and said on the intermission panel that he believes McDavid is playing like someone watching the game from the press box because of his otherworldly awareness of where everyone is on the ice around him.
'What he's doing differently as he gets older and more mature — we know he's the best player in the game — he's making every player around him even that much better now,' Gretzky said on TNT. 'That's a sign of a true superstar and that's the reason why he's the best player in the league. He's unselfish. He works as hard as any player on the ice.
'He wants to win so badly and he happens to have the best set of hands hockey has to offer right now.'
With an assist on Evander Kane's goal before netting one of his own, Evan Bouchard moved into second place among defensemen on the franchise's scoring list, passing Charlie Huddy. Pretty impressive, but it's even more impressive considering Bouchard has played 67 fewer postseason games than Huddy.
But, wait. There's more.
Bouchard's goal was the 20th of his postseason career in just 71 games. That matches Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar as the fastest active defenseman to that mark. Per the NHL, only six other blueliners hit that milestone quicker.
Bouchard added another secondary helper on the McDavid-to-Draisaitl jaw-dropping tally to cap a three-point night. He's now up to 79 points in the playoffs, which ties him with teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for ninth on the franchise's all-time list. Only Coffey, with 103 points, is ahead of him in terms of defensemen.
Bouchard got Conn Smythe Trophy votes last year when he recorded six goals and 32 points in 25 games. He's at 21 points in 18 contests now and will certainly garner consideration again if he continues his strong play in this series.
'A little slow start, but I like the way it's going,' Bouchard said before the game about his production. 'I like where I'm at right now and still more to give.'
All he's got to do is watch the retaliation penalties, of which he took two in this game.
Sam Bennett, who set a Panthers record for goals in a playoff by scoring twice in Game 1, didn't waste time breaking another record — this time an NHL record — 127 seconds into Game 2.
Bennett's 13th goal, which came on a power play, was his 12th on the road — an NHL record.
'I don't think there's any difference between home and the road for me,' Bennett said.
It came off a perfect setup by Nate Schmidt, but the Oilers were crying foul because Bennett casually kept Mattias Ekholm from retrieving his fallen stick prior to scoring.
But Bennett would be in the middle of more controversy later in the period. One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game's first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.
With the game tied 2-2 at the time, the refs called Bennett for goalie interference, much to the chagrin of the Panthers. On the ensuing power play, Edmonton reclaimed the lead after an extraordinary move by McDavid to set up Draisaitl.
'I was pushed,' Bennett said. 'I think the goalie kicked out my heel that made me fall. I didn't agree with that one.'