Defending champion Panthers are unfazed after losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Oilers
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Going into this Stanley Cup Final rematch, confidence oozed from the Florida Panthers just like last year when they won — and also this time from the Edmonton Oilers because they felt prepared for the moment.
After losing Game 1 in overtime after a puck over the glass penalty put Edmonton on the power play, the Panthers have not lost any of the belief they carried into the series. In a third consecutive final, the defending champions are unfazed by their deficit and appear well equipped to bounce back in Game 2 on Friday night.
'We've got a lot of battle scars on us from the last few years, and we've been through way worse,' winger Matthew Tkachuk said Thursday. 'We can be better, we can adjust a few things and come out tomorrow and try to get a win here and get some momentum going back home.'
A win would even things up and put the pressure right back on reigning playoff MVP Connor McDavid, Game 1-winning goal-scorer Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers with play shifting to Sunrise next week. Even a loss would not put the Panthers into desperate straits.
They dropped the first two in the second round against Toronto and trailed 2-0 and 3-1 in Game 3 before rallying to win that night and beat the Maple Leafs in seven. Even for Florida's newcomers, it was evidence that this team doesn't go down easy.
'You're going to have moments in the game and moments in a series that you're going to be riding a roller coaster,' defenseman Nate Schmidt said. 'This team, I think, has an incredible ability to be able to not only learn from what they've done and apply their experience into situations like this.'
Coach Paul Maurice downplayed it as 'just experience,' as though every team in the NHL or any sport knows what it is like to make this many deep playoff runs in a row and look borderline unstoppable. Because of that success, the Panthers are who they are, and not a lot of major adjustments are expected.
'It's almost always an adjustment back to form: We were a little off here, we can be a little bit better,' Maurice said. 'Nobody's changing a major system. It takes months and years to do that. You're (talking about) adjustments back to form, but I think they have a pretty strong understanding of their foundation.'
Panthers players seem to have a pretty strong understanding of how playoff hockey works. They've won 10 of 11 playoff series since Maurice became coach and Tkachuk arrived in a trade from Calgary in the summer of 2022.
The only time they've been on the wrong side of a handshake line during this stretch was the 2023 final against Vegas, when Tkachuk was sidelined by a broken sternum and several others were playing with significant injuries. The memories of that and falling behind in series along the way stick with them.
'We learn more from adversity than we do from winning,' forward Carter Verhaeghe said. 'Every time you lose games or go through series where you're down 2-0 or losing in the Cup final a couple of years ago, you learn a lot. It's just sticking with it and being mentally strong.'
Tkachuk said he and his teammates are plenty strong mentally, so the tweaks will be more tactical. They won't look too different but have some areas to clean up.
'Maybe a little bit more offensive zone time, some things we look at, but they played a good game,' defenseman Seth Jones said. 'They were solid defensively. They blocked a lot of shots. And we kind of knew that coming in there's not a lot of space out there, not a lot of plays to be made, really. So, when we do get those opportunities, try to hold on to the puck and capitalize.'
The Oilers turned the puck over several times in Game 1, with goaltender Stuart Skinner saving them a few times from the score getting more lopsided than the 3-1 deficit they overcame. They figure to be much improved in those areas.
Coach Kris Knoblauch knows his team has to raise its level 'because we know how good Florida is.' The blueprint has been out there for several years, and it's an imposing one.
'They're pretty confident with their identity, and they play to that identity very well,' Knoblauch said. 'They have a lot of confidence that they'll play their game and they should come out on top. For us, we need to just be ready for it — that they are going to be better.'
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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Stanley Cup Final live updates: Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers, Game 2
Will the Florida Panthers even up the series? Or will they fall behind 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Final before they get to home ice? After an overtime defeat in the series opener against the Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers know they have to respond on Friday night to keep serious hopes of repeating as champions alive. Advertisement It's a tall task. Will they get it done? Puck drop for Game 2 from Edmonton's Rogers Place is at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on TNT and truTV and is available via stream on Max. Follow along throughout the game for live updates, news, analysis and commentary. Panthers win! Series tied on Marchand's double OT goal The Panthers and Edmonton head to Sunrise for Monday's Game 3 tied in the Stanley Cup Final after Brad Marchand's goal at 8:05 of double overtime gave the Panthers a 5-4 win in one of the best Stanley Cup Final games — ever. In a repeat of Marchand's second period shorthanded goal that gave the Panthers a 4-3 lead, Anton Lundell picked up the puck high in the Panthers zone and Marchand took off behind the Edmonton defense. Lundell fed Marchand again. Marchand fought off the tie up attempt his stick and nudged it through Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner's pads. Advertisement The Panthers and Oilers will have two days off before Game 3, Monday, in Sunrise at Amerant Bank Arena. The game's last three goals were scored by Marchand, 37; Edmonton's Corey Perry, 40; and Marchand. Three regulation periods & one sudden death period down Game 2 remains 4-4. Edmonton outshot the Panthers, 14-9, but the Panthers had the two best scoring chances, Sam Reinhart's breakaway and Brad Marchand on the doorstep (see below). Panthers' defenseman Seth Jones (32:00) and Aaron Ekblad (29:45) lead the defending Cup holders in Game 2 ice time. Connor McDavid's 31:41 and defenseman Evan Bouchard's 31:23 lead Edmonton in ice time. Leon Draisaitl, who scored Game 1's overtime winner, has played 29:06. More overtime scoring chances The Panthers had their leading regular season goal scorer each of the last two years, Sam Reinhart, on an overtime breakaway. Reinhart tried to go low stick side on Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner and missed the net. Advertisement On an odd-man rush, Edmonton's Evander Kane tried a pull-and-drag to give himself an open look in the slot, but a spinning snow angel move by Gustav Forsling stripped Kane and started a counter rush. Off a rebound with Skinner on the edge of his crease, Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues from low on the left side, backhanded it on the net and it went behind Skinner and across the goalmouth. Marchand almost wins it As the Panthers started to resemble their Game 1 overtime form — a fatigued team without physical and mental acuity — off a turnover, Brad Marchand nearly won it 8:17 into overtime. Marchand took a feed while cutting to the net, Edmonton's Stuart Skinner did the splits for the first save, Marchand's second rap got under Skinner's pad and hit the inside of the left post. The Corey Perry Zombie gets the Panthers. Overtime. Win a defensive zone face-off. Win a defensive zone face-off, clear the puck, maybe take a shot at an open net, but outlast an exhausted Edmonton group that was on the ice for almost the last three minutes of the game. Advertisement The Panthers couldn't do it. Game 2 is going to overtime, 4-4. Up 4-3 in the last minutes, the Panthers kept losing defensive zone face-offs until the Panthers Aleksander Barkov actually got something of a tie against Leon Draisaitl. Niko Mikkola couldn't control the puck, Edmonton got it and Jake Walman's wrister was kicked out by Sergei Bobrovsky. The rebound went past Barkov and Seth Jones to 40-year-old Corey Perry, who swatted it home while Eeto Luostarinen fruitlessly tried to tie him up. 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The Panthers aren't owning the circle as they did in Game 1's first two periods, with only a 52-48 percentage advantage. Going into the third period, as far as how much Edmonton's Power Pair have played, Connor McDavid has been out for 15:04 of the first 40 minutes and Leon Draisaitl has played 14:02. Expect to see them double shifted if the Panthers still lead by the 10-minute mark. Advertisement As for the defensemen the Panthers like on the ice against McDavid and Draisaitl, Aaron Ekblad has played 15:27 and Gustav Forsling has been on the ice for 15:06. The Panthers' ice time leader is Seth Jones, 17:48. Among the forwards, center Aleksander Barkov has played 14:09. Panthers back in the take the lead Even the pterodactyl reach of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola couldn't prevent him from drawn into a hooking penalty by Connor McDavid. Remember what Gretz said between periods about the Panthers staying out of the box? Sure enough, there was a goal and a 4-3 lead. But, the Panthers got that goal and that lead. Advertisement As Anton Lundell foiled another Edmonton zone entry on a fantastic penalty kill, Brad Marchand took off and Lundell saw him. Lundell nudged the puck ahead and Marchand scored on the breakaway at 12:09. Panthers 4, Edmonton 3. Only a couple of moments of brilliance from Skinner kept the Oilers close over the next four minutes. Kulikov almost struck again when his slapshot hit an Edmonton defenseman and turned into a skipping stone, forcing a spectacular adjustment by Skinner. Second period replay halfway through, Panthers tie it Though Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had to make two fantastic saves on Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, the second on a two-on-one with Connor McDavid, the Panthers began to take over the game on the forecheck, as they did in Game 1's second period. Advertisement That grinding produced the game's tying goal, at 8:23 of the second. From Sam Reinhart, who had a few chances in the slot? Nope. Carter Verhaeghe, who also got couple of good looks? Nah, Stuart Skinner rejected him, too. No, silly, the goal came from the stick of dfenseman Dmitri Kulikov, he of two previous career playoff goals. Barkov lifted Ekholm's stick to prevent him from playing the dump-in and, soon after, Kulikov sent a wrister through a screen (and with Tkachuk crowding Skinner's workspace) to tie the game. First period thoughts from the press box What a period. Five combined goals. Fifty combined shot attempts. Eleven penalties leading to seven power plays and some time at 4 on 4 mixed in there as well. Only 8:09 of the opening 20 minutes was played at full strength. Advertisement Each team dominated for stretches of the period, as was the case throughout Game 1. A few thoughts as we wait for Period 2... ▪ Connor McDavid is special. That goes without saying. But watching him in person and up close gives an even better appreciation for his ability to make world-class plays. ▪ There was high-flying action in the opening frame, but will either team settle in when (if?) the game is able to get into an extended stretch at five-on-five? ▪ How about some love for Nate Schmidt? The Panthers' third-pair defenseman has assists on four of Florida's first five goals of this series, including three primary assists. Advertisement ▪ The goalie numbers: Sergei Bobrovsky is 11 for 14, including 3 of 4 on high-danger shots and 5 of 6 against Edmonton's power play; Stuart Skinner is 9 for 11. End of the first period: The Oil 3, Cats 2 'Was that the best period of hockey you've ever seen live in your life?' former NHL forward Anson Carter asked on the TNT broadcast after the first period. 'Probably,' former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. 'I'm speechless.' 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Advertisement On the power play, the Panthers seemed to get a break as one of the Oilers went to the bench to get a new stick. But, the brief four-on-four provided McDavid room for a breathtaking stickhandling show. McDavid zigzagged by Barkov, sent Ekblad into a stumbling flop then slipped a pass by Anton Lundell to Draisaitl in the low right circle. Edmonton, 3-2. Draisaitl saluted the brilliant play by letting McDavid go first in dapping up the Edmonton bench, something usually reserved for the goal scorer. What is this, the 1980s? Panthers tie the game Is it Wayne Gretzky being in the house for TNT? Because the goals are coming at the rate that the 1980s Oilers, who averaged 5.0 goals per game for five consecutive regular seasons, used to score and allow. Advertisement Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt jumped on a soft clearing attempt by Edmonton's Kaspari Kapanen just inside the left point and passed to Eetu Luostarinen in the right circle. With Kapanen still scolding himself high in the zone, Luostarinen saw wide open defenseman Sean Jones breaking through the left circle. Jones fired into a gaping net at 11:37: 2-2. Edmonton takes the lead Everybody in the NHL knows that four-on-four is not even strength against Edmonton because when, say Edmonton's Darnell Nurse and the Panthers Matthew Tkachuk go off cross checking and slashing each other, the Oilers throw out Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with more room to work. Advertisement McDavid's speed pushed the Panthers into retreat as he hit the Panthers blue line, giving defenseman Evan Bouchard room to shoot. Bouchard's wrister was blocked right back to him, but his second shot got past Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky (screened by Reinhart and Barkov). Edmonton's second goal in 1:40 gave them the lead, 2-1, 9:19 into the game. Kane redeems himself, ties the game, 1-1 From the Edmonton blueline, defenseman Evan Bouchard quickly headmanned the puck to Viktor Arvidsson, who turned it to a flying Evander Kane. Kane, named after 1990s world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, punched the Panthers the face with a whistling left circle wrister over Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky's glove and off the right post. Advertisement Tie game, 1-1, 7:39 into the first. Panthers win the first shift, take a 1-0 lead The Panthers altered first line produced a scoring chance, Sam Reinhart from between the circles, less than 10 seconds into the game. Edmonton's Evander Kane reached back to deflect Reinhart's shot over the net, but took an offensive zone penalty 37 seconds into the game when he high sticked Carter Verhaeghe while finishing a check. Kane helped establish Edmonton's physical play in Game 1. On the Panthers power play, Sam Bennett mishit a one-timer off a pass from Nate Schmidt, but got enough for it to get by goalie Stuart Skinner 2:07 into the game. An infuriated Oilers bench wanted a penalty on Bennett, who, while turning to get into position for Schmidt's pass, skated Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm's dropped stick away from him. Advertisement Panthers 1, Edmonton 0, as Bennett's 13th goal of this year's playoffs gave him an NHL single-playoff record 12 on the road and ended an Oilers run of scoring first in nine consecutive games. Moving people pieces For Game 2, Panthers coach Paul Maurice moved Carter Verhaeghe to left wing with center Aleksander Barkov and right wing Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues down to the second line with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. This puts three of the top four regular season scorers on the first line and adds even more bang and jam to Bennett's line, where Tkachuk's been laboring akin to a wounded bull throughout the playoffs. Maurice did this in the second period of Eastern Conference Final Game 5, when the Panthers trailed Carolina 2-0. The Panthers stormed back to clinch the series with a 5-3 win, Verhaeghe getting the game winner off a dazzling Barkov stickhandle-and-dish play. Getting back on the cycle A chart by NHL Network from stats by Sportlogiq said the Panthers ground out an 11-4 advantage in scoring chances off the offensive zone cycle in Game 1, 6-3 in slot shots and 5-2 in forechecking chances. That begat the Panthers first goal, Carter Verhaeghe's shot bouncing in off Sam Bennett as the center sprawled in the crease, as well as solid control of the second period and first minutes of overtime. Series schedule ▪ Game 1 — Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (overtime): The Panthers had a two-goal lead early in the second period but couldn't hold on as Edmonton tied the game early in the third and won it on a Leon Draisaitl power-play goal with 31 seconds left in overtime. Advertisement ▪ Game 2: Tonight ▪ Game 3: Monday, June 9, 8 p.m., TNT, truTV, Max, Sunrise's Amerant Bank Arena ▪ Game 4: Thursday, June 12, 8 p.m., TNT, truTV, Max, Sunrise's Amerant Bank Arena ▪ Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, June 14, 8 p.m., TNT, truTV, Max, Edmonton's Rogers Place ▪ Game 6 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 17, 8 p.m., TNT, truTV, Max, Sunrise's Amerant Bank Arena ▪ Game 7 (if necessary): Friday, June 20, 8 p.m., TNT, truTV, Max, Edmonton's Rogers Place Pregame reading Need to catch up ahead of Game 2? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald's coverage over the past few days. ▪ With margin for error thin in Cup Final, Panthers need to regroup after Game 1 overtime loss Advertisement ▪ With two goals in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final, Sam Bennett makes Panthers history ▪ Maurice's message to Nosek after game-deciding penalty in Florida's Game 1 Cup Final loss ▪ Will Panthers make lineup changes for Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final? ▪ Joining the Florida Panthers 'revitalized' Seth Jones. The next goal: Win a Stanley Cup
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