3 TAKEAWAYS: These Stanley Cup Finals could go the distance again
Article content
Bad blood? Plenty of it.
Love lost? Absolutely none.
But will it end in long-awaited destiny for the former dynasty?
Only time will tell. After all, one game solves nothing in this best-of-seven, winner-take-all rematch that could just easily go the distance once again.
Here are three takeaways from the Oilers' 4-3 overtime win at Rogers Place on Wednesday:
1. HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE
Finishing with 101 points on the season in the Western Conference didn't mean a whole heck of a lot to the Oilers, who gave up home-ice advantage in all three previous rounds.
But it's three points more than the Panthers ended up with, and that made all the difference when it came to the series opening inside the friendly confines of Rogers Place, as opposed to Amerant Bank Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 4,100 kilometres south.
The Panthers used every ounce of the opening advantage last year to propel themselves to two straight home wins, which they followed up by going ahead 3-0 in the series after it switched to Edmonton for Game 3, meaning the Oilers would have had to win four straight to claim the ultimate prize.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ottawa Citizen
26 minutes ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Panthers a long way from dead after dumping Edmonton Oilers in Game 2
Toggle full screen modePrevious Gallery Image Next Gallery ImageToggle gallery captions Article content They don't give Stanley Cup rings to teams that can't handle the stress and adversity it takes to win them. Article content Article content Article content While the Oilers have shown all playoffs that they are stronger, deeper and more determined than the team that came up short in seven games last year, it's pretty clear that the Panthers juggernaut is also on another level. Article content And now everything we thought about this epic final is playing out the way we thought it would. This is going to be a long, drawn-out battle, as much a war of wills as a clash of systems and talent. Article content Article content This is just the sixth time in NHL history that the first two games of the finals went to overtime, and it was a wild one right from the start. The first period featured five goals, 11 minor penalties and saw the Oilers and Panthers go at each other like hungry dogs. Article content Read More Oilers' Kapanen's Stanley Cup Final Game 1 performance eerily similar to his dad's Oilers' Jake Walman scores meme of the game to open Stanley Cup Finals Advertisement embed-more-topic Article content Sam Bennett made it 1-0 Panthers on a power play goal at 2:07. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored at 7:39 and 9:19 to give Edmonton the lead. Seth Jones tied it again at 11:37, and then things reached a boiling point when Bennett took another run at Stuart Skinner, hurting but not injuring the Oilers goalie at 12:13. Article content Edmonton made him pay, scoring in the ensuing power play to take a 3-2 lead into a much-needed first intermission that gave everyone watching a chance to catch their breath. Article content It was the Oilers themselves who needed to take a deep breath during the second intermission because two Florida goals, one of them a shorthanded breakaway by Brad Marchand, put them down 4-3. The Oilers, who spent most of the period hemmed in their own end trying to avert disaster, were lucky to get out of it with just two goals against. Article content For the second time in two games, Edmonton entered the third period trailing by a goal. Article content Just like Game 1, they found the equalizer, but not the OT winner. Article content
Calgary Herald
33 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Panthers a long way from dead after dumping Edmonton Oilers in Game 2
They don't give Stanley Cup rings to teams that can't handle the stress and adversity it takes to win them. Article content So, it goes without saying that the Florida Panthers didn't make it to three-straight Finals because they wilt in the face of uncomfortable pressure. Article content Article content But the Panthers said it anyway. Article content With the Edmonton Oilers poised to take a 2-0 stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final and move two wins away from the first title of the Connor McDavid -Leon Draisaitl era, the Panthers rolled into Rogers Place and flexed some of that championship muscle. Article content Article content They overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits Friday, shrugged off Corey Perry's tying goal with 17.8 seconds left in regulation and won it 5-4 in double overtime, evening the series and stealing away the home ice advantage that some feel could be the difference in this thing. Article content Article content Florida knew the math — teams that open the final at home and jump out to a 2-0 series lead are 40-3 all time — and they answered with a vengeance. Instead of being dead, they're dead even after Brad Marchand's breakaway winner 8:05 into the second extra period. Article content While the Oilers have shown all playoffs that they are stronger, deeper and more determined than the team that came up short in seven games last year, it's pretty clear that the Panthers juggernaut is also on another level. Article content And now everything we thought about this epic final is playing out the way we thought it would. This is going to be a long, drawn-out battle, as much a war of wills as a clash of systems and talent. Article content Article content This is just the sixth time in NHL history that the first two games of the finals went to overtime, and it was a wild one right from the start. The first period featured five goals, 11 minor penalties and saw the Oilers and Panthers go at each other like hungry dogs. Article content Article content Sam Bennett made it 1-0 Panthers on a power play goal at 2:07. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored at 7:39 and 9:19 to give Edmonton the lead. Seth Jones tied it again at 11:37, and then things reached a boiling point when Bennett took another run at Stuart Skinner, hurting but not injuring the Oilers goalie at 12:13. Article content Edmonton made him pay, scoring in the ensuing power play to take a 3-2 lead into a much-needed first intermission that gave everyone watching a chance to catch their breath. Article content It was the Oilers themselves who needed to take a deep breath during the second intermission because two Florida goals, one of them a shorthanded breakaway by Brad Marchand, put them down 4-3. The Oilers, who spent most of the period hemmed in their own end trying to avert disaster, were lucky to get out of it with just two goals against. Article content
Edmonton Journal
35 minutes ago
- Edmonton Journal
Panthers a long way from dead after dumping Edmonton Oilers in Game 2
Article content They don't give Stanley Cup rings to teams that can't handle the stress and adversity it takes to win them. So, it goes without saying that the Florida Panthers didn't make it to three-straight Finals because they wilt in the face of uncomfortable pressure. Article content But the Panthers said it anyway. With the Edmonton Oilers poised to take a 2-0 stranglehold on the Stanley Cup Final and move two wins away from the first title of the Connor McDavid -Leon Draisaitl era, the Panthers rolled into Rogers Place and flexed some of that championship muscle. Article content They overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits Friday, shrugged off Corey Perry's tying goal with 17.8 seconds left in regulation and won it 5-4 in double overtime, evening the series and stealing away the home ice advantage that some feel could be the difference in this thing. Florida knew the math — teams that open the final at home and jump out to a 2-0 series lead are 40-3 all time — and they answered with a vengeance. Instead of being dead, they're dead even after Brad Marchand's breakaway winner 8:05 into the second extra period. While the Oilers have shown all playoffs that they are stronger, deeper and more determined than the team that came up short in seven games last year, it's pretty clear that the Panthers juggernaut is also on another level. And now everything we thought about this epic final is playing out the way we thought it would. This is going to be a long, drawn-out battle, as much a war of wills as a clash of systems and talent. Article content This is just the sixth time in NHL history that the first two games of the finals went to overtime, and it was a wild one right from the start. The first period featured five goals, 11 minor penalties and saw the Oilers and Panthers go at each other like hungry dogs. Sam Bennett made it 1-0 Panthers on a power play goal at 2:07. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored at 7:39 and 9:19 to give Edmonton the lead. Seth Jones tied it again at 11:37, and then things reached a boiling point when Bennett took another run at Stuart Skinner, hurting but not injuring the Oilers goalie at 12:13. Edmonton made him pay, scoring in the ensuing power play to take a 3-2 lead into a much-needed first intermission that gave everyone watching a chance to catch their breath. It was the Oilers themselves who needed to take a deep breath during the second intermission because two Florida goals, one of them a shorthanded breakaway by Brad Marchand, put them down 4-3. The Oilers, who spent most of the period hemmed in their own end trying to avert disaster, were lucky to get out of it with just two goals against. For the second time in two games, Edmonton entered the third period trailing by a goal. Just like Game 1, they found the equalizer, but not the OT winner. Latest National Stories
