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Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead
Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Stanley Cup Final shifted to Sunrise, FL, for Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1, but any sense of balance between both contenders quickly evaporated.
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The Florida Panthers surged to an early lead and never let up, dismantling the Edmonton Oilers 6–1 on Monday night in one of the most lopsided games of the playoffs.
The Panthers jumped ahead just 56 seconds into the game thanks to Brad Marchand's opener and slowly widened the gap until Edmonton came unglued midway through the third period.
At that point, with the game out of reach, penalties piled up — 140 minutes in total, making it one of the most penalized Stanley Cup Final games in NHL history.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to the context of the blowout when assessing his team's lack of composure.
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'Definitely the third period was an unraveling,' Knoblauch said after the game. 'It wouldn't have happened if it was a one- or two-goal game. It was boys being boys.'
Oilers forward Evander Kane, who was ejected after receiving three minors and a misconduct, chimed in on the loss.
'We didn't play very well. That's evident,' Kane said. 'We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.'
A fight breaks out during the third period between Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Rassol-Imagn Images
Despite the result, Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Edmonton's best hockey is still ahead.
'Obviously, it wasn't our best,' McDavid said. 'Not our best at all. I don't think our best has shown up all series long, but it's coming.'
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Game 4 is Thursday night in Sunrise, where the Oilers will try to regroup before the Panthers push them to the brink.
Related: Oilers Coach Takes Subtle Dig at NHL Referees With Sarcastic Message
Related: Oilers' Evander Kane Sounds Off on Unfair Stanley Cup Final Officiating
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
