The Panthers clawed their approach again from an early deficit to place a stranglehold on the Oilers within the Stanley Cup Last.
With its 4-1 win on Monday evening, Florida is 2 wins away from its first NHL championship.
Trailing by one after the primary interval, defenseman Niko Mikkola tied the sport within the second.
However middle Evan Rodrigues, who signed with the Panthers as a free agent through the offseason, was the star of the sport, scoring the tying aim within the third to provide him objectives in consecutive video games. He then added a second aim 9:15 later to increase the lead.
“I signed right here for a cause,” he advised ESPN’s Emily Kaplan following the sport, noting how shut Florida has been not too long ago to profitable a Stanley Cup.
Sport 2 marked Rodrigues’ second multi-goal sport of the playoffs; he first did so in Sport 3 of the Japanese Convention semifinals in opposition to the Bruins.
For the Oilers, it is truthful to surprise what else they will throw on the Panthers to show this sequence round and win 4 of the subsequent 5 video games.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch’s choice to place Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl collectively on the ice extra usually has did not spark the Oilers’ offensive assault.
Edmonton’s one aim by way of the primary two video games is the crew’s fewest over any two-game span this season. However contemplating the Panthers’ goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky, has been excellent, that may say extra about them than it does the Oilers.
With Florida receiving well timed manufacturing from its 2023 free-agent signing and Bobrovsky blocking practically each shot that comes his approach, the franchise’s first Stanley Cup is starting to really feel inevitable.
