Panthers on the brink of winning Stanley Cup after surviving Oilers rally in Edmonton
The Florida Panthers survived a valiant comeback effort from the Edmonton Oilers to win 4-3 and take a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers got contributions from stars in all areas of their lineup. Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each scored a goal and an assist while seven other players recorded a point.
Reinhart got Florida on the board late in the first period, but Warren Foegle was able to answer with a breakaway goal early in the second period. The Panthers got three consecutive goals from Vladimir Tarasenko, Sam Bennett and Barkov to take a three goal lead heading into the third period.
Edmonton roared back — with Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod each scoring to bring the Oilers back within a goal — but Florida was able to hang on.
The Panthers are now one win away from winning their first ever Stanley Cup and becoming the first team to sweep a Cup Final since 1998.
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Captain clutch shines after scare
Barkov’s question was in question for Game 3 after he took a hit to the head from Leon Draisaitl in Game 2. He was able to play — and he took over as he led the Panthers to victory.
The captain picked up an assist on Reinhart’s goal before beating Stuart Skinner top shelf to put the Panthers up by three goals late in the second period. He also played the same shutdown defense he always has made a name for himself with.
Panthers penalty kill still perfect against Edmonton
Going into the series, a major talking point was how the Panthers would be able to stop the star-studded Oilers power play. So far? They are 9-for-9 on the penalty kill in this series.
How are they doing it? The Panthers are aggressive on the penalty kill, taking away passing lanes and disrupting the structure of the Oilers power play. They like to be quick, fluid and move the puck, but the Panthers fill in the cracks quickly and force them to make a mistake.
And when they need it, Sergei Bobrovsky makes the saves. He came up with six of them on Thursday night as the Panthers went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Forsling on McDavid matchup key
With the Oilers getting the privilege of the last line change at home, they have been keeping McDavid away from Barkov. Coach Paul Maurice made sure to deploy Forsling and Barkov separately to combat that, and it worked to start the game.
McDavid was held off the scoresheet in the first two periods before picking up two assists in the third period with Knoblauch double-shifting him while looking for a comeback.
As he has countless times this series, Forsling has proved he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, keeping up with McDavid stride for stride and making countless big plays on the defensive end. He also picked up a primary assist after Reinhart deflected his shot in for the opening goal of the game.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Panthers withstand Oilers to move within game of Stanley Cup
