The ice in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers was heavily tilted towards the home team. Florida struck just 56 seconds into the game and never looked back on its way to a 6-1 victory and 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Two first period goals from the Panthers added to a prominent trend — 10 first-period goals have been scored between the two teams in the first three games, six by the Panthers.
Not as nerve-racking as either Game 1 or 2, but Game 3 was still action packed. Florida won battles along the boards, dictated pace even though they were outshot, and smothered Edmonton defensively. Every time the Oilers tried to push back, they were met with more goals against.
Meanwhile, the Oilers completely lost control. Neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl reached the scoresheet for the first time in over six months, and the team completely unraveled as the game went on. Multiple post-whistle scrums, careless penalties, and a game misconduct assessed to Evander Kane were among the Oilers lowlights. It was frustration being let out on full display — and Florida completely embarrassed Edmonton.
The Panthers remained disciplined even as the Oilers tried to bait them into penalties. After the game, Matthew Tkachuk summed it up to the NHL on TNT crew saying, “We have bigger goals. We can deal with that next year, I guess.”
Related: Key takeaways from Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final after Oilers lose cool in 6-1 loss to Panthers
Winner – Brad Marchand – Panthers
After Brad Marchand’s Game 2 heroics, he doubled down by scoring in Game 3. The catch — he scored 56 seconds into the game, which meant he had scored three straight goals for the Panthers, going back to the second period of Game 2. It was also his 11th career goal in the Stanley Cup Final. At 37, Marchand is the oldest player to score goals in each of the first three games of any Stanley Cup Final, and he’s tied for the series lead with four. Marchand’s goal Monday marked the second straight game when Edmonton gave up the first goal, after scoring first in their previous nine postseason games.
Loser – Edmonton Oilers
Game 3 was a deflating loss for the Oilers. Down big in the third, the Oilers completely unraveled, turning to cheap shots and scrums instead of playing hockey. Evander Kane was ejected for slashing Carter Verhaeghe in the face, multiple players racked up misconducts, and the bench thinned out as emotions boiled over. For a Stanley Cup Final game — it was honestly embarrassing. The Oilers let the Panthers get into their heads and then get the best of them, and instead of responding with fight, they responded by fighting, which is not their DNA. Edmonton’s parade to the box featured 85 penalty minutes, third most all-time in a Stanley Cup Final game.
Winner – Sam Bennett – Panthers
Sam Bennett continued his campaign to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, scoring his League-leading 14th goal in the postseason. His breakaway goal in the second period was the knockout punch for the Panthers, and Bennett has also now scored in all three games of this Stanley Cup Final. The gritty center also got underneath Edmonton’s skin all night and finished with a team-high six hits ebfore a third-period altercation with Trent Frederic landed him a misconduct penalty and ended his night early. Just another typical night at the office for Bennett.
Winner – Sergei Bobrovsky – Panthers
Sergei Bobrovsky was locked in all game, stopping 32 of 33 shots in Game 3. He finished with a .970 save percentage and made key saves early in the game when it was still close. While the Oilers lost their cool, Bobrovsky kept his — staying solid for all 60 minutes, beaten only on a Corey Perry power-play putback early in the second period. He continues to be the backbone of this Panthers team, and they now have control of the series.
Loser – Stuart Skinner – Oilers
Stuart Skinner will definitely want to forget his performance in Game 3. He allowed five goals on 23 shots and was pulled after 43:27, finishing with a brutal .783 save percentage. Beaten high on the short side multiple times and left hanging by his teammates, Skinner never looked ready for Game 3. His forgettable night began when he was pulled way out of position on Marchand’s game-opening goal, and didn;t get much better from there.
Winner – Power Play – Panthers
Florida’s special teams took advantage in Game 3, scoring three power-play goals and continuing to punish Edmonton’s lack of discipline. That brings the Panthers to five power-play goals in the series. They may have had 11 chances in the, but scoring three times still speaks volumes in a game like this, it’s not about percentage, it’s about the number of goals. It was also huge for the Panthers to get untracked on the power play on home ice. They entered the game just 1-for-28 on the power play at Amerant Bank Arena.