The Florida Panthers are another step closer to lifting their first Stanley Cup. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Monday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals series.
The Oilers opened the scoring in the first period, thanks to Mattias Ekholm. The Panthers pulled level in the second period Niko Mikkola before blitzing their opponents with three more goals in the third.
Evan Rodrigues was the star of the show for the Panthers, scoring back-to-back goals that gave his team the lead. Anton Lundell contributed with two assists, while Aaron Ekblad added the fourth goal for the Florida team. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky also came up big, making 18 saves.
“It’s special,” Rodrigues said after the game. “Trying to embrace it. Trying to stay in the moment. That’s two big wins for our team, but I think we’ve already turned the page and are getting ready for Game 3.”
The Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals on two previous occasions and managed only one win. They were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and lost 4-1 against the Vegas Golden Knights last season. But this time around, the Panthers look like they could finally get the trophy.
However, the Oilers are unlikely to give up that easily. They are now heading home and will be motivated to respond after managing just one goal in the previous two games.
