Panthers defeat Oilers in Game 2 of Cup Final, extend series lead

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers took command of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and, in the process, wrested control of the best-of-7 series, at least temporarily.

Evan Rodrigues scored two of four consecutive goals by the Panthers, helping them to a 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

“It's special. Trying to embrace it,” said Rodrigues, who also scored in Game 1, a 3-0 victory Saturday. “Trying to stay in the moment. It's two big wins for our team, and I think we've already turned the page and we're getting ready for Game 3."

That will be at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN+, ABC).

Teams that lead a best of-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series 2-0 have a series record of 352-56 (.863). In the Final, only five of 54 teams have overcome a 2-0 deficit to win the series: the 2011 Boston Bruins, 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, 1971 Montreal Canadiens, 1966 Canadiens and 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.

“We feel we came here and we played enough to get a split,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “That doesn’t always happen. We just have to take it one game at time. 

“I don’t see any reason to panic or do anything drastic. … We just have to win the next game.”

Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad scored, and Anton Lundell had two assists for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves and has stopped 50 of 51 shots in the series for the Eastern Conference champions.

Mattias Ekholm scored, and Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for the Oilers, the Western Conference champions.

The Oilers have one goal through two games. Their vaunted power play, which went 0-for-4 on Monday, is 0-for-7 in the series. They had one high-danger chance during 5-on-5 play in Game 2.

Their elite players have been contained. Center Connor McDavid, who leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 32 points (five goals, 27 assists), has one assist, as does defenseman Evan Bouchard, who has 28 points (six goals, 22 assists), tied for second with center Leon Draisaitl (10 goals, 18 assists), who has no points.

“We have to be better and we can be better for sure,” said McDavid, the Edmonton captain. “I thought they went up a level and we didn’t match it today.”

Rodrigues’ first goal of the game put the Panthers in front 2-1 at 3:11 of the third period. A clearing attempt by Bouchard ended up right on the stick of Rodrigues high in the left face-off circle, and he snapped a shot to the short side past Skinner.

"So good, so happy for him, proud of him,” Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “He was awesome. Playing with him the last few games, he reads the game so well. That's two games in a row scoring some big goals for us.

“He's a super smart player and I'm really happy to see him get rewarded right now. We work so hard, and tonight it was him and it could've been a number of guys, and he did a great job of finding the net for us."

Rodrigues then made it 3-1 at 12:26. He broke the Oilers’ streak of 34 successful penalty kills when he redirected a pass from Lundell in the low slot.

“I'm not too worried about the point totals or goals,” Rodrigues said. “At the end of the day, we're looking for wins here. That's all I care about."

Ekblad pushed it to 4-1 at 17:32 by scoring into an empty net, his first goal in 19 playoff games this season.

Ekholm had given Edmonton a 1-0 lead on its first shot of the game at 11:17 of the first period with the teams playing 4-on-4. Sent in on a 2-on-1 break by a McDavid pass, Ekholm kept the puck and snapped a shot through the five-hole from the left circle.

Mikkola tied it at 1-1 at 9:34 of the second period, one-timing a drop pass by Lundell.

The Oilers know they let things slip away in Game 2, but they are already looking forward to Game 3, holding on to the idea that a team is not in trouble until it loses at home.

“It’s another opportunity for group to come together and dig our way out,” McDavid said. “It’s supposed to be hard, it’s supposed to be difficult, and I’m excited to see what our group is made of. I’m excited to see our group come together, I’m excited to see us fight through adversity and I’m looking forward to people doubting us again with our backs against the wall.”

NOTES: Panthers center Aleksander Barkov left the game at 10:32 of the third period after a high hit by Draisaitl, who was assessed a roughing penalty. There was no update. … Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse (undisclosed) left the game in the first period after a hit by Rodrigues, then returned and played three total shifts in the second and third. Knoblauch said he expects him to play in Game 3. … Ekholm's goal was the Oilers' first in 115:34, the longest streak in their playoff history, surpassing the mark of 109:18 set in 1998.