Oilers Take Down Panthers In Stanley Cup Final Rematch

SUNRISE, Fla. — It’s been five months since the Florida Panthers hoisted the Stanley Cup on home ice for the second consecutive season.

It’s been the same five months since the Edmonton Oilers watched from the other side for a second consecutive season as the Panthers celebrated with the Cup.

A regular season game in November will never draw close to the intensity, emotion, or importance of a Stanley Cup Final game. But that didn’t mean Saturday’s rematch of the past two Stanley Cup Finals was going to be a snooze fest.

The Oilers came out on top 6-3, with two empty net goals sealing the victory in a not so kind, not so run of the mill Eastern vs Western Conference matchup.

Before puckdrop, an already extremely short-handed Panthers squad had another injury blow catch them pregame.

Top-pair defenseman Aaron Ekblad surprisingly didn’t take the ice for warmups on Saturday night, and ended up missing the Stanley Cup Final rematch with an illness, per Panthers head coach Paul Maurice.

Edmonton had the start they were looking for in the same building where their season ended the past two seasons. Just 23 seconds after puck drop, Jack Roslovic — who wasn’t a member of the Oilers last year — scored one Edmonton’s first shot of the game.

Anton Lundell tied the game 6:30 into the first after he poked in a cross-crease pass from Mackie Samoskevich for his sixth goal of the season.

Samoskevich, 23, was playing in his 100th career NHL game.

Florida’s timely response was quickly overshadowed, as Roslovic scored his second of the night and ninth goal of the season only 36 seconds after Lundell’s equalizer.

As Edmonton’s first power play of the night dwindled down, Mattias Ekholm beat Bobrovsky with a shot from the slot, making it 3-1.

One game removed from a 32-save shutout performance, Bobrovsky gave up three goals on the first six shots he faced.

Unfortunately for Bobrovsky, the bad night only got worse.

Vasily Podkolzin roofed a bad-angle shot up and over Bobrovsky’s shoulder 6:45 into the second to put the Oilers up 4-1.

Bobrovsky’s night came to an end following that. He was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots in 26:45. Daniil Tarasov took over in relief.

Florida remained afloat thanks to a one-timer goal from Samoskevich as a power play opportunity just expired. Samoskevich cut the deficit to 4-3 with 9:56 to play in the second.

Sam Reinhart then made it a one-goal game 13:30 into the second after the Panthers leading goal scorer swatted a puck out of mid-air, with his backhand, on the power play.

After scoring two unanswered, the Panthers had Edmonton on their heels until the final three minutes of the game.

Connor McDavid and Matt Savoie sealed the victory after both players scored empty netters, making a 4-3 contest 6-3 within 27 seconds.