Panthers Defeat Oilers 5-4 in Double Overtime Thriller in Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final

After a thrilling Game 1 overtime, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday, June 6, with Edmonton having a 1-0 series lead. Just like Game 1, this one also required extra time. This time, the Panthers defeated the Oilers in a 5-4 double overtime thriller to tie the series at one. Here’s your game recap from this wild and high-scoring affair.

Game Recap

The Panthers opened the scoring 2:07 into the opening period on the power play. Sam Bennett sneakily knocked Mattias Ekholm’s dropped stick out of the way, undetected by the officials. Then, the Panthers forward received a centring pass from Nate Schmidt, who buried it past goaltender Stuart Skinner for his 13th goal of the postseason and third of the series.

The Oilers responded 7:38 into the period to tie the game at one. Evander Kane entered the zone with speed and ripped a shot post and in, past Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove. Then, Evan Bouchard gave Edmonton the lead at the 9:19 mark. His initial shot was blocked, but he got his rebound and buried it blocker side.

Florida tied the game a few minutes later. Schmidt passed to Eetu Luostarinen, and his cross-seam pass found Seth Jones, who one-timed the puck into the gaping cage.

Edmonton immediately regained the lead on the power play. Connor McDavid dangled around the defenders and found Leon Draisaitl for the one-timer, and he made no mistake. That wild first period concluded with the Oilers having a 3-2 lead with a 14-11 shot advantage.

The Panthers tied the game 8:23 into the second period. Dmitry Kulikov’s point shot banked in off Bouchard and past Skinner through traffic. Then Brad Marchand added a shorthanded marker. He was sprung on a breakaway and went five-hole, past the Oilers’ netminder. Florida dominated the middle frame and took a 4-3 lead into the intermission with a 14-8 shot advantage in the period and 25-22 overall.

Florida shut it down for 19 minutes of the third period, but Edmonton tied the game with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime. Corey Perry jammed in the loose puck on a chaotic scramble in front.

The first overtime solved nothing, so we headed to double overtime with the Oilers having a 46-39 shot advantage. In double overtime, Marchand won the game for the Panthers. He was sprung on a breakaway and beat Skinner with the backhand.

Bobrovsky stopped 42 of 46 shots for a .913 save percentage (SV%) in the victory, and Skinner stopped 37 of 42 shots for an .881 SV% in defeat. The series shifts to Florida on Monday, June 9, for Game 3 from Amerant Bank Arena.