Edmonton, Alberta (AP) – After losing the opener of the Stanley Cup final, the defending champion Florida Panthers are prepared to face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 on Friday night. Working overtime has become their mantra.
Winning on the road has never posed a problem for them. Leon Draisaitl’s Power Play Goals followed a penalty by Tomas Nosek for clearing the puck over the glass. However, stepping into a packed arena brings its own set of challenges that the Panthers are ready to tackle.
“It’s about the ‘we’ mindset,” said winger Matthew Tkachuk. “You especially feel the pressure in this series. We’re playing for the over 20 guys on the ice, the 20,000 fans in the arena, and the 20,000 supporters outside. It’s just us against everyone.”
If things go well, the Panthers aim to seize home ice advantage from the Oilers when the series shifts to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4 next week.
One of the biggest hurdles while on the road is managing the dynamic duo of Draisaitl and Connor McDavid when they share the ice. Coach Kris Knoblauch was able to address this late in Game 1, but it’s a tough task for Paul Maurice to counter without altering the final lineup.
“When they’re on the ice together, they’re incredibly creative and elevate the play of those around them,” said Florida defenseman Seth Jones. “They enjoy finding each other, executing quick give-and-go plays, and creating dangerous situations.”
The Oilers will continue to miss Zach Hyman, who is out for the remainder of the playoffs due to a dislocated right wrist from a hit in the finals. As AJ Greer returns, the Panthers will be close to full strength, and Maurice mentioned that fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich, who missed part of Game 1, is good to go.
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Source: apnews.com