Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP) – Things got heated during the Stanley Cup final in Game 3 when the Florida Panthers were poised to overpower the Edmonton Oilers.
A brawl broke out, with Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovic dropping their gloves, leading to eight players receiving early exits due to penalties.
“When we hit garbage time, incidents like that occur. We don’t mind when they happen,” said Oilers Captain Conor McDavid. “That’s what a strong team does. It’s a way to break free from the chaos. I’m indifferent about trash time.”
Florida came out strong against Edmonton well before garbage time, and the defending champions set the pace, knocking their opponents off balance to seize a 2-1 series lead with a dominant 6-1 performance. If this continues into Game 4 on Thursday night, the Panthers have an edge as they thrive on unsettling other teams.
“We played our game, our way, and supported each other when it mattered,” said Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk. “If you need to take a punch, you take it. If a cross-check is necessary, so be it.”
It’s no surprise that tensions flared given the skewed score in Game 10 of the Cup Final between these teams over the past year. The Oilers and Panthers know each other well and share a strong mutual dislike.
Along with that, the game featured numerous hits, pushes, and jabs, alongside slashes and punches on the ice. The penalty minutes in Game 3 were the highest in the Finals since Montreal and Calgary met in 1986.
“The game was decided with 11 minutes left,” said Oilers star Leon Draisaitl on Tuesday after practice. “Then everything went wild. It felt like a UFC fight.”
Penalties impacting the game’s outcome have been on the rise. The Oilers were vocal in their criticism of the officiating, suggesting that the Panthers had biased influence. Goaltender Stuart Skinner commented, “some players are trying to draw penalties,” and Evander Kane questioned various calls.
“It seems that our group is getting a bit more attention,” said Kane, who drew two minor penalties in the first period alone. “They appear to be getting away with more than us. It’s tough to find the boundary.”
The Panthers are doing their best to navigate that boundary, utilizing strategies that have served them well in the Finals for the third consecutive year under Coach Paul Maurice. Tkachuk believed that “there’s a different level of intensity when someone in a suit is behind the bench and isn’t actively playing.”
The Florida roster is rich with talent that combines grit and skill. Sam Bennett delivered a massive check leading to his breakaway and scored his 14th playoff goal. His hit on John Klingberg disrupted the veteran defenseman’s performance in this series compared to earlier rounds.
“It’s part of their DNA, and that’s their approach,” Draisaitl said. “This is an emotional time. Both teams want to win and do things their own way, but I don’t think anyone is enjoying it here.”
Maurice viewed Game 3 not just as a showcase of what the Panthers could do, but also as a solid opener that went to overtime and required Florida to win Game 2 in double OT.
“I believe the first two games will shape what Game 4 will look like,” Maurice said. “We haven’t seen (Game 3). “You’ll have to witness it to understand.”
The Oilers certainly don’t resemble the team they once were; they’ve been aligned and have gone 12-2 since their early round losses. This is the first time they dropped two games in a row since then.
“We just need to play our game,” Nurse stated. “We have the ability to handle all that chaos. But is that our style? I believe we stuck to how we want to play.”
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Source: apnews.com