The Florida Panthers are one win away from winning their first Stanley Cup, but the Edmonton Oilers can at least call this loss close.
In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Panthers scored three straight goals in just over six minutes to turn a tied game into a laughing matter, but the laughing turned into a game again when the Oilers scored two goals in the final minutes to pull within one.
But that was all they got, as the Panthers won the game, 4-3, and finished with a 3-0 series lead.
Only four teams have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in an NHL series, most recently the Los Angeles Kings in 2013-14. The only other team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who stunned the Detroit Wings.
Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 8pm ET in Edmonton (ABC). If Florida wins, they’ll win their first Stanley Cup Final since 1998 (when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Washington Capitals).
The Panthers took the lead in the first period after an even number of minor rough play penalties from a scrum led to Sam Reinhart scoring with assists from Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov in a 4-on-4 situation. The Oilers tied the game early in the second period on a breakaway goal by Warren Vogel, but that was the end of Edmonton’s optimism.
First, Eetu Luostarinen intercepted a loose puck from Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, passed it to Vladimir Tarasenko, who misaligned Skinner and allowed Tarasenko to poke into a wide-open goal.
From there, the Oilers defense started to crumble and the Panthers attacked it hard, then Sam Bennett broke through the Edmonton defense for a goal, followed by Barkov winning a two-on-one situation.
The Oilers got two points back from Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod, but needed one more to avoid an even bigger upset in the series.
A few minutes into the third period, the Oilers’ star offensive was being completely negated by the Panthers’ defense, the best in the NHL, despite the Oilers having more shots, more shots on goal and more power plays. The Oilers’ defensive mistakes were essentially theoretical, and they were barely able to prevent any goals from Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who remains the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Getting within one point may be encouraging, but the Oilers are now in a tough spot, and it’s not just about them this week.
ABC faces nightmare double sweep in NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals
While the Oilers struggled mightily on Thursday, the other loser on the night was ABC and its parent company, Disney.
The network is currently broadcasting both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals, and they’re on the verge of winning both in a major way: The Boston Celtics blew a huge lead in Game 3, held off a comeback to take a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks (sound familiar?), and could clinch the victory in Game 4 on Friday.
Kendall Baker of Yahoo Sports points out that only twice in history have these two series ended in sweeps: 1983 (Philadelphia 76ers beat Los Angeles Lakers and New York Islanders beat Oilers) and 1995 (Houston Rockets beat Orlando Magic and New Jersey Devils beat Red Wings).
2024 Stanley Cup Final Schedule (Panthers lead series 1-0)
Game 1: Panthers 3, Oilers 0
Game Two: Panthers 4, Oilers 1
Game Three: Panthers 4, Oilers 3
Game Four: Panthers vs. Oilers | Saturday, June 15, 8pm ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 5: Oilers vs. Panthers | Tuesday, June 18, 8pm ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 6: Panthers vs. Oilers | Friday, June 21, 8pm ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 7: Oilers vs. Panthers | Monday, June 24, 8pm ET (ABC, ESPN+)
(*If necessary)
