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The Florida Panthers are one step nearer to their first Stanley Cup championship they usually have goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to thank for his or her Sport 1 win on Saturday night time.
Bobrovsky made 32 saves, together with breakaway stops on Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, on the way in which to a 3-0 victory in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers for a 1-0 lead within the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Closing.
The Panthers bought targets from Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen to choose up simply their second win in three journeys to the championship spherical.
The Oilers discovered a option to get round a Panthers forecheck that annoyed different Florida playoff opponents however they weren’t capable of capitalize.
Sport 2 is Monday night time in Dawn, Florida.
A more in-depth have a look at Sport 1:
Why do Panthers followers throw plastic rats on the ice?
It comes from the 1995-96 season when Florida’s Scott Mellanby killed a rat within the outdated Miami Area. He scored two targets that night time, which a teammate referred to as a “rat trick.” Followers began throwing plastic rats on the ice after targets. The Panthers went to the Stanley Cup Closing that season. The NHL modified guidelines to make throwing gadgets on the ice after a aim topic to a delay of sport penalty. Followers had been warned on Saturday to not throw extra after the crew’s empty-net aim.
Recap of Stanley Cup Closing Sport 1
Panthers 3, Oilers 0
Eetu Luostarinen scores within the empty internet. He had missed final 12 months’s last with an damage.
Oilers pull goalie Stuart Skinner
Skinner is out for an additional skater. Edmonton calls a timeout with 1:21 left.
Panthers clamping down in third interval
Edmonton is getting its massive weapons on the market as a lot as it could possibly, however the Oilers have solely six pictures within the third interval with 4 minutes left.
Panthers go on energy play
Edmonton’s Corey Perry is known as for interference. However the Oilers kill it off to make them good on the final 30 short-handed conditions.
Third interval underway
The Oilers are utilizing a line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.
Panthers 2, Oilers 0: Finish of second interval
Aside from the rating, the Oilers ought to like what they’re doing. They’ve seven pictures on the facility play and are outshooting Florida 26-12. Sergei Bobrovsky is holding the Panthers within the sport with three saves on breakaways. He is misplayed the puck just a few occasions, however the Oilers have not taken benefit.
The Panthers are sturdy within the third interval, outscoring opponents 24-11.
The Panthers kill off the penalty with Bobrovsky wanting acrobatic. However the Panthers must take fewer penalties.
Referees wave off aim; Panthers go short-handed
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped Mattias Janmark and the puck was below his pad. Connor Brown knocked the puck and the goalie into the online and it was instantly dominated no aim. A scrum broke out and two gamers from every crew go into the penalty field. Sam Bennett is known as for interference quickly after for the Oilers’ third energy play of the sport.
The Panthers kill off the penalty and Rodrigues scores at 2:16 after a pleasant centering feed from Sam Bennett. Bennett beat Cody Ceci to the puck. Oilers defensemen Ceci and Darnell Nurse have been on the ice for each Florida targets.
Panthers 1, Oilers 0: Finish of first interval
The Oilers managed a lot of the interval and outshot the Panthers 13-4. The explanation they path: Sergei Bobrovsky, who’s on high of his sport. The Florida goalie stopped Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a breakaway throughout the Edmonton energy play. He earlier stopped Adam Henrique on a breakaway.
The Panthers should kill off one other penalty at the beginning of the second interval after Carter Verhaeghe high-sticked Evan Bouchard with 9 seconds left within the first.
Oilers go on energy play
Gustav Forsling, one in every of Florida’s high penalty killers, journeys Connor McDavid. The Oilers’ energy play was clicking at 37.3% heading into the sport. The Panthers, additionally sturdy on the penalty kill, survive.
Panthers get sport’s first energy play
Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm is known as for tripping Florida’s Kyle Okposo at 7:33. Edmonton’s penalty kill, which has been good the final 10 video games, kills it off.
Aleksander Barkov has a pleasant rush down the ice and passes to Verhaeghe, who’s alone in entrance. He scores at 3:59 of the primary interval on Florida’s first shot of the sport. That is his team-leading tenth aim of the playoffs.
The opening lineups present that Panthers coach Paul Maurice will attempt to match up Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov against Oilers star Connor McDavid.
Florida Panthers starting lineup
Center: Aleksander Barkov
Wingers: Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe
Defensemen: Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling
Goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky
Center: Connor McDavid
Wingers: Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Defensemen: Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm
Goalie: Stuart Skinner
When is Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final?
Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
How to watch Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final
Game 1 will be shown nationally on ABC in the United States. A pregame will be on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.
How to live stream Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final
Game 1 can be streamed on ESPN+ and services that carry ABC, such as Fubo. The NHL and P-X-P are producing an alternate telecast dedicated to the deaf community using American Sign Language. That can be streamed on ESPN+.
Connor McDavid careful with pregame interview answer
Oilers captain Connor McDavid said, “I’m not going there,” when asked by ABC to finish the sentence: “The Oilers win the Stanley Cup if …”
But McDavid did have high praise for the Panthers: “They skate well, they’re aggressive, good on the forecheck, they defend well, they do a lot of really good things. Two teams in the final that are obviously playing well. It will be a good test.”
How many Stanley Cup titles have the Oilers won?
Five. They won in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990. They also went to the final in 1983 and 2006.
How many Stanley Cup titles have the Panthers won?
None. They reached the final previously in 1996 and 2023.
Who has the edge on offense?
Oilers: Their top five scorers, led by Connor McDavid’s 31 points, have combined for 124 points. The Panthers’ top five, led by Matthew Tkachuk’s 19, have totaled 77. Four Oilers have more points than Tkachuk. Zach Hyman has five more goals than Florida leader Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers have greater scoring depth (they trail the Oilers by a quarter goal a game), but Edmonton’s high-end talent makes the difference.
Who has the edge on defense?
Panthers: Evan Bouchard’s 27 points are better than the top three Panthers defensemen’s point totals combined. But Florida’s Gustav Forsling has developed into a top-notch all-around defender. The Panthers are deep because they added three defensemen in the offseason with Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad facing surgery and those two have returned.
The Panthers’ team defense, led by the Selke Trophy-winning Aleksander Barkov, also is impressive. Their forechecking scheme slows opponents’ attacks. In the first three rounds, they held NHL leading scorer Nikita Kucherov without a goal, limited David Pastrnak to one and held the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad to a combined two.
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First four 2014 draft picks playing in 2024 final
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad was drafted No. 1 overall by the Panthers. Forward Sam Reinhart went No. 2 overall to the Buffalo Sabres and was traded to Florida in 2021. Forward Leon Draisaitl went No. 3 to the Oilers. Forward Sam Bennett went fourth to the Calgary Flames and was traded to the Panthers in 2021.
Details announced for 4 Nations Face-Off
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced details for next season’s 4 Nations Face-Off featuring the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland. It will be held Feb. 12-20 at Montreal’s Bell Centre and Boston’s TD Garden. The championship game will be in Boston. The four countries will announce their first six players on June 28.
The tournament will be held in place of the 2025 All-Star Game and be a tune-up for NHL players’ return to the Olympics in 2026.
Warren Foegele to return to Oilers’ lineup
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said ahead Warren Foegele will return to the lineup Saturday for Sport 1. He had missed the ultimate three video games of the Western Convention last in opposition to the Dallas Stars. He had a profession greatest 20 targets and 21 assists throughout the common season and three factors in 15 playoff video games.
NHL wage cap determine set for 2024-25 season
The NHL and NHL Gamers’ Affiliation introduced Saturday that the wage cap will rise to $88 million subsequent season, up from $83.5 million. It had been comparatively flat lately due to the pandemic. The decrease restrict is $65 million subsequent season.
Canadian broadcaster Sportsnet says X account is compromised
Sportsnet, the Canadian broadcaster, mentioned about 4 hours earlier than Sport 1 that its principal X (previously Twitter) account “has been compromised and we’re presently working to recuperate it. Within the meantime it’s unsafe to click on any hyperlinks or have interaction with any posts from the account.”
Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (12-5, 2.20, .908) vs. Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (11-5, 2.50, .897). Bobrovsky received each of the regular-season conferences. Skinner did not face the Panthers this season.
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