The second game of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers took a heated turn when Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl knocked Florida’s Aleksander Barkov out of the game. The Panthers responded by landing a bigger blow, coming out on top with a 4-1 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Evan Rodrigues scored two goals in the third period, while Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad also found the back of the net for Florida. This win puts the Panthers two wins away from capturing their first championship.
However, the victory came at a cost for Florida as their captain, Barkov, was injured in the third period after a hit by Draisaitl. Barkov needed help getting to the bench and was evaluated further in the locker room. Edmonton’s coach offered no update on Barkov’s condition and seemed more reserved than usual after the win. The Oilers now face a challenging task as they try to rally from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, something they have only accomplished once before in their history.
The series resumes with Game 3 in Edmonton on Thursday night, with the Oilers looking to bounce back from their two-game deficit. Edmonton’s Draisaitl expressed his disappointment in his performance in Game 2, acknowledging that he has more to give to help his team. Emotions ran high throughout the game, with Foegele being ejected in the first period for a knee-on-knee hit and leaving the Oilers shorthanded for much of the game. The Panthers continued their stellar comeback record in these playoffs, improving to 5-2 when trailing after one period.
Despite a slow start, the Panthers managed to tie the game and eventually take control in the third period. Mikkola redeemed himself after a near-blunder with a goal to level the score, and Rodrigues set the tone for the comeback with his early third-period goal. With an empty-netter from Ekblad, Florida secured their 2-0 series lead and is now just two wins away from the Stanley Cup. The Oilers, on the other hand, will have to regroup and come back stronger in Game 3 to keep their championship hopes alive.
