FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers know they’ll probably need to be sharper on the penalty kill in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).
Florida survived Edmonton’s lethal power play in a 3-0 victory in Game 1 on Saturday, when it killed off all three of the Oilers’ man-advantages. But it leaned on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to cover up for multiple breakdowns, including a first-period breakaway by forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Bobrovsky made six of his 32 saves while the Panthers were short-handed in posting his second shutout of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“They got some incredible chances,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said after the Panthers’ morning skate. “Our PK is predicated on pressure all the way, and we never want to lose that. Especially against a team like this, the more time you give them, they’re going to make plays. But at the end of the day, once they get their head up and you’re staring down the barrel at them, they make good plays. So, it’s a hell of a tough job, so we’ll keep doing our best.”
Edmonton’s power play is feared for a good reason; the Oilers feature some of the most dangerous offensive players in the NHL and converted on 19 of 51 power-play opportunities for a League-best 37.3 percent efficiency through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Forwards Connor McDavid (two goals, 12 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (six goals, eight assists) are tied for the NHL lead with 14 power-play points each in the playoffs. Defenseman Evan Bouchard is third in the League with 12 power-play points (one goal, 11 assists), and Nugent-Hopkins is tied for fourth with nine (four goals, five assists).
Draisaitl leads the NHL this postseason in power-play goals, forward Zach Hyman is tied for second with five and Nugent-Hopkins is tied for fourth.
So, though it wasn’t pretty at times, getting through Game 1 without allowing a power-play goal was a plus for the Panthers.
“The only thing you want to do is not let them score,” Florida forward Kevin Stenlund said. “So, you just try to defend as well as you can and hopefully it works out.”
The Panthers penalty kill is second in the League this postseason at 88.9 percent -- behind the Oilers at 94.1 percent -- and has risen to the occasion against previously hot power plays. The New York Rangers power play drove its offense through the first two rounds of the playoffs, clicking at 31.1 percent, but managed only one goal on 15 opportunities (6.7 percent) in six games against the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Boston Bruins power play met a similar fate in the second round. After going 6-for-17 (35.3 percent) in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins scored once in 16 opportunities (6.3 percent) in six games against the Panthers.
Florida has killed 22 of 23 power plays in its past nine games, but coach Paul Maurice said the way it did it in Game 1 against Edmonton was different than against previous opponents.
“Where I would’ve credited the four (skaters) on the ice during the first three rounds, you would have to credit the five on the ice in this round, and Sergei had to make some very difficult saves,” Maurice said. “… When you look at your penalty kill, there were some pieces that we did like and then there were some pieces that they had some chances that you don’t like. So, what can you actually fix?
“First and foremost, you want to be really, really good at the structure that you have, and then in this series there’s more off-structure things that we have to worry about.”
Of course, limiting the number of power plays the Oilers get is probably the most effective way to contain that high-powered unit. Any number beyond the three times the Panthers were short-handed in Game 1 might be asking for trouble.
“Obviously, that’s their strong suit; they want to get on the power play,” Florida forward Sam Bennett said. “They want to use their top guys in those opportunities, so we know we can be more disciplined.
“We’ve done a good job so far in the playoffs, but it’s even more crucial now. So, our discipline is going to be really important.”
