* Captain Aleksander Barkov propelled the Panthers to a commanding 3-0 series lead via his fourth game winner of the postseason and moved his club within one win of the Stanley Cup, ensuring the trophy will be in the building for Game 4 on Saturday (8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC & TVAS).
* Sergei Bobrovsky made a highlight-reel save with less than five minutes left in Game 3, after the Oilers rallied from a three-goal deficit to pull within one in front of a Rogers Place crowd that chanted “Let’s Go Oilers” from the time the doors opened through the final buzzer.
* The Panthers skated to a 3-0 series lead for the fourth time in two years – the first team to do so in over a decade. It is just the second time in 10 postseasons that a team has pulled ahead 3-0 in the Final.
BARKOV CAPTAINS PANTHERS TO 3-0 SERIES LEAD WITH CHANCE TO LIFT CUP SATURDAY
After an opening tally by Sam Reinhart (1-1—2), the Panthers’ leading goal scorer from the regular season, the Oilers tied the game early in the second period before Florida responded with three goals in a row – the last off the stick of captain Aleksander Barkov (1-1—2). A frenetic third period saw Edmonton narrow the deficit to 4-3 before a highlight-reel pad save by Sergei Bobrovsky (32 saves) ensured Barkov’s goal would stand as the game winner, placing the Panthers within one win of their first Stanley Cup.
* Barkov recorded his second multi-point effort of the series and eighth during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, setting a Panthers benchmark for most in a single postseason. It was the 17th such performance of his career, building upon his franchise record and matching Teemu Selanne and Sebastian Aho for the fifth most among Finnish-born players.
* Barkov scored his seventh goal of the postseason, with more than half of those standing as the game-winning goal. The Panthers captain matched Rangers forward Artemi Panarin (4) for the most game winners among all players in 2024, equaling the single-postseason franchise record in the process (set last year by both Matthew Tkachuk & Carter Verhaeghe).
* After his status for Game 3 was uncertain, Barkov will have the opportunity in Game 4 to become the first European captain in NHL history to help his club sweep the Stanley Cup Final. Overall, he would be the first Finnish-born player to captain a Cup winner and the fifth born outside North America.
PANTHERS JOIN LIGHTNING AS ONLY TEAMS WITH 3-0 SERIES LEAD IN FINAL SINCE 2015
The Panthers will now have the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup on Saturday, after taking a 3-0 series lead in a thunderous Rogers Place. They became the 29th team in NHL history to pull ahead 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final and joined the state-rival Lightning (3-0 in 2021; 4-1 series win vs. MTL) as the second club to do so in the past 10 years (from 2015 to 2024).
* Of the 28 other teams to take a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, all but one went on to hoist the Cup (27-1). Twenty completed the sweep, five won 4-1, one won 4-2 (2012), one won in Game 7 (1945) and one lost the series (the 1942 Maple Leafs rallied past the Red Wings).
* Overall, this is the 211th time a team has held a 3-0 series lead in any Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. The leading team has won 98% of the previous instances (206-4; .981).
* This is the fifth time in franchise history the Panthers have pulled ahead 3-0 in a series – with four of five coming since last year, a span in which they have a 17-7 record in Games 1-3 (.708). Florida won each of the other four series in which they led 3-0, including one sweep: 2024 First Round, 2023 Conference Finals, 2023 Second Round and 1996 Conference Quarterfinals.
A SAMPLING OF #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES FROM GAME 3
#NHLStats: Live Updates covered the Oilers’ attempted comeback along with other Game 3 storylines:
* Connor McDavid (0-2—2) notched his first career multi-point Stanley Cup Final game, boosting his totals to 5-29—34 this postseason (21 GP). McDavid and Wayne Gretzky (3x) are the only players in NHL history with 29 assists in a single postseason – Gretzky did so in 1988 (31), 1985 (30) and 1987 (29). McDavid’s 34 points are a new career high and two shy of the most by an active player (Evgeni Malkin: 14-22—36 in 2009).
* Gustav Forsling notched his eighth assist of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (20 GP) to match the franchise record for most in one postseason by a defenseman. Forsling (4-8—12) now sits one back of the Panthers benchmark for points by a blueliner in a playoff year (Brandon Montour: 8-5—13 in 2023; 21 GP).
* The Panthers have killed all 10 Oilers power plays so far in the Stanley Cup Final, including all three in Game 3. Their run of five straight games without surrendering a power-play goal matches the longest in franchise playoff history, equaling a run from earlier this year (Game 5 of R2 – Game 3 of CF).
* The Panthers matched a franchise playoff record with their sixth consecutive victory dating to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. A win Saturday would make them the seventh team in NHL history to finish a postseason with at least seven straight wins.
MORE FROM GAME 3: OUR LADY PEACE, KEITH JOINS NHL STANLEY CUP LIVE
* Four-time JUNO Award-winning rock band Our Lady Peace headlined a free musical performance outside Rogers Place in Edmonton for night one of the Rogers Festival at the Final concert series. Before Game 4, global superstar and five-time GRAMMY winner Shania Twain will perform (beginning at 4 p.m. MT in Scotiabank Fan Park outside Rogers Place).
* The “NHL in ASL” telecast had intermission guest Kevin Delaney, president of the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association – a hockey school established by Stan Mikita. Delaney is a former participant of the annual AHIHA Stan Mikita Hockey School and shared more about the school and its impact. Delaney joined from a watch party with AHIHA campers, alumni and family.
* Prior to Game 3, *Stanley Cup Live presented by New Amsterdam Vodka* welcomed former Oilers defenseman and Conn Smythe Trophy winner **Duncan Keith**.
UTAH HOCKEY CLUB FORMALLY ESTABLISHED LEADS OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY
* Smith Entertainment Group, led by Ryan and Ashley Smith, formally closed its transactions – announced on April 18 – establishing the Utah Hockey Club beginning with the 2024-25 season. Click here for more information and click here to see the club’s uniforms, also unveiled Thursday.
* Prime Video and the NHL announced NHL Coast To Coast, a weekly whiparound studio show on Thursday nights in Canada featuring live look-ins, highlights and expert analysis of every NHL game. The new series joins the recently announced Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream national regular season Monday night NHL games exclusively on Prime Video in Canada.
- Mark DeMontis was awarded the annual Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai to an individual who – through the sport of hockey – has positively impacted their community, culture, or society. DeMontis lost his vision at 17-years old before founding Canadian Blind Hockey to help build a bigger blind hockey community. He is also a gold medalist with Canada’s National Blind Hockey Team.
* The Sharks named 36-year-old Ryan Warsofsky as head coach, the second youngest in franchise history behind Kevin Constantine (age 34 in 1993-94). Among active head coaches, three made their NHL debut at age 36 or younger: Peter Laviolette (age 36 on Oct. 5, 2001 w/ NYI), Mike Sullivan (age 35 on Oct. 8, 2003 w/ BOS vs. NJD) and Paul Maurice (age 28 on Nov. 7, 1995 w/ HFD vs. SJS).
QUICK CLICKS
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