The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead. The Panthers' offense was led by Evan Rodrigues, who scored twice in the third period and now has five goals in two games. Leon Draisaitl's elbow to Aleksander Barkov's head resulted in a power play goal for Rodrigues later in the game. Mattias Ekholm scored for the Oilers, while Niko Mikkola assisted on their only goal of the night. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves to earn his second shutout of the series and secure Florida's fifth consecutive playoff win.
The Panthers opened the scoring in the first period when Carter Verhaeghe, assisted by Aleksander Barkov, found the back of the net. The Oilers threatened throughout but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. In fact, they were outshot 18-32 for the game.
The second period saw no scoring as both teams continued to battle for control of the game. However, tensions boiled over when Leon Draisaitl laid out Aleksander Barkov with an elbow to the head in the third period. Barkov did not return to the game, leaving his status uncertain for future contests.
With a man advantage due to Draisaitl's penalty, Rodrigues struck again just over five minutes into the third period. His second goal of the night extended Florida's lead and proved crucial in securing their victory. Aaron Ekblad added an empty net goal late in the game to seal the deal.
The Panthers now hold a strong position in the series, but they will need to continue their solid play if they hope to take home the Stanley Cup. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in Edmonton.
