After letting the lead get away twice, and letting the Oilers get the tying goal with just 18 seconds to play in regulation, the Florida Panthers found a way to win game two of the Stanley Cup Final 5-4 in double overtime to tie the series at 1-1.
This was a game in which no lead was safe, as these two heavyweights went back and forth, exchanging blows for 128 minutes, before the Panthers came out on top 5-4.
Brad Marchand found the back of the net at the 8:05 mark of the second overtime to send the Panthers back to Florida with the series tied 1-1.
The Panthers jumped on the Oilers early and took a 1-0 lead just over two minutes into the game as Sam Bennett scored his 11th goal of the playoffs to put the Panthers up 1-0. The Panthers enjoyed that lead for just over five minutes, until Evander Kane tied it up at 1-1 at the 7:08 mark of the period. Less than two minutes later, Evan Bouchard would score to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead. Seth Jones scored for the Panthers at the 11:07 mark of the first period to tie the game once again, 2-2. But the Oilers came roaring back as Leon Draisaitl would score his 10th goal this postseason, and the Oilers would take a 3-2 lead into the locker room after one period.
The scoring barrage slowed down in the second period as the Panthers scored two goals to take a 4-3 lead. Dimitry Kulikov scored the first Panthers goal of the second period at the 8:23 mark to tie the game at 3-3. Brad Marchand would then score a shorthanded goal at 12:09 to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
It would stay 4-3 until Corey Perry of the Oilers would tie the game with just 18 seconds to play in regulation to tie the game at 4-4. It stayed 4-4 until the second overtime, when Brad Marchand scored his seventh goal of the playoffs to stun the Oilers crowd and tie the series at 1-1.
After an uncharacteristic Panther-like performance in game one, the Panthers found their game in game two and were rewarded with a 5-4 OT win.
Marchand talked about his game-winning goal, but said he doesn’t remember anything. “To be honest, I blacked out. I don’t even know where it went. It was a fortuitous bounce. We’ll take it.” Marchand now has the third-most goals in overtime playoff history, and the most Stanley Cup Final goals in the salary cap era.
Although not as sharp as he was in the first three rounds, Sergei Bobrovsky dialed it in when he needed to and helped his team win this game.
Evan Rodrigues talked about what Bobrovsky means to this Panthers team. “He gives us a chance every night.” That’s all you can ask for. Some big saves, key saves at key moments, and we’re not taking him for granted, that’s for sure.”
Bobrovsky stopped 42 of the 46 shots, including all 14 shots he faced in overtime.
Oilers coach Kris Knoublach talked about how close the first two games have been in this series. “Each game could’ve went either way. Obviously, when you win the first one, you’re disappointed not to win the second.”
Knoblauch also addressed the road mentality his team has adopted in the playoffs. “We know we’re comfortable playing on the road. We’ve won a lot of games so far in the regular season and playoffs. So we’ll get ready for Game 3.”
The series will now return to South Florida for the next two games with the series tied 1-1. Game three will be on Monday night, with the puck dropping a little after 8 p.m.