SUNRISE, Fla. — This is exactly what the Florida Panthers aim to do. They draw opponents into chaos and then beat them on the scoreboard.
They provoke, pressure, exchange barbs, and stand their ground in physical play. And then they celebrate victory by sticking out their tongues on the way off the ice.
“If you have to take a punch in the face, take a punch in the face,” says a pleased Matthew Tkachuk, who is now two wins away from his second Stanley Cup.
Game 3 in Sunrise was dictated by Florida, and the Edmonton Oilers – who seemingly still operate on Mountain Time and hadn`t adjusted over two days – fell for all of their opponent`s tricks.
The `Cats` quickly took the lead and routed their visitors with contributions from all lines. They forced their opponent to take more penalties than they did and had the better goaltender. By the time the plastic rats rained down (a tradition of Florida fans), they had even set their new favorite blowout score: 6-1.
Most importantly, however, the league`s most annoying, persistent, and currently best team is successfully getting under the skin of the Oilers, who are positioning themselves as a more mature team.
“Some of the calls and what not, obviously some of them are frustrating. They seem to get away with more than we do,” says Evander Kane, who has accumulated 18 PIMs in the series. “It’s tough to find that line. They’re doing just as much stuff as we are.”
Certainly. But whether it`s crashing the crease, embellishing for penalties, or capitalizing on numerous power play opportunities, the Panthers simply do `that something` better.
That very line Kane speaks of? The Panthers act as if they invented it themselves and balance on it with the skill of Philippe Petit.
How unpleasant must it be to face the champions when they completely control the physical style and pace of the game?
“I don’t know. I haven’t played against the Panthers,” captain Aleksander Barkov replies with a smile. “It’s fun to play. It’s hard. We were good today. We’re ready for anything.”
On Monday, the Oilers were completely unprepared.
And as the game devolved into misconduct penalties, cheap shots, and constant scrums, as Jake Walman sprayed water at the opposing bench, and the cheerful fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich stuck out his tongue after a tussle with Darnell Nurse, earning a standing ovation, and as starting goalie Stuart Skinner was finally given the mercy pull, the Oilers went from unprepared to completely unravelling.
“Certainly, the third period was an unravelling,” said Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch. “The game was out of hand. I don’t think we would have acted or played like that if it had been a one-goal or two-goal game.”
We would argue: no game should be hopeless for the playoffs` best comeback team. But the Oilers stopped playing hockey and started playing for revenge.
Interestingly, after the game, Florida coach Paul Maurice mentioned Vancouver`s recent incredible comeback, scoring three goals in a minute against the Stars. The Oilers certainly have the talent for that kind of offensive magic, but they were too absorbed in their frustration to unleash their power.
Tristan Blackwood