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Game 3 was once again the Sergei Bobrovsky show, with the Tigers suffering a tough 4-3 loss at home.
The Oilers outshot Florida 35 to 23, but the Panthers goaltending was truly excellent and Florida's best penalty killer, making stops at key moments in the game.
Edmonton had advantages in puck possession, shots and zone time, but they wasted three power-play chances and also self-destructed in the points department, conceding three in just 6 minutes, 19 seconds into the second period.
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Now, the Oilers are in danger of being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night, down 3-0.
Here's the story of that tape…
Stuart Skinner. 4. He made an early save on a Carter Verhaeghe shot. He also made a save from Lorentz. He also did a good job of stopping a hard shot in front of the goal. At 1-0, he had little chance with a deflection that went between the legs of the attacker and defender. He had no trouble stopping a puck from Montour in the middle of a traffic jam. But at 2-1, he made a big mistake behind his own goal that led directly to the winning goal and seemed to change the course of the game. He stopped 19 of 23 attempts. You can only blame him once, but it was a fatal blow.
Connor McDavid. 6. He took a pass from Bouchard and drove up the middle for his first shot of the game. He hit a pass from Hyman off Bobrovsky's toes on the PP. He sent a one-timer to Draisaitl. A nice pass from Len but McDavid couldn't take advantage of his first 3-point shot. He was back up 1-0 but couldn't get a hold of either the man or the puck. A nice pass low-high to Broberg made it 4-2. Then he passed to Clark on a deflection from McLeod for 4-3. Five shots. But the power play puzzle is still unsolved.
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 5. He blew the whistle for interference in the first period, but his teammate stopped it. He hit the post on the first power play of the game. He led the team in 5-on-5 shooting 18-7, a respectable 72%. He had one shot and two hits, but he was also part of the problem with a puzzling power play stoppage.
Zach Hyman. 5. Great pass on the PP to McDavid in the slot. 2nd PP in the opening period. Had a Grade A chance in the 2nd but Bob caught it with his glove. Had some good chances late but didn't convert them all. 3 shots, 3 hits. This team has scored 50 goals and they haven't scored a single one in this series.
Evan Bouchard. 5. Great keep followed by a super pass to McDavid for the first shot of the game. Couldn't stop Barkov along the wall on 1-0. Great pass to Hyman for a chance in the second period. Couldn't stop a pass on 4-1. Great pass to Janmark for a chance late in the third. Then had a close chance up front but Bobrovsky glared at him and got the rebound. Great pass between Draisaitl and Hyman for a good chance late in the second period. Great stick to stop a 2-on-1. At 5-on-5, he's patrolling 12-3 for scoring chances. There are more good things than bad.
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Matthias Ekholm. 4. Couldn't get past the man at 1-0. Then he made an uncharacteristically poor read at the offensive blue line and a 2-on-1 situation led to a 4-1 goal. The puck was generally headed in the right direction while he was on the ice, but he was directly involved in two away attempts.
Leon Draisaitl. 4. After a pass from McDavid, he takes a big one-time shot at the Florida net on the penalty kick, but it's blocked. They're within 97 points on the second penalty kick, but McDavid can't take advantage of the golden opportunity. Hyman doesn't get all the puck on a golden opportunity late in the second period. Part of a wild sequence that makes it 4-3. Three shots. Draws just 46% of the time. Another whiff on the penalty kick.
Ryan McLeod. 4. He missed a wall clear in the first period. Not a good game at all. But the coach saw something in him and put him in for the third period, and McLeod made a deflection off Knoblock on fourth-and-3. Then he banged in a McDavid pass to nearly tie the game. He'll remember that tonight before he goes to sleep.
Corey Perry. 3. After a tough second period, Perry hung in there behind the Florida goal line and then scored a goal next to the net after the puck bounced off a Florida defender and went into the goal, making it 4-2. Although he didn't get an assist, he played a key role in scoring the goal.
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Darnell Nurse. 3. He made some smart plays deep in his own half and cleared the penalty early, but after some heavy Florida pressing, he backhanded it down to five and made it 3-1. He drew a hooking call late in the second period. The pair had a long night at 5-on-5. Nurse was 16-24 CF, High Danger was 3-6. It was a tough postseason.
Philip Broberg. 5. An early goal off the wall creates an opportunity for Florida. Brown almost scores with a point shot in front of the goal. They are overwhelmed by a fierce attack on a 3-1 run. They shoot the puck toward the net, which bounces off a Florida player and goes in to tie the game at 4-2. They get another shot after that, but lose the 5-on-5 game.
Adam Henrique. 6. Very effective game. Shot blocked in the first period. Great play off the wall on a 1-on-1, won a boards battle with two opponents and slid a perfect head-man pass to a hard-charging Warren Vogel. 3-of-6 scoring chances at 5-on-5. 64% success rate on faceoffs.
Mattias Janmark. 5. The first was a dangerous wraparound shot. The second was a great chance off a pass from Bouchard. Three shots, three hits. Another solid performance from the veteran.
Connor Brown. 6. A great penalty kick shift in the first period that included a shorthanded shot and another near miss. A nice deflection of a Broberg point shot. Skated for miles.
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Brett Clark, 6. Steady play. Catch a Ryan McLeod deflection and fire a shot from the point to make it 4-3. HDSC is now 1-1 under his watch.
Cody Ceci. 4. Great short-side shot after the Oilers' efficient cycle 4.Number Line. After Skinner misplayed the puck, he lost a fight behind his own goal line to make it 2-1. On fourth-and-3 goal, he made a great save at the blue line.
Derek Ryan. 4. Good clearance on early penalty kick. The fourth line produced a great cycle late in the first period. Got in with a 3-1 score. 40% of the draw.
Dylan Holloway. 4. He missed two clearances along the wall in the opening frame, had a good shot from the high slot the second time around, had a steal and shot on his next shift, but lost a key board battle on a 3-1 sequence. -2.
Warren Vogel. 6. He took a headman pass from Adam Henrique, charged alone to Bob, raised his glove high and his wrist to make it 1-1, his first time in 17 games.
Find me on Threads at @kleavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, on Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social, and on X at @KurtLeavins.
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