Fort Lauderdale – The Florida Panthers waste no time.
With the Edmonton Oilers leading 3-2 series in the Stanley Cup final, the defending champions have shown many times that the puck is always ready to drop.
Throughout the first five games of the series, they scored at least two goals each year in the first period.
“It’s huge to start off well,” forward Anton Landell said. “We want to keep doing that, but at the same time it’s a long game. In the series, we’ve seen that you have to play everything for 60 minutes.
After leaving the locker room with a collective head full of steam, the Panthers outperformed the Oilers 11-4 in the first period, but scored outscores 11-10 in the second and third.
In each of the two victories in the series, the Oilers have returned from a multi-goal deficit.
Conor McDavid and Leon Draysightle are in the lineup and they know they’re never out of it.
“I think it was a big challenge,” coach Paul Maurice said. “We got a lead in the game, but we’ve evaporated them. They’re built to attack. When pressure comes from the team, we achieve some goals with the team and change the risk profile. They’re the most dangerous team in the National Hockey League, where the risk profile changes.”
However, after taking a 3-0 lead with a 5-2 victory in Game 5 on Saturday at Rogers Place, the Panthers once again showed they have what they need to survive the Edmonton storm.
In Game 3, they led 2-0 in the first period and won a 6-1 victory at sunrise.
Just because the Oilers can push doesn’t mean the Panthers can’t push back.
“I think we played pretty good hockey this series and the entire playoffs, but in these last few, forward Massieut Kachuk said, “We know the type of game we have to play. Our start is important in building a game. Hard gap, heavy forest check.”
With the chance to become the ninth different franchise, repeated as Stanley Cup Champions, the Panthers know that another strong start will be important once again in Game 6 on Tuesday.
Welcome Oilers to Amerant Bank Arena. This is where I cup cleaned Edmonton, Florida cup cleansing in Game 7 a year ago. Both the player and the home crowd are ready.
If you’re looking for players to start a party, you’ll have a few candidates.
Tkachuk and Sam Bennett were first tied for the Panthers with five goals each during the first period of this postseason, with Carter Werhege winning four nets. Spreading the attack, 12 different players lit the ramp in the first period, recording eight targets.
With Lord Stanley in the building, everyone is itching that first shift.
“There’s no need for any additional incentives to stand up to the game during this period,” Reinhart said. “I love the start so far, and I’ll need a different start tomorrow.”
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