Evan Rodrigues, Panthers roll the Oilers: Grades, takeaways after Game 2 of the Cup Final

There are just two teams left vying for the Stanley Cup. Check out our coverage, with TV times, the latest news, results and more.
• Playoff Central
• Subscribe to ESPN+
• Stream the NHL on ESPN

It’s proof that the Oilers have been able to make the necessary adjustments. But what makes this different — other than it being in the Cup Final — is that the Oilers had at least one victory in previous series whenever they lost. Now they’re in a 2-0 hole facing one of two realities: Either they cut the series to 2-1 or they face a 3-0 hole knowing they could potentially get swept on home ice in Game 4.

The Oilers’ strongest bet for secondary offense could be their defensemen

One of the conversations after Game 1 was how 52% of the Oilers’ shots came from Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid. Game 2 saw another quartet lead the way when it came to the Oilers’ getting shots on net: the Oilers defensemen combined for 13 of the Oilers’ 19 shots on goal.

No, really. Mattias Ekholm, who scored the Oilers’ lone goal, along with Brett Kulak, Vincent Desharnais and Bouchard were responsible for 13 shots. Kulak had five shots, Desharnais and Ekholm each had three, while Bouchard had two. The rest of the Oilers’ shots belonged to Draisaitl, Hyman and McDavid.

Players to watch in Game 3

Matthew Tkachuk, F, Panthers

Florida hasn’t seen the best of Matthew Tkachuk yet in the Cup Final. That’s not to say Tkachuk hasn’t been visible — he just hasn’t had the series-shifting, game-changing performance of which he has proven capable in the past.

Edmonton’s level of urgency will skyrocket now that it’s not only in a 2-0 deficit but back playing for its home crowd. This is when the Panthers need their stars to step up, and given the uncertainty surrounding Aleksander Barkov‘s status after the third period hit he took from Draisaitl, it’s on Tkachuk to set a tone for the Panthers and demonstrate his leadership.

And he’s quite familiar with the Edmonton crowd, after skating for the archnemesis Calgary Flames prior to his trade to the Panthers.

Florida has an opportunity to take a commanding lead on the Oilers, and Tkachuk will want to be a catalyst.

Darnell Nurse, D, Oilers

For starters, will Nurse be healthy enough to play in Game 3? Or will the Oilers be faced to make another adjustment with their defensive pairings?

Nurse was on the receiving end of a first-period check that led to him going to the dressing room. He returned for a 13-second shift, only to go back to the dressing room again before coming back to the Oilers’ bench. Nurse had just one shift in the second period and two more in the third period.

Getting injured is the latest development in what has been a trying postseason for Nurse. He was on the ice for two goals in Game 1, pushing him to a minus-15 rating for the playoffs. That mark is one away from the lowest plus/minus rating in a single postseason.

Big questions for Game 3

Will Barkov be available?

Florida is fortunate there are two days between Game 2 and Game 3. That gives Barkov a more time to be assessed to determine whether it’s safe for him to get back in action following the high hit from Draisaitl.

Barkov has had a tremendous run in this postseason, posting six goals and 19 points. If he is unavailable, that puts pressure on Anton Lundell and the Panthers’ other depth centers to step up — a tall task at any juncture of the season, but especially when facing an Edmonton team that will be desperate to start evening the score on home ice.

Barkov’s status will be at the forefront for Florida until there’s a definite answer on his availability.

play

Why Sergei Bobrovsky is enjoying the ‘fun challenge’ of facing Oilers

Sergei Bobrovsky joins Scott Van Pelt following the Panthers’ 4-1 win over the Oilers in Game 2.

What must happen for the Oilers to piece together a consistent performance?

Game 1 saw the Oilers consistently generating shots for two periods while limiting shots on the other end … only to lose. Game 2 saw them score against Bobrovsky, but they struggled to get shots on net while allowing several chances at a time … which led to them losing.

Through two games, there have been glimpses of progress, but also quite a few moments of struggle. Part of the narrative with the Oilers this season following Kris Knoblauch’s hire has been the ability to make adjustments. They did so against the Canucks when they were down 2-1 in the second round. They did it again when they lost two straight in the Western Conference finals to the Stars.

Can they once again find the right combinations to climb out of a 2-0 series hole or could they be facing the threat of facing elimination on home ice in Game 4?