If you were looking for a calm, defensive chess match, Game 2 of Stanley Cup Finals was absolutely not the place to find it. Honestly, it was pure chaos from the first puck drop. The Florida Panthers managed to claw back into the series with a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers, but the score alone doesn't even begin to describe how weird and intense this game actually felt. It was a night of high-speed collisions, questionable non-calls, and a 37-year-old veteran reminding everyone why he’s one of the most polarizing figures in hockey history.
The atmosphere at Rogers Place was electric, but it turned tense fast.
Florida had to win this. Going down 2-0 heading back to Sunrise would have been a death sentence, especially against a team that has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl playing like they're in a video game.
The Wild First Period and the Bennett Controversy
Most Stanley Cup Final games start with teams feeling each other out. Not this one. We saw five goals in the first period alone. That hasn't happened in a Final since 2016, and it was the third-fastest five-goal start in the history of the NHL. Basically, defense was optional for the first twenty minutes.
The scoring started with Sam Bennett. He’s been a thorn in Edmonton’s side all series, and he proved it again by burying a power-play goal at 2:07. But Oilers fans were furious. Before the goal, Bennett seemed to kick Mattias Ekholm’s stick away—a blatant "gamesmanship" move that went uncalled.
Then came the Oilers' response.
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- Evander Kane beat Sergei Bobrovsky to tie it up.
- Evan Bouchard ripped a shot from the slot to give Edmonton the lead.
- Seth Jones (a huge trade deadline acquisition for Florida) snuck in backdoor to tie it at 2-2.
The highlight of the night, though? It was McDavid. He basically walked through the entire Florida defense, turning Aaron Ekblad inside out before feeding Draisaitl for a one-timer. It made the score 3-2 for Edmonton and had the building shaking. When those two are on the ice together, it’s just unfair.
Why Game 2 of Stanley Cup Finals Swung Florida's Way
The second period was a different story. Florida completely took over. They outshot Edmonton 16-7 and looked like the defending champs they are. Dmitry Kulikov tied it up at 3-3 with a point shot that deflected off Bouchard’s skate. That’s the kind of luck you need in June.
Then, Brad Marchand happened.
You either love him or you hate him, but you can’t argue with 10 career Stanley Cup Final goals. Marchand picked up a puck shorthanded and beat Stuart Skinner five-hole to give Florida a 4-3 lead. It was his second shorthanded goal in a Final, 14 years to the day after his first one against Vancouver in 2011. Talk about a long memory.
The Late Heroics of Corey Perry
Edmonton looked gassed in the third. Florida’s forecheck was suffocating. But with the net empty and only 18 seconds left on the clock, Corey Perry did exactly what the Oilers signed him to do. He found a loose puck in the crease and banged it home.
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It was the latest game-tying goal in the history of the Stanley Cup Finals. 19:42 of the third period.
Perry is 40 years old. He shouldn't be the one outworking kids in the blue paint, but he was. That goal sent the game into overtime, and eventually, a second overtime. It was the first time since 2020 that we saw a double-OT game in the Finals.
The Heartbreak in Double Overtime
Overtime in the playoffs is essentially a cardiovascular test. Skinner was standing on his head, making 42 saves in total. He stopped Sam Reinhart on a breakaway. He stopped Marchand on a backhand. He was the only reason the Oilers were still breathing.
But 8:05 into the second overtime, the dam finally broke.
Anton Lundell sent a stretch pass to Marchand, who was lurking behind the defense. Marchand didn't miss. He flipped a backhand that caught a piece of Skinner’s pad and trickled over the line. 5-4. Series tied.
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The silence in Rogers Place was deafening.
Key Takeaways for the Rest of the Series
If you're betting on how the rest of this series goes, look at the "hidden" stats from Game 2.
- Special Teams: Edmonton went 1-for-6 on the power play and allowed a shorthanded goal. You cannot do that in the Finals.
- The Physicality: Florida recorded 60 hits. 60! They are literally trying to run the Oilers out of the building.
- Defense Scoring: Florida’s blue line is generating a massive amount of offense. Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov getting on the scoresheet changes everything for them.
Actionable Insights for Game 3:
For the Oilers to regain control, Kris Knoblauch has to find a way to protect Skinner better. Allowing 46 shots is a recipe for disaster. Expect Edmonton to tighten up their neutral zone gap to prevent those Marchand breakaways. Florida, on the other hand, just needs to keep the pressure on Bouchard. He had three points in Game 2, but he was also on the ice for two goals against and took a costly penalty. If you're a fan, keep an eye on the Bennett-McDavid matchup. Bennett is getting under McDavid’s skin, and if the Oilers captain starts taking frustration penalties, this series belongs to the Panthers.
The series now shifts to Amerant Bank Arena in Florida. The momentum has swung, but as Corey Perry said after the game, "We're in the Final for a reason." This one is far from over.