Draisaitl's penalty cripples the Oilers.
The top forwards in the NHL playoffs play for the Edmonton Oilers, but the team, with Leon Draisaitl leading the charge, has only managed to score one goal in the first two games of the finals. The standout player of the night is Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues, who set a historic milestone by scoring a double in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Draisaitl and the Oilers experienced a loss in the second game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite another lackluster offensive display, they were defeated by the Florida Panthers 1-4. The pivotal third goal was scored by the Oilers in the final moments of a power play following a penalty against Draisaitl, who only managed one shot on goal and is yet to regain his top form from the earlier playoff rounds. With the pressure mounting before the next two games in Edmonton, the Oilers must secure four wins to claim the National Hockey League title.
Evan Rodrigues shone brightly on the night, becoming the first player in Panthers history to score a double in the Stanley Cup Finals. "I just play my game and do whatever it takes," he said in a post-game interview.
Ekholm puts Oilers ahead, but then...
The Oilers, who were goalless after 32 shots in their 0-3 loss in Game 1, managed to take the lead in Game 2 with their first attempt. Mattias Ekholm struck the first Stanley Cup goal for Edmonton since their previous final appearance 18 years ago. Despite boasting three of the most successful forwards in the playoffs - Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, and Draisaitl - the team tacked on just six more shots on goal in the second half.
"We've been doing what we've been doing all season. These are talented players who will get their chances, but our defense has been solid. That's worked for us so far," said Rodrigues. His double struck the decisive blow after Niko Mikkola equalized the score. The fourth goal was scored by Aaron Ekblad just 2.5 minutes before the end, while Edmonton had no goalkeeper on the ice, playing with all-out offense.
Draisaitl elbows opponent in the face
The second goal by Rodrigues came after a penalty against Draisaitl, who smashed his opponent, Alexander Barkov, in the face with his elbow and had to serve a two-minute penalty. Barkov did not reappear on the ice after the incident. Rodrigues broke the Oilers' series of 34 successful penalty kills in these playoffs and capitalized. For the Panthers, it was their first power play goal of the postseason. "Our mentality shifted in the third period, and we treated it like a normal five-on-five," Rodrigues recounted.
Following an impressive series of 13 consecutive playoff games with at least one scoring point, Draisaitl is currently without a goal and has two games played in the finals. McDavid has one assist for a point thus far.
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Draisaitl's elbow incident on Barkov led to a penalty and a power play goal for the Panthers, with Evan Rodrigues capitalizing on the opportunity. The Oilers are struggling offensively in the Stanley Cup Finals, as Draisaitl, despite being one of the top forwards in the NHL playoffs, has yet to find his form from the earlier rounds and has gone two games without a goal.
