‘Not our best’: Undisciplined Oilers thumped 6-1 by Panthers in ugly Game 3

Linesman Trent Knorr gets between Florida Panthers centre Sam Bennett (top) and Edmonton Oilers winger Trent Frederic during the third period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

SUNRISE, FLA. — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the puck with Sergei Bobrovsky at his mercy.

The Oilers forward — an injury question mark coming into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final — fired high and wide of the Panthers’ goal with his team enjoying an early power play.

It was about as good as things would get for Edmonton on an ugly Monday night that saw Florida dominate in picking up a resounding 6-1 victory to grab a 2-1 lead in the NHL title series.

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“Not our best,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of his team’s performance. “I don’t think our best has shown up all series long, but it’s coming.”

It better happen quick.

A knife-edged matchup through 8 1/2 periods — a 4-3 Edmonton overtime victory and a 5-4 Florida triumph in double OT — didn’t follow the same pattern after shifting from Alberta’s capital to Sunrise’s stifling heat.

“We didn’t play very well, that’s evident,” said Oilers winger Evander Kane, who took a pair of penalties in the first period. “We have nobody to blame but ourselves.”

Brad Marchand scored 56 seconds after puck drop to send Amerant Bank Arena into an early frenzy before that man-advantage chance where Nugent-Hopkins ripped that puck off the glass.

The Oilers were undisciplined from there with three minor penalties in the offensive zone and another for too many men on the ice before the first intermission. The Panthers finally made the visitors pay when Carter Verhaeghe went bar down on Stuart Skinner.

Corey Perry cut the deficit in half 100 seconds into the middle period on a power play as Edmonton briefly showed signs of life, but a turnover by Oilers defenceman John Klingberg led to Sam Reinhart making it 3-1.

Sam Bennett then crushed Edmonton winger Vasily Podkolzin to create a turnover that led to his own breakaway goal before Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues rounded out the scoring on man advantages in the third.

The Oilers played into the Panthers’ hands all night, coming unhinged with scuffles after the whistle — something they had largely avoided through two games.

Florida, which defeated Edmonton in seven to capture the franchise’s first championship 12 months ago, showed again why its roster is littered with players adept at straddling or crossing the officiating line.

And, from the Oilers’ perspective, the calls have been tilted in the Panthers’ favour.

“They seem to get away with it more than we do,” Kane said of the gamesmanship. “It’s tough to find the line. They’re doing just as much stuff as we are … there seems to be a little bit more attention on our group.”

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, whose team felt there should have been a too-many-men penalty on Florida in extra time of Game 2, had a biting take on the refereeing so far in the series.

“(Wes McCauley and Francis Charron) did an outstanding job,” he said of Monday’s officiating crew. “They even caught the too-many-men penalty in the first period, which was too many men.

“They caught us there. I just wish they had been calling the game in Game 2 in overtime.”

Skinner said it won’t be difficult to flush the result.

“It’s one game,” the netminder said after getting the hook following Florida’s fifth goal on 23 shots. “They could’ve beat us 12-0 and it’s the same result. It’s still just 2-1 (in the series).

“It might feel a little bit harder just because we weren’t in the game, but it doesn’t change how we’re going to respond.”

Both teams pivoted to message-sending mode in the third period, including a long fight between Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse and Florida forward Jonah Gadjovich.

“Boys being boys,” Knoblauch said. “Just trying to make investments for the next game.”

McDavid said his group can, if necessary, match the Panthers’ physical style moving forward.

“We feel like we can play any game,” he said. “When the game’s out of hand, you’re going to see that stuff.”

Edmonton now has 48 hours to regroup before Game 4 on Thursday.

“You go back home at 2-2 or down 3-1 … it’s a big swing,” said McDavid, whose team will host Game 5 on Saturday. “It’s a pivotal game. There’s no doubt about it.”

The Oilers will need a lot more — offence, discipline and composure — in a contest that could go a long way in determining if their Cup script is any different this time around.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press