2024 Stanley Cup Final: Evan Rodrigues scores two goals as Panthers defeat Oilers in Game 2

Panthers take 2-0 series lead after beating Oilers, 4-1

The Florida Panthers have secured a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. On Monday, veteran forward Evan Rodrigues tallied the go-ahead goal early in the third period to lead the Panthers to a 4-1 win against the visiting Edmonton Oilers in Game 2.

Just 3:11 into the third period, Rodrigues sent a scorching shot on net that got past the blocker of Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. He had initially turned the puck over in the offensive zone, but Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard gave the puck right back to Rodrigues to make the goal possible.

Rodrigues ended up adding an insurance goal at the 12:26 mark of the third period. He was able to deflect a pass from forward Anton Lundell into the net to extend Florida's lead to 3-1.

Rodrigues has tallied goals in back-to-back games to start off the Stanley Cup Final. The 30-year old signed a four-year, $12 million contract with Florida in the offseason after spending the 2022-23 campaign with the Colorado Avalanche, and has proved to be a massive acquisition for the Panthers thus far.

Despite being severely outshot in the first period, the Oilers managed to get on the scoreboard first. 

In a four-on-four scenario, Edmonton star Connor McDavid got the odd-man rush started in his own zone and defenseman Mattias Ekholm found himself leading a three-on-one in the offensive zone. Ekholm elected to keep the puck himself, and ripped a shot that Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky couldn't stop from going through his five-hole.

For the second consecutive game, the game's first goal came on a team's first shot on goal.

Midway through the second period, the Panthers tied the game with a goal coming courtesy of their blue line. Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was able to beat Skinner's glove hand off of a stellar drop pass from teammate Anton Lundell to tie the game at 1.

Entering Game 2, Mikkola had registered just a goal and two assists during the postseason, and hadn't scored since Game 5 of the Florida's opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As has been a theme throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bobrovsky proved to be strong in the crease yet again. The Panthers goalie stopped 18 of the 19 shots that he faced, and has surrendered only one goal in the first two games of the series.

[Jun 10, 2024 at 7:50 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

Since the Eastern Conference Final began, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has a 1.71 goals-against-average and a .934 save percentage. He's yielded two or fewer goals in 11 of his last 12 games, and has been playing some of the best hockey of his postseason career. The Oilers offense is certainly not going to get shut out in every game, but Bobrobsky will be counted on to limited their chances much like he did in Game 1.

[Jun 10, 2024 at 7:40 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe found the back of the net in Game 1 for his team-leading 10th goal of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Verhaeghe registered three goals in Florida's Eastern Conference Final win against the New York Rangers, but hadn't scored since Game 4 of that series prior to his Game 1 tally. The Panthers forward has racked up at least three shots-on-goal in three of his last five games, so it won't be surprising if his teammates get him the puck consistently in Game 2.

[Jun 10, 2024 at 7:30 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

The Oilers had plenty of chances throughout Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was simply sensational as he recorded a 32-save shutout. It's hard to imagine many games in which the Oilers can outshoot their opponents by a 32-18 margin and not score a single goal. 

[Jun 10, 2024 at 7:20 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

Oilers star Connor McDavid has thrived throughout his playoff career following losses. In fact, McDavid has tallied 54 career points (18 goals & 36 assists) in games following a Stanley Cup Playoff loss. During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, McDavid has racked up a franchise record 16 points (three goals & 13 assists) in games that have come after an Edmonton loss. In a single postseason, Esa Tikkanen previously held the record with seven goals and seven assists in the 1991 postseason.

[Jun 10, 2024 at 7:10 pm ET · Chris Bengel]

While falling in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final wasn't ideal, the Oilers have a 5-1 record following a loss during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Those five wins following a loss are tied for the second-most in a playoff year in franchise history after Edmonton was 6-2 after losses in the 2006 postseason. In each of the past three scenarios where they suffered a Game 1 loss in the postseason, the Oilers have rebounded to tie the series at 1-1.