Try counting to 11. That`s the number of times the Florida Panthers have scored five or more goals in a single game this postseason. They reached this milestone twice against the Tampa Bay Lightning, three times against the Toronto Maple Leafs, four times when facing the Carolina Hurricanes, and after achieving it in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers, they did it again on Monday with a dominant 6-1 victory in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Scoring frequently in bunches is clearly not a new phenomenon for the Panthers. For the Oilers, however, allowing more than five goals in a playoff game has been rare. Before Game 2, the last time they conceded that many was in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.
With the Panthers now holding a 2-1 series lead, they are just two victories shy of claiming the Stanley Cup. Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton analyze how Game 3 unfolded, which players to monitor moving forward, and the key questions each team must address heading into Game 4 on Wednesday.
Florida Panthers
Grade: A+
Florida outperformed Edmonton in every aspect: they outworked and simply outplayed the Oilers at even strength and on special teams. The Panthers` forecheck was relentless, they won more battles along the boards and, perhaps most critically, contained Edmonton`s stars – and effectively their entire offense. That latter feat was due in large part to a sensational performance in goal from Sergei Bobrovsky, who significantly outplayed Stuart Skinner at the other end.
The Panthers took control from the start as Sam Reinhart scored less than a minute into the game (Note: Original text says Brad Marchand, this appears to be an error, Reinhart scored the first goal). They eventually got their power play going when Carter Verhaeghe scored on their fourth attempt of the first period. Sam Reinhart`s response to Corey Perry`s goal for Edmonton early in the second period, and Sam Bennett`s breakaway goal afterward, further solidified Florida`s focused performance.
Entering the third period with a 4-1 lead, and knowing they were 30-1 in the postseason under Paul Maurice when leading after two periods, provided all the confidence the Panthers needed to not just cause Skinner`s removal from the net but also cruise to a decisive victory. — Shilton
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: D
Once again, the Oilers endured another first period in which they conceded two goals, adding to a chronic issue this series: struggling to start strong. There were struggles to maintain possession, leading to turnovers that resulted in goals. Aside from the goal from Corey Perry, set up by Evan Bouchard, the Oilers` supporting cast struggled to make an impact, while the Panthers had six different goal scorers.
The Oilers also struggled with discipline, accumulating 85 penalty minutes, which is the most in a Cup Final game since 1986.
A series where either the Oilers or Panthers could have taken a 2-0 lead after the first two contests gave way to a Game 3 that saw Edmonton struggle in several areas. Mounting comebacks has been a trademark this postseason, but the Oilers entered the third period of Game 3 trailing by three goals – a significant problem for multiple reasons. The last time a team came back from a three-goal deficit in the third period of a Cup Final game was in 1944. And after allowing a power-play goal early in the third period, Stuart Skinner was replaced by Calvin Pickard.
These challenges compounded to create the Oilers` weakest performance of the Cup Final – and perhaps their poorest showing since early in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. — Clark
Arda Öcal`s Three Stars of Game 3
1. Sam Reinhart
F, Panthers
Reinhart recorded his first two points of the Cup Final, a goal and assist, timing it perfectly. The team that wins Game 3 in a Cup Final series tied 1-1 typically goes on to win the Stanley Cup nearly 76% of the time.
2. Paul Maurice
Panthers Coach
The Panthers coach earned his 1,000th NHL win, as he made all the right tactical decisions to lead his team to a 6-1 victory.
3. The Penalty Box
It was a frequently visited spot in Game 3. The two teams combined for 140 total penalty minutes, which is the fourth most in Cup Final history; the record is 176 by the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens in 1986.
Players to watch in Game 4
Aleksander Barkov
C, Panthers
It`s about time the Panthers` captain gets involved in the Cup Final scoring, right?
While Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart each have four goals in the series, Barkov has yet to register a single point and has just six shots on net. Of course, Barkov has been playing significant minutes (including over 30 in the double-overtime victory in Game 2) and has been tasked with trying to contain the Oilers` top line, but still. That amount of ice time makes it even more perplexing that he has failed to record a point by this stage.
Barkov had six goals and 11 points through the Panthers` first three playoff series, and was among their most consistent forwards. Something just hasn`t clicked for him in the Final yet, where he has appeared slightly off his game throughout.
That cannot continue. Barkov is too talented not to become a factor for Florida. If he does become a significant scoring threat, it spells trouble for the Oilers. Given how the Panthers` offense performed in Game 3 even without contributions from Barkov, seeing him catch fire too could be Edmonton`s worst nightmare. — Shilton
Stuart Skinner
G, Oilers
It seems we`re discussing this again, doesn`t it?
Goaltenders are always under scrutiny, especially in the postseason. After all, they have one of the few professions on the planet in which a red light, a loud horn, and thousands of people publicly celebrate their errors. Monday was the fourth time during these playoffs that Skinner has allowed more than five goals. The second time that happened, it led to the Oilers replacing him with Calvin Pickard in the first round. Pickard replaced him again in Game 3, stopping seven of eight shots in 16:33 of ice time. The most recent time that Skinner allowed more than five goals was followed by the Oilers rallying to win four straight to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
But how much of Game 3 can be placed on Skinner? The Oilers had 11 giveaways, gave up seven power-play chances, and fell prey once again to allowing two unanswered goals in a period. So was Skinner the problem, or was he let down by the team`s performance around him? — Clark
Big questions for Game 4
Can the Panthers keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in check — again?
Florida did an excellent job neutralizing McDavid and Draisaitl at 5-on-5 and on the power play, even when Kris Knoblauch was forced to pair them together on a line midway through the second period in hopes it would spark the Oilers` offense. That wasn`t the case, and it didn`t do much to improve things for McDavid and Draisaitl either.
Draisaitl had zero shot attempts by early in the third period. McDavid had two. Although Bobrovsky appeared particularly impenetrable, it was difficult for either of Edmonton`s stars to generate much opportunity in front of him anyway. By the end of the third period, Knoblauch might have elected to simply stop putting McDavid or Draisaitl on the ice at all given how the Oilers were imploding.
Regardless, whatever tactics worked for Florida in that regard need to be replicated for Game 4. The Oilers were able to make Barkov uncomfortable when they were dictating matchups, but on Florida`s home ice the Panthers were able to respond by shutting down Edmonton`s two elite scorers. If the Panthers can re-create that performance Thursday, there`s a real chance they can gain a dominant hold on this series when it flips back to Edmonton for Game 5. — Shilton
Can the Oilers correct their recent defensive lapses?
A breakaway goal from Evan Rodrigues (Note: Original text says Brad Marchand, appears to be an error, Rodrigues scored a breakaway in Game 2) in Game 2 got the Panthers on the board, and Sam Bennett`s breakaway in double overtime is how they tied the series. Never mind the Sam Reinhart breakaway that could have ended Game 2 during the first overtime.
Allowing three goals halfway through Game 3 was already going to raise questions about the Oilers` defensive scheme. But the Panthers taking a 4-1 lead in the second period via Sam Bennett`s breakaway highlighted another potential weakness around the Oilers.
There have already been moments in this series in which the Panthers have had a shot share exceeding 65%. As noted above, the Oilers also allowed two unanswered goals in a period, something that has occurred six times through the first nine periods of the series. Maintaining defensive structure had been a hallmark this postseason for the Oilers. But in this series, inconsistent defense has resulted in them falling into a 2-1 series deficit. — Clark
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley