Too Much, Too Soon: Oilers Hold Off Panthers Comeback Bid

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers trailed by three in the second to the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final rematch but a hard-fought comeback came up short in a 6-3 loss.

The Panthers found themselves down just 25 seconds into the game and trailed by 3 early in the second period before they mounted a comeback by scoring twice to close the period.

Jack Roslovic scored twice in the first for the Oilers, and Evan Bouchard had three assists.

Anton Lundell and Mackie Samoskevich — who was playing in his 100th NHL game — each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers.

After Roslovic scored 25 seconds into the game on a shot from the boards, Lundell tied it off a great play from Samoskevich.

Only the Panthers trailed 4-1 at 6:45 of the second prompting Paul Maurice to pull Sergei Bobrovsky after he allowed four goals on 17 shots.

The Panthers came back with a pair of second-period goals from Samoskevich and Sam Reinhart to trail by a goal going into the third.

Yet Edmonton scored two into the empty net late in the third and that was that.

NOTEBOOK: OILERS at PANTHERS

• Reinhart extended his scoring streak to six straight games with his second period goal.
• Brad Marchand had an assist on that Reinhart goal, and has at least a point in 12 of his past 13 games.
• The Panthers played without defenseman Aaron Ekblad who was a late scratch with an undisclosed lower body injury. Paul Maurice said he should be fine to play Monday.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Oilers 1, Panthers 0 (0:25 1st): The Panthers turn over the puck and Jack Roslovic gets his first of the night by sending a shot from the wall between the skates of Sergei Bobrovsky.
• Panthers 1, Oilers 1 (6:30 1st): Mackie Samoskevich chases down a puck at the end boards and sends a hard shot toward the goal — with Anton Lundell there to jam it home.
• Oilers 2, Panthers 1 (7:06 1st): Roslovic gets another, this time scoring off a shot from the bottom of the right circle with a wrist shot.
• Oilers 3, Panthers 1 (13:58 1st): A few seconds after a power play ended, Mattias Ekholm gets a bouncing puck off a rebound and fires it home from the slot.
• Oilers 4, Panthers 1 (6:45 2nd): Vasily Podkolzin slices a shot off the goal line that hits Bobrovsky in the shoulder and goes in. Bobrovsky is pulled, ending his night with 13 saves.
• Oilers 4, Panthers 2 (10:04 2nd): Samoskevich gets his second point of the game, ripping a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Uvis Balinskis.
• Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (13:39 2nd PP): Lundell’s shot from in close comes off Stuart Skinner, finds Sam Reinhart in the slot and it’s a one-goal game.
• Oilers 5, Panthers 3 (17:20 3rd EN): Connor McDavid all but ends it.
• Oilers 6, Panthers 3 (17:47 3rd EN): Matt Savoie does.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. Jack Roslovic, Oilers
• 2. Evan Bouchard, Oilers
• 3. Mackie Samoskevich, Panthers

ON DECK: GAME No. 22

FLORIDA PANTHERS at NASHVILLE PREDATORS 

• When: Monday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Season Series — At Nashville: Monday. At Florida: Dec. 4.
• Last Season: Panthers Won 2-0
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 24-15-6, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Wednesday vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.