Panthers’ power play finally comes through at home in Game 3 vs. Oilers

SUNRISE — As impressive as the Florida Panthers’ third consecutive run through the Stanley Cup playoffs has been, it’s been accompanied by an inexplicable statistical oddity.

The Panthers could not get the puck in the net on the power play at home.

They entered Monday night’s Game 3 1 for 28 (3.6 percent) on the power play in playoff games at Amerant Bank Arena through three rounds.

Florida apparently just needed the stakes to be a little higher. The Panthers scored twice on the power play Monday as they took a 2-1 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers.

The drought was snapped when forward Carter Verhaeghe went top shelf against Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner with 2:15 remaining in the first period as the Panthers had the man advantage. It put Florida ahead, 2-0, after Brad Marchand started Game 3 how he ended Game 2 on Friday, with his goal.

“It’s just maybe what happens, flow of the game,” Verhaeghe said. “We love playing at home, but to get a goal on the power play is huge for momentum. But I can’t really say it’s really a power play schneid at home. I didn’t even know.”

It happened after the Panthers came up empty on their first three power play chances Monday, but Edmonton forward Viktor Arvidsson taking a penalty for goaltender interference was the one that finally caused the Oilers penalty kill to break.

And then they got a second on the power play in the third period. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad ripped the puck past Skinner to end his night prematurely early in the period, as the Panthers took a 5-1 lead.

Later in the third, a sixth Panthers goal was scored by Evan Rodrigues on a 5-on-3 advantage, as the Oilers resorted to fisticuffs late.

The Panthers were 3 for 11 on power plays Monday night.

Before Monday, Florida’s only power play goal at home in the playoffs came in Game 4 of the second round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, also off the stick of Verhaeghe.

It’s not like the power play has been weak. On the road, the Panthers are 14 for 34 with the man advantage (41.2 percent).

“I would suggest, though, that we’re not either, that no team is,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said at Monday’s morning skate. “We’ve never run a 40-percent power play, home or road, and we don’t run a 4-percent power play, home or road.

“I’ve absolutely no idea why those numbers are so skewed, at all. We’ve talked about it, and then once we got to the point where we couldn’t figure it out, we just left it alone. That’s some high-end coaching there for you people. ‘I don’t know,’ is the answer.”

With six different goal-scorers Monday, Verhaeghe, Ekblad, Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart all got on the board this series after coming up empty on goals in the first two games in Edmonton.

Jessica Ricknowski applies the finishing touches to her skin Ryan as he channels his inner “Chuck,” before game three of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Warren Massey of West Palm Beach puts flags of Florida sports teams in the bed of his pickup truck before game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) leads the team onto the ice for game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) scores during the first period of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates a first period goal during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) scores in the first period of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) blocks a shot during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) is seen during introductions for game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) fight during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19), Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) and Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) celebrate a second period goal during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane (91) and Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) battle Jon the boards during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates a second period goal during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) touts Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) is upended during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) have a barer knock brawl during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) A battered Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) heads to the penalty box after a fight during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers fight during the third period of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice speaks to his players after a brawl during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Florida Panthers celebrate a third period goal by Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17) during game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Edmonton Oilers left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33)and Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) battle in the crease uring game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Show Caption1 of 23Nicholas Gonzalez blasts his son Logan, Gonzlez, age 9, with a cold CO2 blaster before game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Monday Jun 9, 2025, in the parking lot the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)Expand

Panthers’ power play finally comes through at home in Game 3 vs. Oilers

Tags: