Another game, another overtime needed to proclaim a winner.
This time around it was the Florida Panthers defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in double overtime to win Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and even the series at 1-1 on Friday at the Rogers Place.
Just over eight minutes into the second extra period, Panthers center Brad Marchand scored on a breakaway, beating Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner to help Florida escape with the victory.
However, it was an unlikely hero that got Edmonton through to overtime to begin with.
The 40-year-old Corey Perry scored to knot things up with 17.8 seconds left in the third period, the latest tying goal in Cup Final history. The previous record was held by Tod Sloan in Game 5 of the 1951 Final.
For the first time since 2014 and the sixth time in NHL history, the series is the first to feature overtime in each of its first two games.
The 37-year-old Marchand was asked about his mother after the game, who was in attendance at the game. Despite joking that his mother was the type of hockey mom that you “need to put a muzzle on,” he also added that he couldn’t have enjoyed the career he’s had without her.
“She gets pretty amped up at the games,” Marchand told reporters. “They’ve always been so supportive. Like all of our parents, I don’t think there’s a player in this league that can say that their parents are not the main reason why they are here. The sacrifices they all make. And when you go on a journey as a team and you get to the finals, you’re going on a run, it’s not just for you, it’s for everybody that helped you get here and all your loved ones that are enjoying the moments whether they are here or not.
“It’s special to have them in the building but hopefully we have a lot of great memories in the future as well.”
With the Oilers coming off a Game 1 overtime win and the fans still feeling bliss, Friday’s game got off to a blistering start.
Panthers forward Sam Bennett got the scoring started two minutes into the game, netting his postseason-leading 13th goal and NHL record 12th on the road to quiet the raucous Oilers fan inside and outside the arena.
But Edmonton’s Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard responded with two goals to propel the Oilers to the lead about halfway through the opening period.
A minute later, Florida defenseman Seth Jones beat Skinner and found open net to tie things up, before Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead at the end of a frenetic first period.
Second period was all Panthers, with Dmitry Kulikov tying the game yet again and Marchand snatching the lead after a shorthanded goal.
It remained 4-3 until Perry’s goal late in the final period in regulation.
Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was sharp as he always is, stopping 42 of the 46 shots he faced.
The series now shifts to Sunrise, Florida on Monday for Game 3.
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