The Florida Panthers let a golden opportunity slip away in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, falling 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers in overtime Wednesday night.
A costly penalty by Tomas Nosek in the extra period opened the door for Edmonton’s game-winner. The Panthers’ left winger accidentally cleared the puck over the glass, drawing an automatic delay of game call.
The Oilers didn’t waste their chance. Connor McDavid found Leon Draisaitl, who ripped home the winning shot during the ensuing power play.
But pinning this loss entirely on Nosek? That’s not the whole story.
The Panthers had built a commanding 3-1 lead early in the second period. Then something strange happened – they stopped attacking.
"We’ve been really good all year at not sitting back with the lead, and for whatever reason, we sat back tonight," said Panthers center Sam Bennett after the game.
That defensive shell proved costly. The Panthers had been practically unbeatable when ahead after the first two periods – going 31-0 in that situation over their last three playoff runs.
Matthew Tkachuk’s quiet night didn’t help either. The usually dynamic 27-year-old winger, who’s been fighting through injuries this postseason, managed just one assist and has now gone scoreless in five of his last seven playoff games.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice made sure to have Nosek’s back after the tough loss.
"You just remind him about being down 0-2 to Toronto when that line came in," Maurice said. "We’re not here without Tomas. It’s a tough break. So we’ll just make sure he doesn’t eat alone tonight."
The Panthers will look to bounce back in Game 2, set for Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. They’ve shown resilience before – now they’ll need to do it on hockey’s biggest stage.
