Florida Panthers Power Play is a Major Factor to their Success

The Florida Panthers have taken a 2-1 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final after a decisive 6-1 victory in Game 3. Unlike the previous two games, which were close, the Panthers used their special teams to break this game open after the Oilers took some undisciplined penalties.

Entering the series, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice discussed how both teams have improved in different areas. Maurice mentioned the Oilers being better defensively, as they were already gifted offensively. Meanwhile, he mentioned his team’s ability to play great defence, but this season the Panthers are better offensively.

One area that has really improved entering the 2025 Stanley Cup Final has been the Florida Panthers power play. Entering the series, the Panthers were operating at a 23.2 percent success rate on the power play. That number is up to a 24.7 percent conversion rate on the power play.

Through three games of the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers have outscored the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on the power play. In addition, the Florida Panthers have added a shorthanded goal thanks to Brad Marchand in Game 2. That means the Panthers have scored six goals via special teams, while the Oilers have only three special-teams goals.

Although their penalty kill percentage has dipped from 89.7 percent to 86.5 percent, the Panthers are still being aggressive, which is throwing off how the Oilers move the puck on the power play. But you knew that would be a factor. What we didn’t realize was how close the power plays for both teams were.

As previously mentioned, the Panthers have a 24.7 percent conversion rate on the power play, while the Oilers have a 26.8 percent conversion rate on the power play. That is a 2.1 percent difference. Each team has power-play goals in the first three games, but in Game 3, the Panthers scored three power-play goals with goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, and Evan Rodrigues.

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If you look at the percentages over the first three games, the Panthers went 1-for-2 in Game 1 for a 50 percent conversion rate on the power play. Then, in Game 2, Florida went 1-for-4, resulting in a 25 percent conversion rate. In the previous game, the Panthers were 3-for-11 on the power play for a 27.3 percent conversion rate.

Many thought the Edmonton Oilers had the better power play, but realistically, it is the Florida Panthers. As Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov told Full Press Hockey following Game 3, it is something they continue to work on.

“We work on it a lot. So got rewarded there a few times, but obviously there’s the next game. So we gotta keep working on,” Barkov told Full Press Hockey on Monday following the Panthers 6-1 victory in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final

Both power play units are clicking, too, but it is the second unit or the “other unit” as head coach Paul Maurice calls them, that the Florida Panthers have been utilizing more. Why wouldn’t he, when it boasts the leading goal scorer of the playoffs in Sam Bennett on it?

“They’ve been the ones generating it, right? It’s an important thing for the other unit, not that they want a name change,” Maurice said following Game 3. “They don’t want to be called to anymore. So it’s important for those guys to go. They’re going, they’re faster right now. We’ve got good fighters on there. We got the layoff leading goal scorer on that unit. Why wouldn’t you start?”

Bennett has 14 goals in the playoffs, including four goals in the Stanley Cup Final over a three-game goal streak to start the final. Not to mention Brad Marchand, who has a three-game goal streak as well in the Stanley Cup Final. So that unit can go as well.

So when Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Matthew Tkachuk are not clicking, Bennett, Marchand and Rodrigues are picking up the slack with Mr. Playoff himself, Carter Verhaeghe. Not to mention both units great puck-moving defensemen in Seth Jones and Ekblad on one of the units and Nate Schmidt on the other unit.

So when Maurice talked about teams improving entering the rematch from 2024, the Florida Panthers power play has to be mentioned as being an area where they can equal the Edmonton Oilers in. While special teams is always a factor in a series, you can see that it has been the difference thus far in the three games.

Look for this trend to continue heading into Game 4 on Thursday night.