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Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 6:52 AM ET

The Stanley Cup Final shifted to Sunrise, FL, for Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1, but any sense of balance between both contenders quickly evaporated.

The Florida Panthers surged to an early lead and never let up, dismantling the Edmonton Oilers 6–1 on Monday night in one of the most lopsided games of the playoffs.

The Panthers jumped ahead just 56 seconds into the game thanks to Brad Marchand's opener and slowly widened the gap until Edmonton came unglued midway through the third period.

At that point, with the game out of reach, penalties piled up — 140 minutes in total, making it one of the most penalized Stanley Cup Final games in NHL history.

"We scored a power-play goal in the second period, make it 2-1... Next shift they score & I think that was about it for us. I don't think we found our footing after that third goal."

Coach Knobaluch on the Panthers quick response after Perry scored.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Q3kiURp0O0
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 10, 2025

Head coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to the context of the blowout when assessing his team’s lack of composure.

“Definitely the third period was an unraveling,” Knoblauch said after the game. “It wouldn’t have happened if it was a one- or two-goal game. It was boys being boys.”

Oilers forward Evander Kane, who was ejected after receiving three minors and a misconduct, chimed in on the loss.

“We didn’t play very well. That’s evident,” Kane said. “We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.”

Despite the result, Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Edmonton’s best hockey is still ahead.

“Obviously, it wasn’t our best,” McDavid said. “Not our best at all. I don’t think our best has shown up all series long, but it’s coming.”

Game 4 is Thursday night in Sunrise, where the Oilers will try to regroup before the Panthers push them to the brink.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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