Panthers hold off late Oilers rally in Game 3, gain 3-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final

On Thursday, the Panthers built a three-goal lead heading into the third period, ultimately holding on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Florida now owns a commanding 3-0 advantage, with a chance to close things out Saturday on the road. 

The turning point of Game 3 came midway through the second period. What was a tie game, 1-1, early in the period quickly became 4-1 in the blink of an eye.

The Panthers notched three goals over the final 10:48 of the second, scored by Vladimir Tarasenko (9:12), Sam Bennett (13:57) and Aleksander Barkov (15:31). 

Stymied most of the night by the Panthers' smothering forecheck and superior goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, the Oilers attempted a comeback late. Goals from Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod made things interesting down the stretch, but Edmonton ran out of time.

The Oilers outshot the Panthers 35-23 and controlled play through significant portions of the game. However, they failed to take advantage of 13 first-period shots and, despite getting to him late, were unable to solve Bobrovsky enough despite numerous chances.

Meanwhile, Edmonton's top-ranked power play continued to struggle. The unit went 0-for-3 on Thursday, managing only six shots total. The Oilers are now 0-for-10 on the man advantage for the series.

Oilers star Connor McDavid looked defeated after the loss, saying he felt the game "was right there" for Edmonton to grab.

While the Panthers nearly let things slip away in the third, their recipe success worked again in Game 3. A constant forechecking wave, solid goaltending and timely scoring again led Florida to victory.

All four of the Panthers' goals came off misplays or turnovers by the Oilers. Conversely, on the other side, they leaned on Bobrovsky, who was excellent again, making 32 saves. 

The Panthers are in the driver's seat but aren't looking too far ahead. After the win, Barkov said the team knew Game 4 would be the "hardest" of the series to win.

The Oilers will host the Panthers, looking to stave off elimination, Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.