The Florida Panthers have drawn first blood in the NHL Stanley Cup Final with a commanding performance. Carter Verhaeghe fired up the Panthers with a goal on their first shot of the game, leading to a decisive 3-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena.
Evan Rodrigues added to the tally with his fourth goal of the playoffs, capitalizing on a dump-and-chase play that left Oilers’ defensemen Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci scrambling. Rodrigues found himself wide open in front of the net and sent the puck soaring over goaltender Stuart Skinner’s shoulder, making it 2-0 in the second period.
Forward Eetu Luostarinen sealed the deal with an empty net goal late in the third period, finalizing the score at 3-0.
The Panthers will look to maintain their momentum in Game 2 of the seven-game series, which takes place Monday in Sunrise, Fla. at 6 p.m.
