Oilers trail Panthers 2-0 as Stanley Cup final shifts to Edmonton for Game 3

The Edmonton Oilers are under pressure as the Stanley Cup final shifts to their home arena tonight.

Edmonton trails the Florida Panthers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series for hockey’s holy grail heading into Game 3 at Rogers Place. Led by superstar Connor McDavid, the Oilers need to solve goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to avoid a daunting 3-0 deficit.

Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) takes part in practice before they take on the Florida Panthers in Thursday’s game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs in Edmonton on Wednesday June 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Bobrovsky stopped 50 of 51 shots as the Panthers won Games 1 and 2 in Sunrise, Fla. Edmonton’s elite power play is scoreless in seven attempts this series.

On the injury front, Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse and winger Evander Kane missed Wednesday’s practice. Coach Kris Knoblauch expects Nurse to be ready tonight while Kane’s status hasn’t been determined.

Meanwhile, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov practised Wednesday after taking a high hit from Leon Draisaitl late in Game 2.

Edmonton last hosted a Stanley Cup final game in 2006, when the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Oilers in seven games.