Panthers' Rodrigues Emerges as Hero in Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final

Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the third period, including a power-play goal, to lead the Florida Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Evan Rodrigues, an unlikely hero for the Florida Panthers, came through with two timely goals in the third period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. With the game tied 1-1 and the Panthers in desperate need of a spark, Rodrigues stepped up and delivered.

Rodrigues' first goal came just 3 minutes into the third period, when he beat Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner with a wrister from the slot. The goal gave the Panthers their first lead of the game and energized the crowd at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

But Rodrigues wasn't done there. Just over 5 minutes later, he struck again, this time on the power play. With Connor McDavid in the penalty box for roughing Aleksander Barkov, Rodrigues one-timed a pass from Sam Reinhart past a helpless Skinner.

The goal gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead and all but sealed the victory for Florida. The Oilers managed to kill off the remaining seconds of the power play, but the damage was done. Rodrigues' second goal of the night was his third of the Stanley Cup Final, tying him with Carter Verhaeghe for the team lead.

Aaron Ekblad put the game away with an empty-net goal with 1:30 remaining in regulation. The win gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the series and moved them just two games away from hoisting their first Stanley Cup.

"We want the Cup" chants echoed through the arena as the final seconds ticked off the clock. The Panthers have never won the Stanley Cup in their franchise history, but they are now just two wins away from achieving their ultimate goal.

Rodrigues, who was acquired by the Panthers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade deadline deal, has been a key contributor throughout the playoffs. He now has 5 goals and 7 assists in 12 playoff games, and his performance in Game 2 was truly heroic.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky also played a stellar game, stopping 18 of 19 shots. He made several key saves in the second period to keep the Panthers in the game, and he was especially impressive in the final period, when he turned away several dangerous chances from Connor McDavid.

McDavid, the Oilers' superstar captain, was held scoreless for the second straight game. He had 3 shots on goal and an assist on Mattias Ekholm's first-period goal, but he was unable to find the back of the net himself.

Draisaitl had 2 shots on goal, and Zach Hyman had 1. The Oilers will need to find a way to generate more offense in Game 3 if they want to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole in the series.

The series will now shift to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4, starting Thursday night. The Oilers will be looking to protect home ice and tie the series, while the Panthers will be looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead.