Panthers beat Oilers, take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers have held serve in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers go to Edmonton with a 2-0 series lead after beating the Oilers 4-1 on Monday.

The high-flying Oilers managed just one total goal in the two games in Sunrise, Fla.

Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues broke a 1-1 tie in Game 2 early in the third and then added an insurance marker on the power play. The latter goal ended the Oilers’ successful penalty kill streak at 34.

Mattias Ekholm opened the scoring for Edmonton on his team’s first shot on goal midway through the first period, beating Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for the first time this series after the Panthers won 3-0 in Game 1.

Florida’s Niko Mikkola tied it midway through the second.

Aaron Ekblad added an empty-netter for Florida.

The Oilers lost forward Warren Foegele after he was given a game misconduct in the first period for a knee-on-knee hit on Eetu Luostarinen.

Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse saw little ice time after he appeared to injure his hip following a hit by Rodrigues in the first.

The Panthers, meanwhile, lost captain Aleksander Barkov after he was hurt on a penalized high hit by Leon Draisaitl in the third period.

Game 3 is Thursday at Edmonton’s Rogers Place.