Panthers inch closer, Oilers too late

Bobrovsky outstanding on the road as Florida builds huge lead, holds on to take 3-0 series lead

- KEVIN MCGRAN

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov, freed from his assignment of covering hockey's most offensively gifted player, scored a goal and added an assist in Florida's Game 3 win.

Panthers 4

Oilers 3

Panthers lead series 3-0.

When the Stanley Cup final began, the big question was whether Aleksander Barkov could indeed shut down Connor McDavid.

Turns out, it might have been the other way around.

Barkov, freed from his assignment of covering hockey’s most offensively gifted player, scored a goal and added an assist as the Florida Panthers held on to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 Thursday night to move one win away from claiming their first Stanley Cup.

They might not be this close without Sergei Bobrovsky, again outstanding in the Florida net and another reason the Oilers big guns have been silenced. With the Oilers scoring twice in the third — McDavid assisting on both — Bobrovsky saved the day with a kick save on Ryan McLeod with about four minutes to go.

Barkov’s line successfully defended McDavid’s through the first two games, a matchup the Oilers tried to avoid with last change thanks to home ice. But Panthers coach Paul Maurice issued a warning about that before the game, noting there’s more to Barkov’s game than the defending that earned him this year’s Selke award as the league’s top defensive player.