Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a one-on-one chance with Sergei Bobrovsky late in Saturday鈥檚 first period.
The Oilers forward 鈥� the team鈥檚 longest-serving player, one who endured some of the franchise鈥檚 darkest days 鈥� was stoned by the Florida Panthers goaltender with a full-stretch pad save.
Nugent-Hopkins then got an opportunity on another power play in the second, but fired high with Bobrovsky at his mercy.
Edmonton bagged plenty of looks in Florida鈥檚 3-0 victory to open the Stanley Cup final. The club knows it must bear down even harder to tie the series Monday in Game 2.
鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging, in some ways, the way that we played,鈥� Nugent-Hopkins said of the Oilers鈥� 32-shot performance. 鈥淵ou want to stack up as many wins as you can as early as you can 鈥� but it鈥檚 a best-of-seven and it鈥檚 a race to four.
鈥淲e did a lot of good things. We couldn鈥檛 find a way to beat them.鈥�
Edmonton trailed 2-0 after 40 minutes despite outshooting the Panthers 25-12 before the home side started to find its footing in the third.
Much like the chances that fell to Nugent-Hopkins, Oilers captain Connor McDavid, forward Adam Henrique and defenceman Evan Bouchard all had terrific opportunities on Bobrovsky.
鈥淣ot gripping our sticks too tight,鈥� Edmonton centre Leon Draisaitl said Sunday of the approach moving forward during a media availability at the Panthers鈥� practice facility. 鈥淐ontinuing to play loose and continuing to play our game.鈥�
The fact Florida won despite being second-best for large chunks of Game 1, however, has to be a concern.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e just going to be better,鈥� Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see more from them.鈥�
Edmonton defenceman Mattias Ekholm said despite the loss, his team answered some questions about its ability to keep up with the Panthers, who bested the Presidents鈥� Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final and are in the title series a second time in 12 months.
鈥淵ou always come in and you have your doubts,鈥� Ekholm said. 鈥淏ut I think our best is good enough. It鈥檚 a matter of getting there every night. That鈥檚 the hard part.鈥�
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said there鈥檚 an urgency to get to their own level quicker Monday.
鈥淲e know we need to be better,鈥� he said. 鈥淓dmonton is an unbelievable team, they have so much skill in their lineup. It鈥檚 going to be tough.鈥�
Connor Brown added there鈥檚 鈥渘o panic鈥� in the Oilers鈥� camp.
鈥淲e had a great process,鈥� said the winger. 鈥淛ust keep at it and keep pounding at the door and good things will happen.鈥�
Edmonton, a team that started the season a disastrous 2-9-1, has been here before. The group trailed the Vancouver Canucks 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the second round before falling behind the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Western Conference final.
The Oilers responded each time. They鈥檒l need another pushback Monday 鈥� or face a deep hole when the series shifts to Alberta鈥檚 capital for Games 3 and 4.
鈥淎 great trait of ours throughout the whole season,鈥� Nugent-Hopkins said of Edmonton鈥檚 ability to bounce back. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 take it for granted thinking that it鈥檚 going to happen. We know they鈥檙e going to step up. We鈥檙e going to have to step our game up.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why you prepare for it throughout the season 鈥� for moments like this.鈥�
NOT AS ABLE
Oilers winger Evander Kane is playing through a sports hernia and has just one assist in his last eight playoff games.
鈥淢aybe not showing up on the scoresheet as much as he has in the past,鈥� Knoblauch said of the 32-year-old. 鈥淏ut still contributing to our team. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檇 be in the Stanley Cup final if Evander hadn鈥檛 been playing throughout the playoffs.鈥�
NURSE, CECI STRUGGLES
The defence pair of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci was on the ice for two goals against in Game 1 before Panthers iced it late into the empty net.
Knoblauch said the data shows Edmonton鈥檚 under-fire duo, which was reunited Saturday, is playing better than traditional stats indicate.
鈥淚f you look at actual goals scored for and against, it鈥檚 not favourable,鈥� Knoblauch said. 鈥淭he expected goals for and against 鈥� doesn鈥檛 paint the same picture at all. Completely different. We鈥檙e always balancing what鈥檚 best for those two players. But also what鈥檚 best for all six of our defencemen.鈥�
FINNISH BROTHERHOOD
Barkov is one of four Finnish-born players on Florida鈥檚 roster that includes forwards Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, and defenceman Niko Mikkola.
鈥淵ou can talk in your own language,鈥� Barkov said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e chasing the same goal, working as hard as possible every single day.
鈥淒efinitely special.鈥�
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