Everyone expected the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers to be aggressive, and it certainly lived up to that last night.
After a relatively quiet Game 1, things ramped up in Game 2, with both teams trading some big, dangerous hits in the opening frame.
Here’s the Sam Bennett hit on Evan Bouchard last night that @EdmontonOilers coach Kris Knoblauch said was the same play at the Foegele kneeing. (Sorry no sound) pic.twitter.com/HGZ1kFsTQZ
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 11, 2024
Foegele gets a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this knee on Luostarinen 😬
pic.twitter.com/umCwz9Kw2o— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 11, 2024
That seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the game, with both teams trading shots throughout. Perhaps the most talked about moment, however, was an incident between Aaron Ekblad and Evan Bouchard late in the third period.
During a scrum, cameras panned to Ekblad as he grabbed Bouchard around the neck. Soon afterward, the Oilers defenceman began hitting his hand against Ekblad’s arm, as if to try and tap out.
Uh, pic.twitter.com/iAKm8hVpun
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 11, 2024
Shortly after the clip was caught, fans began discussing the very unusual moment.
Nothing to see here.
– Gary Bettman and the crooked NHL
— Thechek182 (@thechek182) June 11, 2024
“We don’t enforce rules in the finals.” -NHL
— Bagpipe Assassin🇺🇦 (@sportsjunkie007) June 11, 2024
Doesn’t even have the choke synced in and he’s tapping lol
— Chris (@schwet11) June 11, 2024
NHL refs are the worst
— Queezy (@Bryce134905) June 11, 2024
Oilers are getting bullied. They’re soft and have no pushback
— PulseHQ (@CurrentPulseHQ) June 11, 2024
This incident, along with a high hit by Leon Draisaitl on Aleksander Barkov, should only open the door for an even more physical Game 3. It is a must-win of sorts for the Oilers, who, if not already in major trouble, certainly will be if they go down 3-0 in the series.
- You might also like:
- Aggressive Oilers fan in Florida livid after loss to Panthers