FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers squandered a chance to win the Stanley Cup in Game 4 against the Edmonton Oilers. That experience might be what needed to eventually win it.
«I think you learn from it. I think the nerves are a little bit less now,» said winger Carter Verhaeghe, ahead of Tuesday's Stanley Cup Final Game 5 against the Oilers in Sunrise. «It's a little different with the Cup in the building, but we're not really focused on that. We're just trying to focus on playing as well as we can.»
Edmonton forced Game 5 with an 8-1 win on Saturday night.
Florida has closed out six playoff series in the last two postseasons under head coach Paul Maurice. But he said it is a different mental challenge when the players know that the Cup has been wheeled into the building.
«It is different. What's foremost in your head coming to the rink? That it's there, right?» said Maurice. «So we went through it, and it's not something you can truly appreciate until you go through it.»
Forward Evan Rodrigues said the Oilers played «desperate» hockey and the Panthers weren't ready to match it. «I think there was a lot of energy going into that game. I think we'll be better prepared for Game 5 than we were for Game 4,» he said.
The Oilers come into Game 5 with their backs still firmly planted against the wall, but with more than a little confidence. They felt they had outplayed Florida for the balance of the series, but that goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had kept every mistake out of the Panthers' net.
Now, they've scored seven goals against him in the last three periods, chasing Bobrovsky to the bench in the second period of Game 4.
«I think we just finally unlocked being able to get past this guy. He's been playing so well,» said
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