Published: 5 maj
Updated: 5 maj
NEW YORK. The cats from Florida continue to shock in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Last night they took a 2-0 lead in the quarter-finals against Toronto – after a match-deciding goal by Swedish defender Gustav Forsling.
– But tonight it was in front of goalkeeper Sergej Bobrovsky who was cruel. He saved us a few times in the third period, says Östgöten to Sportbladet after the 3-2 victory.
Almost every year, there’s a team that unexpectedly gets everything right in the Stanley Cup playoffs, gains some rough momentum, and suddenly becomes unstoppable.
This year it appears to be the Florida Panthers. They quite shockingly knocked out the superior series winners Boston Bruins in the first round and now they have the noose around the neck of the stars of the Toronto Maple Leafs as well.
They found themselves 2-0 down in the second meeting of the night at Scotiabank Arena, but managed to equalize and turn around – mainly by capitalizing on a couple of glaring defensive mistakes by the home team – and eventually won 3-2.
Thus, the cats have a quick and funny 2-0 advantage before the two games at home in Sunrise.
– We have really got off to a good start and it is of course really nice, says Gustav Forsling when we reach him after the final whistle.
As usual, he played the most of any Florida panther and also scored the game-clinching goal. On a game-changing play just over a minute into the second period, he snuck up through the Leafs zone, got a five-star sandwich from Matthew Tkachuk and was able to send the puck into a virtually empty cage.
– Yes, it’s not every day I score match-deciding goals, so it was fun. But I also received a fantastic pass from Tkachuk, “Gus” continues.
– At the same time, the important thing is of course that we win. That’s all it’s about now.
Not least goalkeeper Sergej Bobrovsky seems to have understood that. The Leafs created hellish pressure in the third period and above all William Nylander created chance after chance. But it was not possible to get a hole in the veteran on the finish line.
– Yes, he was completely cruel and saved us on several occasions in the third, Forsling also admits.
Now both teams get to rest for a couple of days and then a third match awaits in FLA Live on Monday night.
Unlike Toronto, the Dallas Stars managed to fight back against their challenger on the night.
Despite four goals from veteran Joe Pavelski, they lost the first meeting with the Seattle Kraken at home in American Airlines, but in game number two they put in a more stable effort and won 4-2.
Of course, Pavelski scored again and is up a total of five in three playoff games.
The series, which is now 1-1, continues in Seattle on Monday night.