Corey Perry scored in the dying seconds of the third period to give the Edmonton Oilers a chance to win in overtime, but it was a second breakaway goal by Brad Marchand that ended the night. Panthers win 5-4 in double overtime, and the series is tied at one apiece.

It’s one thing to give up a breakaway from time to time, but it’s another story entirely when there are three in one game. The Oilers lost guys behind the coverage way too often last night, and the result was being burned by two goals from Brad Marchand that should never have happened in the first place. That’s not to take anything away from Marchand — the guy is a hell of a player — but someone in blue and orange has to have eyes on him, especially as he starts slipping through to cherry-pick.

Even before Marchand ultimately won the game, Sam Reinhart had a breakaway opportunity that could have gotten the job done in the first OT. We were lucky that he missed the net with that shot, but it was another moment when the Oilers’ coverage broke down for a grade-A chance against. Those are the details that cannot happen when the stakes are this high. Clearly, cherry-picking is a tactic that Paul Maurice noticed as an opportunity, and it’s a hole that the Oilers need to plug immediately.

What a rollercoaster, right? After giving up an early goal to Sam Bennett on the power play, the Oilers came roaring back with two quick goals that gave them an early lead. The Panthers then tied the game at two, and Edmonton responded once more with a power play goal by Draisaitl to take their second lead of the period. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to hold onto that lead for very long nor were they ever able to get it back. That’s a tough pill to swallow with the result ultimately going the way it did.

And I know this was never going to be a series sweep for Edmonton — Florida is too damned good for that — but that’s what makes the two blown leads that much more frustrating. Maybe I’m overthinking it because we’re talking about the first and early second periods, but you have to execute when you have an opportunity to put your foot on their throats. You have to find a way to maintain those leads when they come because Florida is won’t give you much but will take everything they can. That ultimately leads to my last point about why those breakaways cannot happen. They had the Panthers in a decent spot, but sloppy mistakes ended up erasing that advantage.

I expected this series to be a long one right from jump street, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still disappointing to head to Florida with the series tied. Having Florida successfully execute the split on the road is the job they set out to do, but I was really hoping that Edmonton would be able to defend Rogers Place for the first two games. While no one should be giving up or feel like the boys are in dire straits, there is the old saying that says you’re never in trouble until you lose on home ice. Unfortunately, that happened last night, and now it will be up to the Oilers to head to Sunrise and repay the favour.

The good news is that I believe in the Oilers’ ability to rebound after a tough loss, and I think Corey Perry said it best in his post-game availability when he said, “We lost with 0.4 seconds left a couple of series ago. Those are tough,” Perry said. “You can go home and think about it, but tomorrow, you get some rest and get on the plane and be ready for Game 3… They’re a good team. They’re going to push us to the limit, and we’re going to push back. It’s frustrating right now, but we’re in the Final for a reason.” Onward and upward, friends.

1. The Oilers had six opportunities with the man advantage on Friday night, but were only able to cash in on one of those opportunities. If the Panthers are going to keep giving the boys looks with the man advantage, they have to find a way to capitalize. To make matters worse, they gave up a shortie to Brad Marchand on one of those chances, losing the special teams battle as a result.

2. As sad as I was about the loss, I’m still thinking about the ridiculous pass Connor McDavid made to Leon Draisaitl for the power play goal midway through the first period. McDavid walked two Panthers like they were pylons before finding his bestie in his office for the one-timer finish. That play is one that we’ll be seeing for a very long time and rightfully so.

3. The Oilers have to be smarter with their sticks. Three of the four penalties they took were stick infractions, and while you could argue that some of the calls were soft, I’d love for the boys to be a little bit more cautious with what they’re doing with their sticks.

4. I know the Oilers need people to combat Florida’s physicality, but I was hoping for more out of Trent Frederic through the first two games of this series. He’s been might quiet all playoffs long, and you’d think this was the exact kind of series that he’s built for. If I’m looking for one forward in the lineup to step up, he might be my guy.

5. The hits keep on coming, as the Oilers were only able to win 45.7% of the faceoffs. Sad panda.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!