RECAP: Panthers 4, Oilers 0

EDMONTON – Lord Stanley wasn’t on the line this time, but it didn’t matter.

Putting together one of their best performances of the second half, the Florida Panthers showed what they're capable of during a dominant 4-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Thursday.

With the win, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers now sit at 34-31-3, while the Oilers, who were on the losing end of those two Stanley Cup Finals, fall to 34-27-9.

Facing adversity all season, the win was a good reminder of just how good the group is.

"I'm so happy for them,” head coach Paul Maurice said of his team’s effort. “It's been a grind. It's been so hard. That's the best defensive corps that we've put on the ice since two minutes in Game 2 of the season. You see what those five guys (defensemen) can do.”

Stopping all 21 shots that came his way, Sergei Bobrovsky, a game removed from his 800^th between the pipes in the NHL, earned the 454^th win of his long and storied career, which moved him into a tie with Curtis Joseph for the seventh-most on the league’s all-time list.

"I'm humble and appreciate it,” said Bobrovsky, who’s heading to the Hall of Fame in the future. “I thank God for everything I have. But I'm focused on next game. I don't really think about it that much. It's a great achievement. You look at the goalies on the list, and I couldn’t dream about to be in the same category with them. I still don't believe."

Moments after a few close calls for the Oilers, the Panthers managed to break the ice when Cole Reinhardt skated in on all alone on Connor Ingram, pumped the breaks and then sent both himself and the puck into the back of the net to make it 1-0 at 11:12 of the first period.

“Really important,” Maurice said of the goal. “A line change before the second time out, and the Connor (McDavid) came out and they had a real nice chance at the net, and then we were able to go the other way. I thought that almost set the tone in some ways.”

Playing in his hometown, rookie Mike Benning had the primary assist with a beautiful stretch pass.

“He (Reinhardt) was buzzing down the wing, and all I had to do was put it on his tape and he did the rest,” said Benning, whose father, Brian, was a member of Florida’s inaugural team in 1993-94. “It’s good seeing the game and it gets you excited. The nerves were out.”

With less than a minute left in the first period, the Panthers doubled their lead when A.J. Greer, who was left all alone in front, tipped in a shot from Benning to make it 2-0 at 19:02. With his second helper of the period, Benning tallied his first multi-point game in the NHL.

Put to the test early in the second period, the Panthers stood tall against Edmonton’s dangerous power play, which entered the game as the top-ranked unit in the NHL (31.8%). Over the course of the two minutes, the Panthers didn’t allow a single shot on goal.

Later, the Panthers surrendered just one shot on goal during Edmonton’s second power play.

“They were great,” Bobrovsky said of the support from his penalty killers. “We were on the same page. The guys had great sticks, great reads. Again, it’s a fun game to play.”

Getting their own look on the man advantage, the Panthers padded their lead when Anton Lundell pounced on a loose puck in the slot and fired it past Ingram to make it 3-0 at 14:21.

His 18^th goal of the season, Lundell needs just one more to set a new career-high mark.

Tacking on one more goal for good measure late in the third period after a faceoff win in the offensive zone, Carter Verhaeghe teed up a dish from Matthew Tkachuk and one-timed an absolute laser of a shot that screamed past Ingram and into the cage to make it 4-0 at 15:23.

From there, the Panthers locked things down to secure Bobrovsky’s shutout.

After Verhaeghe’s late tally, the Oilers didn’t record any shots on goal.

“I think we all remember each other very well,” Lundell said of the OIlers. “The last few years, we’ve been playing a lot against each other and spending a lot of time in this building. For sure, that brought a little extra motivation and a little boost.”

THEY SAID IT

"Mike Benning played just a fantastic game." – Paul Maurice

“It was a great rivalry. They’ve got a great offense, great defense. It was a great fight. It was a great game. It was fun to watch and even more fun to play.” – Sergei Bobrovksy

“It’s not so much about the points, but rather playing good hockey, being confident and gaining trust with the players and coaches. I’ll keep on going through that.” – Mike Benning

CATS STATS

- Mike Benning joined Donovan Sebrango as Panthers rookie defenseman to produce multiple points in a game this season.

- Carter Verhaeghe has earned at least one point in four of his last five games.

- Since March 1, Matthew Tkachuk has posted 13 points (4G, 8A) in nine games.

- Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett each recorded multiple points.

- The Panthers led 14-4 in scoring chances in the first period.

- Sergei Bobrovsky became the third goaltender to record 20 shutouts as a Panther.

- The Panthers have earned a point in 11 straight regular-season road games at Edmonton.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Three down, one to go before heading home.

Closing out their trip with the second half of a back-to-back, the Panthers will clash with the Calgary Flames in less than 24 hours at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

To find a place to watch in South Florida, click HERE.