Cote: Stanley Cup in sight for Panthers with 2-0 Final lead & good news on Barkov injury | Opinion

The Edmonton Oilers could not figure out in two games how to beat the Florida Panthers fairly, so in their desperation they took the despicable route. They took out the Cats’ best player with a dirty elbow.

The Panthers would win Game 2 with 4-1 ease to take a commanding 2-0 Final lead -- the Stanley Cup now in sight for Florida. But a pall was cast over what should have been a happy night by the uncertainty surrounding captain Aleksander Barkov as the NHL’s championship series heads to Edmonton for two.

Luckily for the Panthers that cloud seemed to lift a day later, the prognosis for Barkov brightening.

“He came in today [and] he wasn’t worse. That’s a really good thing,” coach Paul Maurice said. Tuesday. “The real assessment will be {Wednesday], but if he continues to progress we should be in good shape.”

Maurice added that, “We had some things that needed to be looked at, and he passed that.” It sounded like a concussion may have been ruled out. The implication was Barkov would travel with the team to Edmonton barring bad news Wednesday.

The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl swung a lunging, vicious elbow to Barkov’s jaw and head about midway through the third period Monday night, drawing only a two-minute penalty for roughing. I thought it should have been a major penalty, or merited a review and possible suspension. The darkest initial concern was that Barkov may have suffered a concussion and could be ruled out indefinitely.

“It’s done for me. It’s all done,” said Maurice of any lingering controversy.

Barkov remained down on the ice for a good while and needed help getting to the bench before disappearing into lockerroom for evaluation.

A somber Maurice was almost funereal in tone in his postgame media session. When the first question to him mentioned Barkov, he said, “No update,” and said no more.

When probed on how he felt about the hit, he said, “This isn’t the Oprah Winfrey Show. My feelings don’t matter.”

Maurice and the Panthers plainly were angry about the hit that seemed like a most dastardly, intentional effort to injure an opponent’s best players in an attempt to swing a series by the dirtiest means imaginable.

The uncertainty over Barkov made sedate what should have been a joyful night.

The Panthers embark now on the longest northwestern road trip in Stanley Cup Final history — a 2,541-mile trek to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The time killer of choice, as always with the Cats on a flight, will be poker.

The dealing might be a bit more jocular than usual, the bad hands not seeming as rough, and the bets maybe a bit more daring -- now that Barkov’s outlook has swung favorable..

Because the Panthers are playing with house money now..

The NHL title series moves via a near-eight-hour flight for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday nights — with Barkov hopefully on board.

As for house money? Now, if Florida wins the next two it is Stanley Cup champion for the first time in 30 franchise seasons. A split means the Cats would be able to clinch at home in Game 5. Even losing both in Edmonton would still find it an even series and Florida with two of the last three games at home.

The Stanley Cup is — effectively, realistically — Florida’s to win now. This series — effectively, realistically — might have ended Monday night. (Me saying that, of course, not the Panthers. And presuming Barkov is back at it.)

You could argue every game in a seven-game series is the most important (not counting Game 7, the obvious winner, ) but the argument for Game 2 is this: In NHL history teams up 2-0 after a Game 2 win are 88.6 percent likely to win the series.. Teams tied 1-1 after a Game 2 loss at home are only 56.7 percent likely.

That is what Monday meant for the Cats and their title dreams.

And for Edmonton and the bid of superstar Connor McDavid — McJesus and the Chosen One — to finally win his elusive first Stanley Cup.

After Game 1’s 3-0 Florida victory McDavid had called the Panthers “as advertised,” meaning a physical, defense-first unit. Florida inflicted almost double the hits that game, 57-32.

Edmonton overtly was more physical in Game 2, in Draisaitl’s case nearly feloniously so.

Monday night should have been about Evan Rodrigues, before Barkov went down.

Florida made it 3-1 on a power-play goal by Rodrigues — his second of the game and sixth of the postseason — on a close range tip-in. It came with 7:34 to play, soon after the the assault on Barkov, and had to demoralize the visitors. The goal also was the Cats’ first this series with a man advantage, after an 0-for-6 skid.

And it meant the Cats, third-period demons, had now outscored opponents 27-11 in the final period this postseason.

The Panthers’ 2-1 lead had come 3:11 into the third period came on Rodrigues’ gem of a slap shot, unassisted, when a loose puck found his stick. Goalie Stuart Skinner was not up to the task of stopping the shot by the second-line wing who’d taken a nasty spill earlier in the game.

That meant Rodrigues had two more series goals than McDavid and Draisaitl combined.

On social media South Florida Cubans and other Hispanic fans talked about banging pots and pans to celebrate Rodrigues.

Never mind that his surname is of Portuguese heritage and he speaks no Spanish.

“Now that I’m in South Florida maybe I should get at it,” he said. “Not my priority right now.”

Florida had equalized 1-1- mid-second period on a rare hero turn by defenseman Niko Mikkola, the 6-5 Finn typically cast as the bruiser familiar with the penalty box. This time he took a perfect pass from Anton Lundell and put a slap shot past the right of Stuart Skinner -— a score that may leave the goaltender wincing seen on replay.

Edmonton had led 1-0 on a breakaway goal on defenseman Matias Ekholm’s wrist shot off a McDavid pass with 8:43 left in the first period. Florida defender Gustav Forsling was left alone and a bit late sliding over for the block on what was a 4-on-4 goal with both teams on a penalty.

Florida had a big opportunity when Oiler Warren Foegele drew a five-minute major for a dirty kneeing that left Eetu Luostarinen flat and motionless on the ice for most of a minute before, thankfully, he skated off on his own power and later returned to action. But Florida’s own two-minute penalty cut into that advantage, and with both teams down a man that was when Ekholm scored.

Florida’s last goal was an empty-netter by Aaron Ekblad with 2:28 left.

The Panthers’ penalty kill remained perfect in this Final, 4 for 4 against the Oilers’ vaunted power play in Game 2 and now 6 for 6 this series.

Monday night Florida did more than kill penalties.

It effectively killed its opponent’s Stanley Cup dreams.

Now the Florida Panthers fly to Edmonton in command -- especially if captain Barkov is on board as now seems likely.