Oilers come up just short in Game 7 loss PHN's Best Shots of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final

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SUNRISE – The Edmonton Oilers found a way to force the Stanley Cup Final to a decisive Game 7.

On Monday night, they could not quite get over the final hurdle, falling, 2-1, in the match of the season and series.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves in the win to give the Panthers their first Cup championship.

“To become a true champion you have to overcome adversity, and that was the moment you have to get together and get the job done,” Bobrovsky said. “We weren’t afraid to make a mistake. We played with freedom. We attacked.”

Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

“It goes back the character of the group that we showed all year long,” McDavid said. “We showed all year long that we could fight back even in the most dire situations. It’s obviously tough to be down three and it’s tough to win four in a row against a team like that, but we were right there.”

The Oilers roared back from an 0-3 hole in the series to make Game 7 necessary. The Cup Final was a mirror on the Edmonton season where they started in a hole, only to come back and qualify for the playoffs.

“It’s tough to put into words right now,” the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl said. “You’re one period, one shot away from maybe winning the thing and now you have to go through 82 regular-season games and play well enough to get another kick at it. It’s hard right now.”

Carter Verhaeghe scored at 4:27  of the opening stanza to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

“The last couple games they scored so many goals off the hop, and to play with the lead, it felt good,” Verhaeghe said.

Edmonton tied it up, 1-1, at 6:44 on a breakaway goal from Mattias Janmark .

“I thought they were the better team in the first period,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “I thought they came out with a little more urgency and won a lot of puck races. I thought we defended well. I thought in the second and the third period, I thought we found our game, I thought we played well, but couldn’t capitalize on our opportunities.”

Sam Reinhart scored the Cup-winning goal at 15:11 of the middle frame.

“You’re hoping that’s it, right?” Reinhart said. “I mean, there was a lot of work to do, a lot of game left, but absolutely I’m hoping that’s the one.”

Stuart Skinner made 19 saves in the loss for the Oilers.