Oilers' Evander Kane Says Panthers 'Get Away' With More After 21 Penalties in SCF G3

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane suggested following a wild Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night that officials targeted the Oilers more than the Florida Panthers with penalty calls.

On home ice, the Panthers blew out the Oilers 6-1 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Florida was aided by Edmonton being assessed 21 penalties for a total of 85 minutes, compared to the Panthers' 14 penalties for 55 minutes.

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Kane expressed his belief that the Oilers were officiated more strictly than the Panthers in Game 3, saying: "They seem to get away with it more than we do. It's tough to find the line. They're doing just as much stuff as we are. There seems to be a little bit more attention on our group."

Whether it was due to undisciplined play or imbalanced officiating, the penalties undoubtedly helped the Panthers on Monday, as three of their six goals came on the power play.

In the first period alone, both teams were called for four penalties apiece, and Kane took two of them, as he was whistled for cross-checking and high-sticking.

While only one penalty was assessed in the second period, things got out of hand in the third, as both teams got chippy and there was nearly a line brawl.

Eight players were assessed misconducts during the third period: Kane, Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanaen of the Oilers, and Sam Bennett, A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich of the Panthers.

Based on how tempers flared during the third period when the Oilers were down by multiple goals, it was fair to wonder if the Panthers had succeeded in getting under their skin.

Kane claimed that wasn't the case, saying: "No, I don't think so. I think the game obviously got out of hand at the end there. That stuff is going to happen. You look at some of the calls and whatnot, [and] obviously some of them are frustrating."

The Panthers took more penalties than the Oilers in both Games 1 and 2, as Florida was assessed four penalties to Edmonton's three in Game 1, and eight penalties to Edmonton's six in Game 2.

After losing Game 1 in overtime by a 4-3 score, Florida bounced back to win Game 2 in double overtime 5-4.

Now, the Panthers hold a 2-1 series lead entering Game 4, which will take place Thursday night in Sunrise, Florida.

The Panthers are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and they will have to beat the same team in consecutive years in order to make it happen.