Following a notable incident during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the officiating crew might be relieved the game was held in Florida and not Edmonton.
Just three minutes into the second period, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart found the back of the net for his first goal of the series. His shot beat Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner high, re-establishing the Panthers` two-goal lead.
While Carter Verhaeghe was officially credited with the primary assist on the play, it could be argued that referee Francis Charron also played an unintentional role after getting in the way of the Oilers` defense.
The sequence unfolded as Oilers defenceman John Klingberg attempted to carry the puck up the boards while under pressure from Florida`s Aleksander Barkov. Charron was slow to move out of the way, resulting in Klingberg colliding with him. This collision caused a loose puck, which Verhaeghe quickly collected and passed to Reinhart, who then scored.
Adding to the frustration for the Oilers, this goal came only 1 minute and 20 seconds after Corey Perry had just scored Edmonton`s first goal of the game, cutting the Panthers` lead to 2-1 and seemingly building momentum for his team.
Compounding the impact of Reinhart`s goal, Sam Bennett scored his fourth goal of the series less than five minutes later, further extending the Panthers` lead to 4-1 midway through the second frame.
