3 Florida Panthers players who disappointed in Game 6 loss feat. Sergei Bobrovsky

The Florida Panthers dropped Game 6 of their Stanley Cup Finals series 5-1 to the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the series is even at 3-3, with Game 7 taking place in Florida. With the loss, the Panthers have now dropped three straight after looking virtually invincible.

Florida Panthers have seemingly lost the magic touch that made them successful in the first three games. In particular, three players stand out as the most disappointing in Game 6.

3 disappointing Florida Panthers players in Game 6

#1 Sam Bennett

The Florida Panthers counted on Sam Bennett to be an X factor heading into this series. While Bennett seemed on top of his game early on, he’s fallen off the radar since Game 3. Specifically, his defensive play and lack of scoring have contributed to the Panthers’ stunning collapse.

In Game 6, Bennett was a -4, failing to contribute defensively when most needed. The lack of defensive effort has allowed the Oilers to claw back into the series. Other forwards, such as Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart, have failed to live up to expectations after a strong series against the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

#2 Aaron Ekblad

Ekblad has looked increasingly slow throughout the series. He’s been beaten numerous times by the speedy Edmonton forwards, as he ended Game 6 at -2. However, the Zach Hyman breakaway goal in the second period made Ekblad look particularly bad.

Hyman picked up a loose puck following a broken play in the Oilers’ zone. At the blue line, Hyman easily beat Ekblad to the puck. At that point, Ekblad seemed to stop skating as Gustav Forsling attempted to get back into the play. Neither player got back in time, and Hyman buried the goal.

Forsling finished the game a minus-3. Heading into the series, Forsling had emerged as a welcome surprise for the Florida Panthers. However, as the series has progressed, he has struggled to replicate his initial form.

#3: Sergei Bobrovsky

It’s hard to pin the blame solely on Bobrovsky. The fact is the entire Florida Panthers defense broke down at times, especially during the second period. Nevertheless, a Vezina-caliber goaltender like Bobrovsky is expected to bail out his teammates more often than not.

However, Bobrovsky was unable to pick his teammates up when needed. The first goal of the game seemed like a misread on Bobrovsky’s part, allowing Leon Draisaitl to dish the puck to Foegele for the goal.

While Draisaitl deserves credit for the incredible play, a world-class goaltender like Bobrovsky should have anticipated the possibility of a pass. Instead, he played Draisaitl to shoot. The pass left Bobrovsky completely out of position, eliminating any chance of making a save.