The Edmonton Oilers had some life entering Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. They played two extremely close games against the Florida Panthers. And they were one goal away from a 2-0 series lead. Unfortunately, they dropped the ball hard in Game 3 on Monday. Goalie Stuart Skinner was at the forefront of this disastrous performance.

Skinner allowed five goals on 23 shots against the Panthers. Edmonton did not support him at all, either, as they scored just once. In the end, Skinner was pulled from Game 3. Veteran backup Calvin Pickard took the crease to finish out the remainder of this contest.

Pickard played well enough in Game 3 to stop the bleeding. However, he did not spark the team toward a miraculous victory. The Panthers won Game 3 by a score of 6-1 after they scored a power-play goal on Pickard in the third. The Oilers are down 2-1 in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, and they are walking a razor's edge the rest of this series.

Oilers walking fine line with Panthers loss in Game 3

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The Oilers fell behind the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was an unfortunate spot to be in early on. But Edmonton remained composed, and they rattled off four wins to claim the series. This may not be the case in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

The Oilers lost their cool against the Panthers on Monday night. It's a highly emotional series, to this is understandable to an extent. However, now that Florida knows they can get in Edmonton's head, the Oilers must tread carefully the rest of this series.

The Oilers are two games from having their season end in the ultimate heartbreak. Last season was a crushing loss without question. Having that fate repeat itself this year may go beyond crushing for this group. Let's see how the team responds in Game 4 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.