Referees working Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final might feel relieved they`re in Florida instead of Edmonton, given a controversial play that unfolded.
Just three minutes into the second frame, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart netted his inaugural goal of the Final, firing a shot top-shelf past Edmonton Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner to re-establish his team`s two-goal lead.
While Carter Verhaeghe received credit for the primary helper on the goal, an argument could be made that the secondary assist belongs to referee Francis Charron, who inadvertently obstructed the Oilers` defense just moments before the score.
As Oilers defenseman John Klingberg attempted to carry the puck up the boards while pressured by Aleksander Barkov, Charron was slow to evade the play, causing Klingberg to collide with him. This disruption resulted in a turnover and a loose puck, which Verhaeghe quickly seized and fed to Reinhart for the scoring play.
Adding insult to injury for the Oilers, Reinhart`s goal came a mere 1 minute and 20 seconds after Corey Perry had just scored Edmonton`s first goal of the game, trimming the Panthers` lead to 2-1 and seemingly shifting momentum in Edmonton`s favor.
Following the momentum-killing Reinhart goal, Sam Bennett further extended the Panthers` lead less than five minutes later, scoring his fourth goal of the series and pushing the score to 4-1 during the middle of the second period.