SUNRISE, Fla. — Evan Rodrigues smiled Monday night when a Toronto columnist asked him what he would have said before the Stanley Cup Final if he had been told two games in which he would outscore Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, who combined for 127 goals in the regular season.
“It’s pretty cool,” the Florida Panthers forward said, then went into wise veteran mode and showed some humility by not giving the 0-2 Edmonton Oilers in the best-of-seven championship series, added motivation to return home.
“I don’t worry too much about the point total or the goals. At the end of the day, we’re looking for wins here and, yeah, that’s all I care about. It’s nice to contribute. It’s good to contribute to a victory.
Rodrigues, 30, is not content with beating these three talents 3-0 in the blotter with two matches to go in the final. He is ahead of the 13 Oilers forwards who ranked by the same margin.
An undrafted player from Boston University playing on his fourth team in five years, Rodrigues’ three goals are tied for the most in NHL history for a player’s first two games in the Cup Final. On Monday night, in a 4-1 victory at Florida in which Rodrigues scored two goals in the third period, he became the first player in Panthers history to have a multi-goal game in the final. His three goals in two games in this series matched his total in Florida’s 17 games through the first three rounds.
EVAN RODRIGUES GIVES THE PANTHERS HEAD 🚀 pic.twitter.com/WoDRxlpFMa
– B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 11, 2024
Rodrigues’ first goal – a snap after an Evan Bouchard turnover – came three minutes into the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie. It was Rodrigues’ first game-winning goal in 35 career playoff games. His second goal ended Edmonton’s streak of 34 consecutive shots on goal in 12 games.
“So happy for him, proud of him,” said Matthew Tkachuk, whose trio Rodrigues joined in the Eastern Conference finals series against the New York Rangers. “Playing with him in the last few games, he reads the game so well. It’s been two games in a row and we’ve scored big goals. He’s a super smart player and I’m really happy to see him rewarded right now.
Tkachuk thought Rodrigues’ impact in Game 2 went beyond his goals. He played regular hockey, moved his feet well and had a successful forecheck. The Panthers had more than 70 percent of the expected goal share with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Rodrigues signed with the Buffalo Sabers out of college, but his breakthrough didn’t come until the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him. The Penguins have dealt with early season injuries in 2021-22, which has allowed Rodrigues to get more opportunities. He capitalized, scoring a career-high 19 goals and 43 points. Still, he didn’t land a long-term deal in free agency, so he went to the then-defending champion Colorado Avalanche for a one-year, $2 million deal. He continued to prove his worth with the Avalanche, averaging a career-high ice time (17:51 per game) and playing in the Avalanche’s top six.
“He’s super underrated and can do a lot of different things in a lot of situations,” said Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, who played with Rodrigues at Boston University and Buffalo.
“The more opportunities he gets in his career, the better he does,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, who credited Rodrigues with his ability to play alongside top players. “I think he’s really comfortable in his own skin, that he knows what his strengths are.”
But a deep playoff run had eluded Rodrigues before this season. He was on the ice when Artemi Panarin eliminated the Penguins with an overtime winner in Game 7 of 2022. He was on the ice again the following year when Colorado couldn’t find the equalizer in the final seconds of his first-round match. 7 loss to Seattle.
Rodrigues had never made it out of the first round before joining the Panthers. He was so excited for the Stanley Cup Final to begin, he said, that he wished the first game could start at 1 p.m.
Last summer, Florida general manager Bill Zito signed Rodrigues to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3 million – the longest and most lucrative contract of the team’s career. ‘attacker. He proved he was worth the commitment. After a 39-point regular season – his third straight year with 35-plus – he allowed the Panthers six goals and 11 points in 19 playoff games.
“He’s a bit of a chameleon,” said Kyle Okposo, who also played with Rodrigues in Buffalo. “If you look at the teams he’s played in and played with, it’s not an easy thing to go and play with some of the best players in the world.
“He has a unique confidence about him and sometimes when guys play with these top players, they just want to give him the puck and get out of their way, and Evan is a guy that he makes a lot of plays with and he has the confidence to stay the course and make the right play at the right time And I think that’s why he’s been so successful everywhere he’s been.
EVAN RODRIGUES AGAIN 😱 pic.twitter.com/PC75upGTco
– B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 11, 2024
Monday night was an example. He started on the second line with Sam Bennett and Tkachuk, then was elevated to the first line in the third period with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart until Barkov was injured midway through the period.
Coach Paul Maurice said in the playoffs he likes to play Carter Verhaeghe alongside Barkov in short stretches of games, but they usually have an expiration date. Maurice saw something in Game 2 that made him elevate Rodrigues.
Rodrigues went on what Maurice called “a world tour of our roster” throughout the regular season. From the start, the coach had placed him on Barkov’s line, but thought he was rightly too respectful of his teammates. Now he has found his game and can fit in where Florida needs him.
“It’s something I’ve prided myself on throughout my career, being able to play in the lineup, on the power play and on the penalty kill,” Rodrigues said. “It’s good to contribute to the victories. In the end, it doesn’t matter who it is. … We’re looking for wins here and we’re happy with the results.
When Rodrigues was on the Avalanche in 2022-23, he watched the team raise the 2022 Stanley Cup banner before the season opener. Although Rodrigues wasn’t part of the championship-winning team, he felt chills when the tribute videos played and the banner rose to the rafters.
Now, thanks in large part to his early series exploits, he is two wins away from another banner night – this time, one where he would be fully part of the celebration.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)