EDMONTON — In the Florida Panthers’ 5-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Saturday, forwards Tomas Nosek played 10:02, A.J. Greer 7:54 and Jonah Gadjovich 8:35.
Time on ice only tells part of the story, though, about the contributions the Panthers’ fourth line made. While Brad Marchand deservedly received a lot of attention for his two goals along with important goals from Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart, the defensive play of Aleksander Barkov’s line and Sergei Bobrovsky’s goaltending, coach Paul Maurice noted the line of Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich also played a key role in Florida moving within one victory of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.
“So, we talk about Brad Marchand tonight, and I think he was at 13:55 (in ice time),” Maurice said Saturday. “A big part of that is the Tomas Nosek line and the minutes they ate.
So, that Barkov, I would gather, is right around 20 (19:31). … What’s (Bennett) at, about 17? (17:31) What’s (Anton Lundell) got,15? (14:41). So, all those numbers are based on what those men did.
“They blocked shots. They battled. They were fast. They are on and off the ice. They were good for us tonight.”
Greer, the left wing, Nosek, the center, and Gadjovich, the right wing, don’t play a lot, but they’re part of the reason Florida can lift the Cup on home ice again with another victory in Game 6 on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). The three made an immediate impact when taking over as the fourth line in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, helping spark a comeback from a 2-0 series deficit, and take pride in contributing during their limited minutes.
“We try to focus on every shift,” Nosek said. “It doesn’t matter if we play five or 10 minutes, every time we step on the ice we try to do our best to help the team win a game.”
Nosek (11:26 per game), who benefits from playing on the penalty kill, Gadjovich (7:23), Greer (7:13) and Jesper Boqvist (8:20), who subbed for Greer when he missed the first two games of the series with a lower-body injury, have played by far the fewest minutes for the Panthers in the Cup Final. They are Florida’s only skaters without a point in the series.
Still, they’ve found other ways to chip in, particularly with the pressure they can create with their physicality on the forecheck.
Gadjovich is fourth on the Panthers with 63 hits in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and leads them by averaging 32.80 hits per 60 minutes. Greer, who has 51 hits, is second on Florida in averaging 26.62 hits per 60 minutes. Nosek, who has 42 hits, is sixth in averaging 14.69 hits per 60 minutes.
Greer and Nosek each had two hits in Game 5. Gadjovich hobbled off to the locker room briefly after blocking a shot from hard-shooting Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in the first period. He is second on the Panthers in averaging 5.72 blocked shots per 60 minutes. Greer is fourth on the team with an average of 4.17 blocks per 60.
“We’re aggressive, we play behind their (defense), we have good sticks, we’re physical, but we move our feet, and we set up the next line for success,” Greer said. “We win our shift. Whoever we’re out there against, we have to be good defensively and once there’s opportunities, we get to them, but don’t open the game up. Just stay the course, play our game.”
The Panthers had a similarly effective fourth line when they won the Stanley Cup for the first time last season. Kevin Stenlund was the lone constant as the center; Steven Lorentz, Nick Cousins, Ryan Lomberg, and Kyle Okposo took turns in the lineup on the wings.
But those five forwards left in the offseason. Stenlund signed with Utah Hockey Club, Lorentz signed with Toronto Maple Leafs, Cousins signed with Ottawa Senators, Lomberg signed with Calgary Flames and Okposo retired.
So, the Panthers had to find a new fourth line.
Gadjovich, who did not play in the playoffs last season, was the lone returning player. The 26-year-old had four points (all goals) and averaged 8:27 of ice time in 42 regular-season games and has three points (two goals, one assist) and is averaging 7:41 in 15 playoff games.
Nosek signed a one-year contract with Florida on July 1, 2024, after playing for the New Jersey Devils last season. The 32-year-old had nine points (one goal, eight assists) and averaged 9:49 over 59 games in his first season with the Panthers and has three assists while averaging 11:26 in 15 playoff games.
Greer signed a two-year contract with Florida after playing for the Calgary Flames last season. The 28-year-old set NHL career highs during the regular season in games (81), assists (11) and points (17) and tied his career high in goals (six) while averaging 9:36 per game. He has three points (two goals, one assist) in 15 playoff games while averaging 7:40 in ice time.
“Being part of it last year, I watched those guys closely and saw the success they had,” Gadjovich said. “I just took notes and tried to carry that and learn throughout this year. Obviously, a couple new guys and they fit in so well, and I think we found a good rhythm together — me, ‘Nosy’ and ‘Greersy.’ We’re just trying to play our game and do whatever we can to help the team win games.”
Maurice said Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich developed good chemistry the last six weeks of the regular season and “there were some nights they were our best line.” But Florida also had Boqvist, who was signed last offseason, Nico Sturm, who was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on March 6, and rookie Mackie Samoskevich.
So, Nosek and Gadjovich were healthy scratches for the Panthers’ first seven playoff games, including the entire first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Greer played three of the first seven postseason games. Maurice decided he needed to make a change after Florida lost the first two against Toronto and turned to Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich for Game 3.
Gadjovich scored a goal in the third period of a 5-4 overtime victory that changed the complexion of the series, which the Panthers went on to win in seven games. It has since become a fixture as the fourth line when all three have been healthy.
“In terms of energy level, consistency of systematic routes, the basics, I think as a group … when they came in in the Toronto series, that for me was the inflexion point,” Maurice said. “It kind of got us back to more of our style of game.”
Increased special teams play in the Cup Final — each team had 23 power plays in the first five games — has meant even longer stretches on the bench at times for the fourth line.
Greer, Nosek and Gadjovich have learned to make the most of the few shifts they do get.
“We’re used to it,” Greer said. “Just keep it simple. During TV timeouts, make sure you get out there and you move. And once we go out there, we know what to do and we have to trust each other to be on the same page.”
