Panthers support Nosek after costly G1 penalty

EDMONTON, Alberta -- As the Edmonton Oilers celebrated their overtime triumph successful Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Tomas Nosek made the agelong skate from the punishment container backmost to his locker country knowing that their powerfulness play was his fault.

"Yeah, it was pugnacious for sure. You don't privation to beryllium the 1 feline who costs america the game," said Nosek connected Friday, speaking for the archetypal clip aft his hold of crippled punishment successful overtime led to Leon Draisaitl's game-winning goal.

"Obviously everybody tin marque a mistake. It happened astatine a atrocious time, successful overtime and outgo america a game. But it's successful the past and I'm present looking guardant to conscionable support doing my occupation and focusing connected tonight's game," said Nosek, who volition halfway the Panthers' 4th enactment successful Game 2 connected Friday night.

Nosek sailed the puck implicit the solid astatine 18:17 of overtime to gain a hold of crippled penalty. Draisaitl ended the crippled astatine 19:29. Making a hard infinitesimal worse, cameras caught Edmonton defenseman Jake Walman mocking Nosek connected the mode to the punishment box.

"No comments connected that," said Nosek.

Nosek, 32, is simply a 10-year NHL seasoned who signed with Florida past summertime arsenic a escaped agent, the 5th squad he's played for successful the league. He had 1 extremity and 8 assists successful 59 games successful the regular play and 3 assists successful 11 games successful the playoffs. After Game 1, manager Paul Maurice said helium expected the squad volition rally astir Nosek.

"We're not present without Tomas Nosek. It's a pugnacious break," Maurice said. "So we'll conscionable marque definite helium doesn't devour unsocial tonight. He's got tons of radical sitting astatine his array and reminding him however bully he's been to us."

Panthers guardant Jonah Gadjovich, Nosek's linemate, 1 of the players who supported him.

"It happens. Tough bounce. But helium does truthful galore bully things for us. No one's huffy astatine him, nary one's anything. It's conscionable worldly similar that happens successful a crippled and evidently we've regrouped yesterday and we're acceptable to play tonight. It's a caller day, caller game," helium said.

Nosek valued that encouragement from his teammates.

"They've been truly adjuvant for sure. Most of the guys came to maine and said, 'Don't interest astir it,'" helium said.

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final is Friday nighttime astatine 8 p.m. ET.