FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Leon Draisaitl is nothing if not self-aware. Before the Stanley Cup Final, the versatile Edmonton Oilers forward acknowledged he’s a good hockey player and has a special skillset that makes him that way.

The day after he and Connor McDavid lost their first foray into the final, he had similar things to say about Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who stymied Draisaitl and his teammates in a 32-save shutout.

“He’s going to make some good saves,” Draisaitl said. “He’s a good goalie, and he’s going to make some big-time saves — and knowing that is important.”

Knowledge is power, but that comes with the trappings of “Bob” getting into the Oilers’ heads. Their biggest challenge for Game 2 on Monday night also may be the key to evening the series: not letting the frustration get to them, a process that starts with two of the NHL’s best players leading the way.

“We’re always going to get our looks; we’re always going to get our chances,” Draisaitl said Sunday. “(It’s about) not gripping our sticks too tight but continuing to play loose and continuing to play our game.”

Edmonton relies heavily on McDavid and Draisaitl, who combined for 10 shots in Game 1 on Saturday night. There’s a reason for that: One of them has won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in four of the past seven seasons.

“You become desensitized to how good those two players are, and I understand why,” Panthers Coach Paul Maurice said. “You see it every night, and they are so dynamic and so special, but after a while you get used to it to the point that you’ll start saying, ‘Why doesn’t it happen every shift?’ Well, it almost does. They are truly, truly special players because of all aspects of the game. You could do all things right and still not stop them.”

Or, like in Game 1, they can do just about everything right and still not score. Goalies can have that effect, and Bobrovsky was kryptonite for not only McDavid and Draisaitl but the rest of the Oilers, too.

McDavid afterward wondered if outshooting Florida 32-18 and losing was the hockey gods getting back at them for the clincher in Western Conference finals against Dallas in which Edmonton was outplayed but still came out on the winning end. Rather than give Bobrovsky too much credit, he made it about finding a way to break through and overcome some bad luck.

“Certainly like to bear down and find a way to get one,” McDavid said. “Just make one more play – something. Find something that we weren’t able to find.”

What the Oilers would love to find is a split of the first two games in Florida, which would effectively make this series a best-of-five with the next two in front of their rabid fans who have not witnessed a Cup final in person in nearly two decades.

What it will take is scoring on a goaltender who looked like he had a force field around the net, and winger Connor Brown expects McDavid and Draisaitl to set the tone in that department.

“There’s no panic in our room right now,” Brown said. “We feel like we had a great process last game. Obviously Bob came up with some big saves, but just keep at it and keep pounding at the door and good things will happen.”

A YEAR AFTER a broken leg sidelined Eetu Luostarinen for the Stanley Cup Final, the flexible Finn is healthy this time around.

That’s a big deal for the Florida Panthers in their pursuit of the first championship in franchise history.

Luostarinen made several noticeable defensive plays in their shutout of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 on Saturday night and sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

“First final game for me, so it was exciting,” he said Sunday. “It’s just trying to do my best every game. We had fun, and being able to score that goal, too, was fun.”

Florida being so banged up last season – Brandon Montour’s torn-up shoulder, Matthew Tkachuk’s broken sternum, Radko Gudas’ sprained ankle, Aaron Ekblad’s broken foot and assorted other injuries – contributed significantly to losing to Vegas in five games. Panthers Coach Paul Maurice said going into this final the Panthers were as healthy as a hockey team could be at this point.

The difference is palpable, and it begins with Luostarinen’s ability to do it all.

“We always thought highly of him last year, but I think absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Maurice said. “When he missed that series, we really noticed it. It changed so much of what we do. He’s been a big player for us. …

“He’s one of those all-around players, he grinds hard, he makes good plays, blocks shots. Probably focused on the defensive side of the game, so he doesn’t get quite as much notoriety, but really important part of our game.”

THE OILERS, on the other hand, are dealing with one of their most versatile forwards playing at way less than 100%.

Edmonton winger Evander Kane, who has been taking a lot of practices off, struggled to do much in Game 1 as he deals with a sports hernia. Kane has eight points through 19 playoff games.

“Obviously, he’s not the Evander Kane of a couple of years ago,” Coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It’s unfortunate for any player. Any time you’re battling with something, it takes away from your game, no matter if you’re a skilled, speedy forward, defensive forward or a power forward. It takes a toll on you. It’s tougher to find your game.”

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