Oilers top Panthers 5-4 in OT thriller to tie Stanley Cup final
Edmonton found redemption in 3rd game of series against Florida to go to an extra period
Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for the Edmonton Oilers to tie the Stanley Cup final series at two games apiece Thursday, in a gripping game with wild momentum swings.
Game 4 got off to a quick start, with both teams getting chances early in the first period. But the Panthers quickly turned the tide, peppering Stuart Skinner who looked sharp early on, making at least one highlight-reel save.
And then, as in Game 3, players began the march to the penalty box.
Oilers winger Evander Kane took a high-sticking penalty, and defenceman Darnell Nurse was called on a trip halfway through the penalty kill.
The Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk made the Oilers pay with a shot through traffic during the 5-on-3.
A high stick by Ekholm then led to a second Tkachuk powerplay goal with just over three minutes left in the period.
Anton Lundell added a third goal at even strength with less than a minute left in the first period on a setup from Carter Verhaeghe, who got away with high-sticking Oilers defender Troy Stecher on the play.
The Oilers went to the dressing room down 3-0, looking doomed to repeat their crushing Game 3 loss.
Oilers dominate 2nd period
Coach Kris Knoblauch brought in backup goalie Calvin Pickard to start the second period, after Skinner let in three goals on 17 shots in the first.
Edmonton had two early chances in the second period before getting their first power play of the game just over three minutes in. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had been a question mark coming into the game due to an undisclosed injury, capitalized to get his team on the board.
The Oilers continued to throw pucks at Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and defenceman Darnell Nurse brought the Oilers within one, ripping a wrist shot top shelf with just over seven minutes left in the period.
Two minutes later, winger Vasily Podkolzin scored on a backhand shot to tie the game.
The Panthers returned pressure toward the end of the period, with Pickard coming up big and defenceman Mattias Ekholm blocking a Tkachuk shot on an otherwise open net with just over a minute left.
Seconds later, Carter Verhaeghe hammered Edmonton defenceman Evan Bouchard into the boards from behind, sending him to the ice. The play was whistled down with no penalty call before Bouchard got back on his skates.
Goalies kept game tight
Goalies on both sides came up big in the third, with Bobrovsky robbing Corey Perry with a toe save on a power play chance around the midway point. The refs mostly put their whistles away for a tense period.
And then, with 6:24 remaining, Oilers defenceman Jake Walman ripped a one-timer past Bobrovsky to give the Oilers a 4-3 lead, a goal that looked like it would cap a stunning comeback.
That was, until Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored with 19 seconds left and the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, to send the game to overtime.
Thursday's game was the third of the series to go to an extra period, with the Oilers winning Game 1 and the Panthers taking Game 2 in double OT. It also marks the 100th Stanley Cup final game to go to OT.
Both teams had big chances in the sudden death period, with the Oilers' Trent Frederic hitting the post in a mad scramble in the Panthers crease early on.
Pickard made a huge save on a Sam Bennett one-timer that then rung off the crossbar, getting a huge reaction from Panthers fans who thought it had gone in around the 13-minute mark.
"I read [the play] pretty well and then I looked in my glove and it wasn't in there," Pickard said at a post-game press conference when asked about the save. "I heard the crowd oo-ing and aw-ing. It was a good bounce, and then we got one."
Draisaitl's goal with 8:42 remaining, an awkward one-hander that trickled in between Bobrovsky's legs, was his fourth OT goal this playoffs, setting an NHL playoff record.
Draisaitl said the Oilers "lollygagged" and were on their heels in the first period, and were inspired to turn things around after a rousing dressing room speech from veteran Perry.
"Our group never quits. We believe that no matter how bad it is, if we get over that hump of adversity, we're going to keep pushing, we're going to keep coming, and eventually it will break," he said.
Knoblauch said Nugent-Hopkins' early second-period goal gave the Oilers the confidence and belief they needed to win.
"It's stressful. There's a lot on the line," he said at a post-game presser when asked what it's been like to helm such tightly fought games.
"But it is fun. And I think our guys are having fun, enjoying this moment."
Game 5 is set for Saturday at 8 p.m ET/ 6 p.m. MT in Edmonton.
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