Goalie change sparks Oilers epic 5-4 OT win in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final vs. Panthers: takeaways
Leon Draisaitl capped a historic comeback by the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, when he scored a fortuitous goal at 11:18 of overtime to lift the visitors to a thrilling 5-4 victory
The Oilers evened the best-of-7 series 2-2 after rallying from an early 3-0 deficit, the first time in Stanley Cup Final history that a team won when trailing by three goals in the first period. Speaking of history, Draisaitl became the first player ever to score four overtime goals in one postseason. It was also his second OT winner of this series, after he also scored in overtime in the Game 1 victory.
Advertisement
Draisaitl led the NHL with 52 goals this season and now has 11 in the playoffs. He likely didn't score many like this, when he chipped a shot/pass into the low slot off the rush, only to have it hit Florida defenseman Niko Mikkola, who was on the seat of his pants sliding on the ice. The puck deflected off Mikkola and between Sergei Bobrovsky's pads to cap the Oilers epic comeback.
Draisaitl (one goal, two assists) finished with three points, as did Florida's Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, one assist) and Sam Reinhart (one goal, two assists).
Calvin Pickard came off the Oilers bench to start the second period and stopped 22 of 23 shots in relief of starter Stuart Skinner to backstop the win.
Advertisement
It was Reinhart's goal with 19.5 seconds remaining in regulation and Bobrovsky on the bench for the sixth attacker that temporarily saved Florida and forced overtime after it had blown a 3-0 lead and allowed Edmonton to score four straight.
The fourth of those Edmonton goals came at 13:36 of the third period when defenseman Jake Walman hammered a slap shot inside the right post
The teams took turns dominating the first two periods. It was all Panthers in the opening 20 minutes, with the Oilers flipping the script the next 20. The third period was played on more even terms.
Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of power-play goals by Tkachuk at 11:40 and 16:56, his first two scores of any kind in the series. Then Anton Lundell skated right down the middle of the ice to bury a Carter Verhaeghe pass at 19:18 to make it 3-0 and put an exclamation point on a near perfect first period for the Panthers.
Advertisement
They out-shot the Oilers 17-7, out-attempted them 34-15 and had a 22-5 advantage in scoring chances in all situations, including a whopping 13-2 of the high-danger variety. At 5v5, the Panthers had an expected goals share of 77.78 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.
Simply, the Panthers picked up where they left off from their 6-1 win in Game 3 and thoroughly dominated the Oilers in the opening period Thursday.
Skinner, who made a series of outstanding saves when the Oilers were out-shot 10-1 in the opening 7:38, was pulled for the second straight game, this time after allowing three goals on 17 shots over 20 minutes.
Perhaps, inserting Pickard changed their mojo because the Oilers were a different team in the second period. They out-scored their hosts 3-0, out-shot the Panthers 17-10, and had a 16-5 advantage in scoring chances (13-3 in high-danger opportunities). Edmonton's expected goal share in the second period was 72.73 percent.
Advertisement
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wired a power-play goal past Bobrovsky at 3:33 to start the Oilers comeback. It was his first goal in the past seven postseason games, and Darnell Nurse followed it up when he beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder short side with a snipe from the bottom of the left circle.
Bobrovsky made two huge in the next couple of minutes to keep the score 3-2. He exploded across his crease to deny Draisaitl at 13:57, then robbed Connor McDavid with a sprawling right-pad save after the Oilers captain split the Florida defense and broke in at 14:36.
The Oilers tied the game shortly thereafter. Vasily Podkolzin flipped a backhand shot from the slot past a screened Bobrovsky at 15:05 to make it 3-3.
Advertisement
Edmonton took its first lead thanks to a Florida turnover in its own end late in the third period. Nugent-Hopkins helped force the giveaway, and Kasperi Kapanen fed a wide-open Walman on right wing for the go-ahead goal.
But in the final seconds, Verhaeghe won a puck battle along the wall to start the scoring play that tied the game again. The sequence ended with Tkachuk and Reinhart playing pitch and catch before Reinhart was able to score from a bad left-wing angle, with Pickard pulled out of position.
Related: NHL Games Today: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Schedule, Dates, Times, and Results
3 takeaways after Oilers rally for 5-4 OT win over Panthers in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
1. Turning point easy to 'Pick'
It wasn't a coincidence that Game 4 took a decided sharp turn in the other direction after Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch inserted Pickard to start the second period after his team was pretty much run out of Amerant Bank Arena in the opening 20 minutes. It's not even so much that Skinner was bad, as previously pointed out, the Oilers starter made a string of Grade A stops to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes.
But the Oilers needed a fresh start in the second period and putting Pickard in goal did just that. It was the clear turning point in the game. The 33-year-old, who was 6-0 earlier in these playoffs before he was injured, offered the Oilers a calming presence in net, and his teammates certainly played a helluva lot better, too. It was a winning combination again for the Oilers. They scored five of the last six goals in this game, with Pickard beaten only off that last-second scramble in regulation.
Advertisement
Pickard saved his best for last. He got his glove on Sam Bennett's blast 6:51 into overtime, and deflected the puck off the crossbar. A minute later, Pickard denied Eetu Luostarinen's rising snap shot for another clutch save. A little more than three minutes later, Pickard was being mobbed by his teammates, with Skinner giving him the longest hug.
2. Comeback kings
Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Oilers are the comeback kings of these playoffs. They are an incredible 5-5 in 10 games when trailing after two periods, and have eight comeback victories total. They trailed 3-2 in the third period of Game 1 against the Panthers before tying it and then winning in OT. Edmonton is now 5-1 in six overtime games this postseason, the only loss coming in Game 2, a double-OT heartbreaker.
Advertisement
None of their comebacks match this one, though, considering the Oilers are just the seventh NHL team ever to rally from three goals down at any point and win a Stanley Cup Final game. They're also the first road team to do so since 1919.
Also Read:: NHL rumors: Insider sheds light on Sam Bennett's future with Florida Panthers ahead of NHL free agency
3. Deja pew
This loss was eerily similar — though worse — than the Panthers' Game 1 defeat, when they blew a 3-1 second-period lead. Uncharacteristic turnovers, like on the Walman goal, and defensive breakdowns pockmarked each of their two losses in this series. The Panthers are 12-2 when leading after two periods in these playoffs; but they're only 2-2 in such a situation against the Oilers in the Final.
Advertisement
We've seen how the Panthers are able to dust themselves off and get right back to work before — evidenced recently by their wins in Games 2 and 3 after that tough-to-swallow loss in the opener. Let's see how they fare in Game 5, though, when the Panthers will be back in hostile Edmonton on Saturday after flying 2,500 miles on the lone day off between games and having played three overtime games already in the series.
Related Headlines
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Bayern Munich advances in the Club World Cup with 2-1 win over Boca Juniors
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Michael Olise fired Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the Club World Cup, scoring in the 84th minute for a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors on Friday night. German champion Bayern made it two wins in Group C and advanced to the round of 16 with a game to spare. Olise secured the victory at Hard Rock Stadium after Miguel Merentiel had put Boca in position for a draw with a brilliant solo goal in the 66th. Bayern, which tops the group, took the lead on Harry Kane's clinical finish in the 18th and went on to miss of a slew of chances before Merentiel's equalizer. South American teams had been unbeaten in their first nine games of this expanded Club World Cup. Bayern looked like it would be held until Olise's cool finish. Collecting Kane's layoff inside the box, the forward curled a powerful first-time effort low into the bottom corner. Bayern has the luxury of resting players for its final group game against second-place Benfica on Tuesday, which could be bad news for Boca. Argentine giant Boca, which plays Auckland City, needs Bayern to beat Benfica to have any chance of advancing to the next round. 'We knew it wasn't going to be easy, we knew we were coming into a hostile environment, hot weather, it was tough. It's a massive tournament. We are playing against the best teams in the world. We just have to compete to our highest level and we should be able to beat most teams.' — Kane. 'We have to find a way (to advance). A draw would've been great but it's up to us to compete and do our best and I would not be surprised if that happened.' — Boca Juniors coach Miguel Angel Russo. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Club World Cup: Is European soccer's superiority being exposed as a myth?
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — European soccer's superiority had, throughout the 21st century, become self-evident; inescapable and irreversible; extreme and presumed. It was apparent in the salaries and prices of players, in the exodus of talent from the Americas and Africa, in the prestige of the UEFA Champions League and, twice per year, on the field. At the former Club World Cup, the seven-team version played each winter, since 2007, European teams played 34 games. They lost once. So they strolled into this expanded version, the 2025 Club World Cup, as runaway favorites. They negotiated outside appearance fees. Their supporters assumed they'd waltz to the latter stages, untouched. Advertisement Instead, halfway through the group stage, they've been humbled. In six games so far against South American opposition, they've lost two, drawn three, won one. They have also dropped seven points to the Saudi Pro League, MLS and Liga MX. Their early stumbles have delighted fans from other continents. They've surprised Western pundits. And they've ignited a combustible debate: Is European club dominance a myth? Or at least exaggerated? The two sides of the Europe-South America debate On one side, there are the raw results and the performances here over the past week. Flamengo didn't just beat Chelsea 3-1 on Friday in Philadelphia; at times, it pummeled the free-spending English Premier League giants. And Fluminense — Brazil's 13th best team last year — held Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw and outplayed what was, a month ago, the hottest team in Germany. Advertisement In almost every single match between South American and European foes, there was evidence that the gap is slimmer than most Europeans (and non-Hispanic Americans) realize. Botafogo's upset of PSG was a so-called 'smash-and-grab,' but even smash-and-grabs require a certain level of physical, technical and tactical quality. Boca Juniors, similarly, bellied up to Bayern Munich and snatched a second-half equalizer, before conceding late. There was also Monterrey 1, Inter Milan 1; and Al Hilal 1, Real Madrid 1, 'a very balanced match,' as Al Hilal fullback João Cancelo said afterward. On paper, per Opta, these were games between the 9th best team in the world and the 81st; between No. 15 and No. 238; No. 4 and 132; No. 7 and 131; No. 6 and 130; No. 8 and 77. On the field, they looked very different, and begged the question: Is Opta wrong? Are the assumptions of European preeminence wrong? Were we all wrong? Flamengo players celebrate during their statement win over Chelsea at the 2025 Club World Cup in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) But on the other side of the debate, there are excuses — or at least other explanations, some legitimate. Advertisement There is the timing of this tournament, which falls at the end of 10-month European seasons, but mid-campaign for clubs from Brazil, Argentina and MLS. Whereas South American teams built up to the Club World Cup, weary European bodies and minds were ready to wind down. Most got a couple weeks off before reconvening with teammates 7-10 days before their Club World Cup openers. 'There are many tournaments that they've had to play, and perhaps they'll arrive with some fatigue,' Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez predicted before the competition began. 'I think there will be some surprise results.' There is also the suffocating U.S. summer heat, which has seemed to affect European teams more than others. 'We are used to the heat,' Al Hilal's Brazilian winger Malcom said after his team hung with Real Madrid on a humid 90-degree afternoon in Miami. Atlético Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente, on the other hand, called an 88-degree afternoon in Southern California 'impossible.' There is travel to which the Europeans aren't accustomed. There are games that kick off after all their friends and family back home are asleep. There are all sorts of confounding variables that preclude the Club World Cup from being an accurate point of comparison. Advertisement And most of all, there is the unavoidable sense, or narrative, that the European teams just don't really care. Many players do, to be clear. But do they care, with every last ounce of their being, like some of their South American counterparts do? There has undoubtedly been an intensity gap that has neutralized the quality gap, and helped some South American sides show well. To them, these games are among the most significant in recent club history. To the Europeans, the Champions League and, in some cases, their domestic league were and are more prestigious. Public attitudes toward the Club World Cup have also colored this excuse. While European fans have stayed home, and in some cases slept through games, supporters of South American and North African clubs have filled stadiums with balloons, flags, banners and unceasing noise. They've turned Palmeiras-Porto and Boca Juniors-Benfica and Flamengo-Chelsea into quasi-home games for the South American teams. That, too, is an equalizing factor. The conclusion None of that entirely explains the upsets. But there is nuance in the conclusion that the gap is somewhat narrower than many thought — because there are also gaps within Europe and within South America. Advertisement There is a massive gulf, for example, between Bayern Munich, which ultimately outclassed Boca here on Friday night; and Porto, which finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, closer to fourth-place Braga than the top two. There is also a massive gulf between Palmeiras or Flamengo, the two most powerful teams in South America's richest league, and most of the other non-European teams at this Club World Cup. What we probably overestimated was the distance between the Portos and the Inter Miamis; between the Dortmunds and the Fluminenses; between the Benficas and Bocas; between the Chelseas and the Flamengos. Most of the teams Porto and Benfica play, weekend after weekend, are probably worse than the top half of MLS — and certainly worse than Boca, River Plate and much of the Brasileirão. Some of the Brasileirão, and certainly the top two, meanwhile, could compete with the top halves of the top flights in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. Advertisement There is still, though, a distance to the tippy-top. 'There is an elite in soccer that is superior,' Flamengo coach Filipe Luis, who played for Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, said Friday. 'Brazilian clubs are competitive at the second level of European football. Flamengo will not devalue themselves against any opponent. But the squads of the elite are better. That's a fact.'
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Fans of Argentinian club Boca Juniors take over South Florida during the Club World Cup
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Boca Juniors plays two of its three group-stage games of the Club World Cup in South Florida, and the Argentinian club's traveling fans have made their presence known. In the club's first game of the tournament, a 2-2 draw against Benfica, the announced attendance of 55,574 at Hard Rock Stadium was mostly Boca fans. Supporters of the club have been highly visible in Miami-Dade County, gathering on the beach in the thousands and singing in local Walmarts.
