Stanley Cup Final: Oilers Complete Historic Road Comeback to Tie Series
And just like that, we have a heavyweight fight. The Edmonton Oilers delivered a performance for the ages in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, erasing a three-goal deficit on the road against the Florida Panthers to claim a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory. The win levels the series at 2-2, sending it back to Canada with momentum firmly shifted.
The decisive goal came from none other than Leon Draisaitl, who netted his fourth overtime winner of the playoffs, setting a new NHL record for most OT goals in a single postseason.
Game 4: A Tale of Two (or Three) Periods
The night began ominously for the Oilers, echoing the challenges they faced earlier in the series. The formidable Florida Panthers, making their third consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, came out firing. Matthew Tkachuk capitalized with two power-play goals, and Anton Lundell added another just before the first intermission, staking the Panthers to a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Historically, teams holding a three-goal lead after the first period in a Stanley Cup Final game were previously a perfect 37-0. This statistic underscored the daunting task facing Edmonton. In response, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch made a pivotal decision, replacing starting goaltender Stuart Skinner with backup Calvin Pickard to start the second period. The change appeared to provide the spark Edmonton desperately needed.
The Oilers’ Resurgence
The second period saw a dramatic shift in momentum. Showing the resilience that has become a hallmark of their playoff run, the Oilers chipped away at the deficit. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, and Vasily Podkolzin all found the back of the net, stunning the home crowd and tying the game 3-3 by the end of the period.
Edmonton even took the lead late in the third period when defenseman Jake Walman scored with just over six minutes remaining. However, the drama was far from over. Facing defeat, the Panthers pulled their goalie, and Sam Reinhart tied the game for Florida with just 19.5 seconds left in regulation. It was a near-historic late equalizer, just shy of the latest tying goal in Final history scored by Corey Perry earlier in this very series.
Overtime Heroics and a 106-Year Record Broken
The late tie forced overtime, but the Oilers refused to be deflated. Just over 11 minutes into the extra frame, Leon Draisaitl stepped up to score the game-winner, securing the crucial victory.
The win etched the Oilers name into the NHL record books. By rallying from a three-goal deficit and winning on the road in the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton accomplished a feat not seen in 106 years. The last time it happened was in 1919 when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Seattle Metropolitans. It marks only the sixth time in NHL history overall that a team has come back from a three-goal deficit to win a Stanley Cup Final game, regardless of location. For the Panthers, it was the first time in franchise history they had squandered a three-goal lead in the postseason.
Perspectives from the Ice
Following the game, Leon Draisaitl acknowledged his team’s ability to fight back but expressed a desire to avoid such precarious positions. “We’d like to put ourselves into better situations for ourselves so we don’t have to constantly fight back,” Draisaitl told TNT Sports. “But it is a great characteristic of our team.” He downplayed his personal record, focusing on the “bigger picture” of winning the Cup.
Florida players reflected on the shift in momentum. Matthew Tkachuk noted that while the Panthers dominated the first, the Oilers carried the second. Sam Reinhart felt the team played too passively after building the lead, saying they were “watching the play develop, as opposed to playing on our toes.” Panthers coach Paul Maurice highlighted the intense, back-and-forth nature of the series, emphasizing the “heart and soul” displayed by both sides.
A Series Defined by Drama
This series has proven to be an evenly matched, resilient battle. Game 4 marked the third overtime game of the Final so far, highlighting the tightness of the competition – a rare occurrence in the Stanley Cup Final, making it only the eighth such series in NHL history.
Against a Panthers team that has navigated a challenging playoff path, including a seven-game series win and demonstrating resilience through key coaching decisions like sticking with their star goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, the Oilers’ comeback is particularly impressive.
With the series now tied 2-2, the dramatic battle for the Stanley Cup shifts back to Rogers Place in Edmonton for Game 5 on Saturday, promising more intense hockey ahead.
References
- www.theguardian.com
- <a href="https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/edmontonoilersbreak106yearnhlrecordafterpullingoffhistoriccomebackingame4/s11766542323269″>www.yardbarker.com
- www.rockchalktalk.com
- abc17news.com
- www.nhl.com
