The Edmonton Oilers avoided a sweep and extended the Stanley Cup Final with an 8-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 on Saturday night at Rogers Place.
With the Stanley Cup in the making, the Oilers gave Phil Pritchard cup handler reason to keep him on your case with a first period performance that set the tone for an impressive victory.
Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse escaped a major penalty after his hit on Sam Bennett was downgraded from a major knee to a minor trip following a review. Despite being down a man, the Edmonton fans had something to be excited about after Mattias Janmark’s shorthanded goal 3:11 into the game.
The Oilers put an end to the power play and minutes later took their first multi-goal lead of the series thanks to the deft stick work of Adam Henrique.
The Panthers would score a goal to cut the Oilers’ lead to 2-1 after Vladimir Tarasenko’s deflection with 8:34 left. They would have a golden opportunity to even the score less than a minute later, but Stuart Skinner, who stopped 32 of 33 shots, would deny Carter Verhaeghe and end all hopes of a Florida comeback.
Verhaeghe’s shot could have changed Game 4 for the Panthers, but it inspired even more confidence in the Oilers. Early in the second period, Edmonton doubled their lead thanks to goals from Nurse, Dylan Holloway and Connor McDavid, who scored the first of the series.
The white flag was basically raised by the Panthers at that point.
McDavid’s goal not only gave the Oilers a 5-1 lead, but also ended the night for Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, a leading contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Coach Paul Maurice’s hook shot was a signal for his goaltender to clear his head and be ready for Game 5.
The Oilers scored five goals against Bobrovsky on 16 shots. Anthony Stolarz finished the rest of the game and allowed three goals.
McDavid’s two helpers saw him surpass Wayne Gretzky for the most assists (32) in a single postseason. The Oilers captain is also now the fourth player in NHL history with at least 37 points in the playoffs.
The Oilers’ eight goals were the most the Panthers have allowed in a regular season or playoff game since Game 5 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, when they lost the series to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Everything that had been struggling for the Oilers through the first three games of the series – stars not producing, power play failing, converting their high-danger chances at 5-on-5 – went Edmonton’s way in Game 4. McDavid and Draisatil combined for a goal and 6 points; the power play finally scored; and they made the most of their best scoring opportunities to overcome Bobrovsky.
Oilers fans chanted “We want [Game] 7“during the second period, but as coach Kris Knoblauch and his players have said and will continue to say as long as this series lasts, it’s the old cliché of one game at a time. The next one will be Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena (8 p.m. ET; ABC), where the Panthers have won their last four home games.
2024 Stanley Cup Final Schedule (Panthers Leading Series 3-1)
Game 1: Panthers 3, Oilers 0
Game 2: Panthers 4, Oilers 1
Game 3: Panthers 4, Oilers 3
Game 4: Oilers 8, Panthers 1
Game 5: Lubricators in Panteras | Tuesday, June 18, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 6: Panthers at Oilers | Friday, June 21, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 7: Lubricators in Panteras | Monday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
(*if necessary)
