When Darnell Nurse’s goal at 4:59 of the second period of Game 4 gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-1 lead, the Florida Panthers shifted their thoughts to Tuesday’s Game 5 (8 p.m. ET; ABC).
Panthers coach Paul Maurice pulled Sergei Bobrovsky to get him away from what was becoming a drubbing and for the goaltender to begin focusing on a recovery night.
A second opportunity has arrived for the Panthers to win the Stanley Cup. The Amerant Bank Arena will be full of nervous fans, hoping to see their team win their first title. If recent history is any indication, there’s a chance Gary Bettman will be on the ice hosting the Cup on Tuesday.
Since 2010, only three teams – Chicago Blackhawks (2015), Washington Capitals (2018), Vegas Golden Knights (2023) – have taken advantage of the first opportunity to close out the Cup Final. Six teams missed the initial chance, but took advantage in the next game to end the series.
Only one team in that period, the Vancouver Canucks (2011), led the series 3-2 and ended up losing the Cup final.
The Panthers know it won’t be easy and can tell themselves they’ll attribute Game 4 to inexperience, for most, in this situation.
“It’s different. What comes to mind when you get to the rink? That’s it, right?” Mauricio said. “So we went through it, and it’s not something you can really appreciate until you go through it.”
What the Panthers will have in mind is how they get back to what they did well in Games 1-3: aggressive anticipation to force defensive mistakes, good defense and keeping Edmonton’s stars from waking up and creating havoc.
That’s how Game 4 went, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combining for six points. If these two can make the most of their chances while also creating space for their teammates to have opportunities, Bobrovsky will have to be at his best, like he did in Game 1.
Scoring eight goals in one game gave the Oilers confidence that they can find flaws in Bobrovsky’s game going forward.
“I think we finally got past this guy. He’s been playing really well,” Oilers forward Dylan Holloway said. “We knew at some point we were going to advance. We have so much skill that I think we deserved it. But at the same time, he’s such a good goalie that you never know. I mean, he can steal games.”
There is no more room for error for the Oilers – no more games to lose. The Panthers will be prepared for another desperate game from their opponents and understand the reward that awaits them with just one more win.
“We have the Stanley Cup at stake,” said forward Evan Rodrigues. “A sort of ‘How bad do you want this?’ kind of deal. There was a lot of energy in that game. I think we’ll be better prepared for Game 5.”
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)
