Oilers vs. Panthers Game 4 Recap: Draisaitl Wins it in Overtime Thriller
The Edmonton Oilers aren’t going quietly. Down 3-0 in the first period and facing the possibility of heading back to Alberta in a 3-1 series hole, they clawed all the way back and stunned the Florida Panthers 5-4 in overtime to even the Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece.
Leon Draisaitl played hero once again, scoring his fourth overtime goal of the playoffs to seal it 11:18 into the extra frame. The goal came just seconds after a line change, when Draisaitl corralled a loose puck near the right faceoff dot and shoveled a one-handed shot that deflected off Niko Mikkola’s skate and slid between Sergei Bobrovsky’s pads.
It was Draisaitl’s second overtime winner of the series, and it made him the first player in NHL history to record four OT goals in a single postseason. The Oilers forward also picked up two assists and was the engine behind Edmonton’s second major comeback of the series.
Florida looked in full control early, dominating the opening frame with three goals on seven shots. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice on the power play, including once during a 5-on-3 advantage, and Anton Lundell added a late-period marker after a strong forecheck by Carter Verhaeghe. Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch had seen enough and pulled Stuart Skinner after one period, turning to backup Calvin Pickard.
The move changed the game.
Pickard stopped all 18 shots he faced through regulation and gave the Oilers a chance to get back into it. They responded with three unanswered goals in the second period. Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring on a power play, then Darnell Nurse ripped one high short-side to cut the lead to 3-2. Vasily Podkolzin tied it moments later by burying a rebound in tight, and suddenly the game was wide open heading into the third.
The Oilers kept pushing, and with just over six minutes left in the third, Jake Walman stepped into a slapper off a cross-slot feed from Kasperi Kapanen and gave Edmonton its first lead of the night. It didn’t last. Florida pulled Bobrovsky for the extra attacker, and with just 20 seconds left, Sam Reinhart tied it from a sharp angle on the left side, setting the stage for overtime.
It was nearly over before Draisaitl’s winner. Sam Bennett had a golden chance for the Panthers in OT, but his shot clipped the crossbar behind Pickard. Moments later, the Oilers’ big German forward ended it.
Pickard finished with 22 saves in relief, improving to 7-0 in these playoffs. Nurse, Nugent-Hopkins, and Podkolzin all finished with a goal and an assist. Mattias Ekholm added two helpers.
For Florida, Tkachuk had two goals and an assist, while Reinhart recorded a three-point night of his own. Bobrovsky made 30 saves but couldn’t stop the final bounce that went Edmonton’s way.
This marks the first time since 2006 that a team has come back from three goals down to win in the Cup Final. It’s also the first time in NHL history that three of the first four games in the Final have gone to overtime.
Game 5 shifts to Edmonton on Saturday night, with the series now a best-of-three.
