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 sight, Oilers gave Cup handler Phil Pritchard reason to keep him in his business with a first-period performance that set the tone for an impressive victory.
Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse escaped major punishment after his hit on Sam Bennett was downgraded from a kneeling major to a tripping minor following a review. Despite being down a man, the Edmonton crowd 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 earned their first multi-goal lead of the series thanks to the deft stickwork of Adam Henrique.
The Panthers would score a goal to cut the Oilers’ lead to 2-1 on Vladimir Tarasenko’s deflection with 8:34 to play. Less than a minute later they would have a golden opportunity to level the score but Stuart Skinner, who stopped 32 of 33 shots, denied Carter Verhaeghe and ended any hopes of a Florida comeback.
Verhaeghe’s chance could have changed Game 4 for the Panthers, but instead it instilled even more confidence in the Oilers. Early in the second period, Edmonton increased its lead thanks to goals from Dylan Holloway, Nurse and Connor McDavid, who scored his first of the series.
The white flag was actually raised by the Panthers at that moment.
McDavid’s goal not only gave the Oilers a 5-1 lead, it also ended the night for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Head coach Paul Maurice’s hook was a signal to his netminder to clear your head and be ready for Game 5.
The Oilers scored five goals past Bobrovsky on 16 shots. Anthony Stolarz finished the remainder of the game, allowing three goals.
McDavid’s two helpers saw him pass Wayne Gretzky for 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 a playoff run.
The eight Oilers 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 Golden Knights.
Everything the Oilers had struggled with in the first three games of the series (stars not producing, power plays failing, converting their high-risk 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 eventually scored; and they made the most of their best scoring chances to beat Bobrovsky.
Oilers fans sang “We want [Game] 7“During the second period, but as head coach Kris Knoblauch and his players have and will continue to say as long as this series lasts, it’s the old cliche of one game at a time. The next one comes 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 Lead 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: Oilers at Panthers | Tuesday, June 18, 8:00 PM ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 6: Panthers at Oilers | Friday, June 21, 8:00 PM ET (ABC, ESPN+)
*Game 7: Oilers at Panthers | Monday, June 24, 8:00 PM ET (ABC, ESPN+)
(*If necessary)
