The Florida Panthers could complete the sweep and dominance against the Edmonton Oilers in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers and Panthers have a long flight back to Sunrise, Florida.
Connor McDavid scored his first series goal as part of a four-point performance. Stuart Skinner was spectacular in making 32 saves, and the Oilers routed the Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 on Saturday night, chasing Sergei Bobrovsky and avoiding a sweep. Game 5 is Tuesday in Sunrise.
McDavid is the first player since 1987 to record four points in a Stanley Cup Final game when facing elimination.
“It is just one win. doesn’t matter if you score eight or one, it is just one win,” McDavid said. “We have to go to Florida, do a job, and drag them back to Alberta.”
McDavid’s 32nd assist this postseason passes Wayne Gretzky for most in a single postseason.
Oilers have won their last 14 postseason games when scoring three goals in the first period.
“It feels good, we did our job on the offensive side tonight,” Oilers center Leon Draisaitl said. It is just one win for us; we have to keep getting better and putting them together.”
The odds remain long for the Oilers, given that the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to erase a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.
“It is going to be a long flight, but the vibes are good,” Draisaitl added. We have to chip away at it. Hopefully, we get another win in Florida.”
Oilers are 3-0 this season when facing elimination.
“They are good players, and they scored,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “They will get confidence from that. In the next game, the puck drops, and everything changes then.”
The Panthers allowed only four combined goals in games one through three.
Bobrovsky had a tough day in the office. Panthers’ head coach, Paul Maurice, pulled him five minutes into the second period after allowing five goals on 16 shots — more than he had given up in the combined first three games of the series. It was the second-shortest start of his playoff career (24:53).
“The belief is high, even in the first three games we did a lot of good things, we played good hockey,” Draisaitl added. We probably deserve to win one or two that is not the way it goes sometimes but looking to climb back into this.”
It was a different style of hockey played by the Oilers in game four. It was a style of free-open hockey that they had gotten away from recently. They were able to open up the ice, stretching Florida’s defense. There was room in the neutral zone and a lot of open space. When you give McDavid open space and he gets the puck, the defense has to back up because they don’t have back pressure from their forwards, which opened up the game for the Oilers. They took advantage of the chances they had in this game.
“We have not lost a game in a while until tonight,” Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuck said. “Back to the drawing board like when we win we learn from it, we put it aside, we lose it is the same thing. We are in an unbelievable spot right now.”
The Panthers are in a perfect position, up 3-1 in the series, and heading home to Florida. The conversation on the long plane ride back home will be to continue to do what they have done all season long and in the playoffs: Stay to the routine and get back to their game. The Oilers forced the Panthers out of their routine in game four. They will return to a connected game like the series’ first three games. They are still confident and know what they must do to succeed.
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