Ryan S. Clark
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Ryan S. Clark
ESPN NHL Reporterryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
Kristen Silton
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Kristen Silton
ESPN NHL ReporterKristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.Jun 13, 2025, 12:15 AM ET.
South Florida is a place where strangeness not only lives but thrives. Fine for spurting water in Game 3 Jake Walman scored what appears to have been the goal he won the Edmonton Oilers game in his third term… Sam Reinhart scored in the 20 seconds left in regulation for the Florida Panthers…
Game 4 was very unstable and even Florida men would have thought it was too much. Just how busy are we? The Panthers opened with a 3-0 lead in the first period and just watch the Oilers pull Stuart Skinner and replace him with Calvin Picard and score their own three goals in the second term.
It was the setting for the third defensive deadlock, which seemed to break first when Walman scored with 6:24 left, and even Florida broke just to have a score. Draisaitl worked overtime for Edmonton.
At this point you know the drill. Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton identify the players to watch in Game 5 and look at what worked and what didn’t work for each team, as they contemplate the big questions from the Oilers and Panthers.
Does the conversation after Game 4 explain more about the comeback? Or why do the Oilers need to come back in the first place?
Editor’s Pick
2 Related
After the Oilers allowed two goals in each period of Game 3, they allowed three in the first period of Game 4. In total, the first period marked the sixth time the Panthers had scored multiple goals in the first 10 periods of the series. That’s why Oilers coach Chris Noblauch and his staff made quick adjustments to avoid a disaster similar to Game 3.
With Knoblauch’s decision to remove Skinner and start the second, Pickard stopped all 10 shots he faced in the frame. This brought the Oilers to 55.6% share from their first 38.4% shot share to their second shot share, resulting in three goals. It was the second multi-goal period in the Cup final.
In the third, everything was fine. Their defensive structure gave them eight Heidanger scoring opportunities in the second and third periods. Are you 20 seconds away from tying the series while the Panthers have over 60% shot share? That’s what made Reinhardt so discouraged.
But in the end, the winner of the Draysightle game drew an Oilers level that went into Game 5 on Saturday. – Clark
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Leon Draisaitl won the winner of Euler in Game 4
Leon Draisaitl notchs the game-winning goal in this one-handed effort in pulsating game 4, leveling off the Oilers series.
The Panthers tried to call the game during their first period. And, simply put, they seemed successful. They snag early on with Matthew Tokachuk’s powerplay goal (his first point in the Cup final), and Anton Landell humiliated the Oilers’ injuries by extending Florida’s lead to just 41 seconds left in the first period. Florida’s furious forecheck looked like the Oilers had flummoxed once more.
However, Edmonton began the second with a goalkeeper change and their karma shifted along with it. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Power Play), Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin erased all of Florida’s first works and placed the Panthers on their heels.
Then Picard puts Florida’s numbers in the net and prevents the Panthers’ deep offensive threat from finding an equalizer until 20 seconds remain in regulation, and Reinhart finds the opening.
Florida’s final loss of time felt great. The Panthers’ non-characteristic mistakes – players caught under the goal line, lose their assignment trajectory and lose their turnovers – ultimately doomed them in a game they were on track to win with their hands. The key is how they rebound in the quick turnaround to Game 5. -Silton
3 stars in Ardaöcal Game 4
After setting records for most of the regular season overtime goals, Draisaitl sets four records for most of the overtime goals in one postseason. He was the third player in the final history of the Stanley Cup, scoring multiple OT goals in 1950 with the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings and John Leclair in 1993, along with the Montreal Canadians and Los Angeles Kings, and in 1950 with Don Raleigh.
After entering to soften Skinner, Picard made 22 saves with 23 shots (the only goal comes in the final minute of Florida’s net’s empty regulation). Picard is the first goaltender to win the Stanley Cup final since Andrei Vasilevsky played 9:13 in 2015 relief from injured Ben Bishop. Picard was also the fourth goalkeeper to win seven straight decisions in the playoffs that did not start the team’s first game in the postseason, joining Chris Osgood (2008), Jack Plante (1969) and Cam Ward (2006).
Tkachuk scored the first two goals of the Cup final and quickly opened the game for Florida. This was the first time Tkachuk had scored two goals in Cup Final Game. His fifth career playoff power play goal set the franchise record.
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Matthew Tkachuk scored again and became a 2-0 Panther
Matthew Tokachuk doubled the Panthers’ lead and scored again in a power play against the Oilers in Game 4.
Honorable mention: This series!
This Cup final is very interesting. Between the two overtime games, there was no shortage of drama and plot in the final rematch of this cup, between the three goal period duels and duels of Game 4. The series is the third in NHL history to score at least seven goals in the first four games (1980 and 1918 other 1980 and 1918), with 32 goals, tied to the fourth in the Cup final history through four games. Bring Game 5!
Players in Game 5
Picard’s work, which saved Skinner, is quite dedicated to the Oilers and establishes a sense of consistency. The strongest example came in the first round series against the Los Angeles Kings when Picard was selected as a starter in Game 3 and won four straight times to advance Edmonton to the second round. He won the first two games of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights before injuries prompted the Oilers to return to Skinner.
Picard was perfect in the second season of Game 4, and was almost perfect to reach Reinhardt’s goal in the second half of the third. But when it reaches overtime? Picard finished the evening, stopping all shots with the help of a crossbar, stopping 22 out of 22 with a save percentage of .957 above 51:18. And that was that the Panthers have over 57% shot share in the last two periods. – Clark
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Calvin Pickard’s outrageous Save keeps the Oilers in the game
Calvin Picard’s incredible chip saves appear on the crossbar. The Panthers don’t notch the winner of the overtime game.
The Panthers’ main goalscorer in the playoffs wasn’t the best in Game 4. Florida will need to return on Saturday. Bennett took a second-term violation, leading to his first goal from a power play marker by Nugent-Hopkins in Edmonton, and he was tagged again to trip when Florida lost its momentum.
Additionally, Bennett collected one assist on the night the Panthers struggled to attack after an explosive first period. That’s not the kind of impact Florida needs from Bennett, but all eyes are about how he rebounds in Game 5.
For Florida, seeing Tkachuk rolled on Thursday was positive, but the Panthers’ offense ran Bennett quite frequently. (His breakaway goal in Game 3 was particularly good.) Florida would be right to hope Bennett stepped up that when the series returns to Edmonton. And if any of the players can quickly turn things around, then it’s Bennett. Bennett was a favorite of the Comte Smythe trophy before Game 4. – Silton
Big Questions about Game 5
Has the Oilers comeback potentially unlocked a new way to protect the Panthers?
The Oilers have problems preventing them from leaving. They have struggled to abandon large periods of time on multiple occasions. In fact, it was a story of Game 3 that could have been the worst performance of the postseason.
The first period of Game 4 appeared to refer to another defensive challenge for the Oilers. All they can do is walk away with the belief that they may have found a victory and a solution to the aforementioned problems.
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In Game 4, the Oilers:
I found a way to take over the lanes I passed, and I was allowed 17 shots in the first period, which led to 23 shots throughout the game.
I blocked 28 shots.
Despite their ownership, it significantly prevented the Panthers from having a Heidanger chance. In fact, the Panthers finished with one Heidanger’s chance to score in overtime while having a shot share of 57.14%.
Even Reinhart’s late goals looked like the team that Conor McDavid repeatedly said he could play defense. But can they take advantage of what they did in Game 4 after Game 5? If so, will it be key to the rest of the series? – Clark
Can I use Florida Rattle Picard?
The Panthers had Skinner’s number in the series and scored eight goals on Netminder throughout the first period of Games 3 and 4. Meanwhile, Picard excelled in Skinner’s relief on Thursday, making 18 consecutive saves before allowing Reinhardt’s goal in the third second half.
It’s not as if Picard hadn’t been challenged. He created some great stops for the Panthers’ top scorers, proving he is still at his peak despite not starting the game in a few weeks.
That’s not a harbinger for Florida. Reinhart slowed past Picard, but it appears he never wavered Picard’s confidence. He was great with the extra time, doing enough to continue walking to Sergei Bobrovsky on the other side, eventually securing the victory for Edmonton.
So, what kind of challenge will there be a goaltending switch in Florida in Game 5? Picard was a sensational 6-0 in the postseason before getting injured in the second round. If Picard could become a game-changing presence in the fold the Oilers are looking for, what will the Panthers need to respond and recapture their offensive edge? – Silton
