June 13 (UPI) — Leon Draisaitl fired a one-handed shot off Niko Mikkola and into the net, helping the Edmonton Oilers rally from a 3-0 deficit to stun the Florida Panthers in overtime Thursday in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“Obviously, it was a fortunate bounce, but we’ll take these right now,” Draisaitl said on the TNT broadcast after the 5-4 victory in Sunrise, Fla.
The Oilers allowed three first-period goals before fighting back for a 4-3 lead, but the Panthers forced overtime with just 20 seconds remaining in regulation at Amerant Bank Arena. Draisaitl then played hero, setting an NHL record with his fourth overtime goal and tying the best-of-seven game series 2-2.
“We’d like to put ourselves into better situations first off so we don’t constantly have to fight back and hang in there and scratch and claw our way back, but it is a great characteristic of our team,” Draisaitl said.
Draisaitl logged two assists, in addition to his latest game-winner. Fellow forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Vasily Podkolzi registered a goal and assist apiece. Calvin Pickard, who replaced benched goaltender Stuart Skinner to start the second period, made 22 saves over 51:18 on ice.
“We play great hockey from behind,” Pickard said. “It was an unbelievable effort, obviously. Giving up that late goal was not ideal, but we regrouped and got a bounce.”
Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and logged an assist. Fellow Panthers forward Sam Reinhart logged a goal and two assists.
Early penalties and offensive aggression from the Panthers hurt the Oilers. Tkachuk lit the lamp for first blood off a 5-on-3 power play 11:40 into the night.
Fellow forward Aleksander Barkov started the play by winning a face off inside the left circle. Tkachuk recovered the puck and unwound a wrist shot past Skinner’s glove side.
Barkov earned another assist off a Tkachuk score about five minutes later. The Panthers captain fired an initial pass to Tkachuk on the right side of the net. Tkachuk then fed Reinhart, who hit a shot at Skinner. The puck bounced off the net minder and was corralled by Tkachuk, who buried a follow up behind the Oilers goalie.
Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe assisted a third Panthers goal with 42 seconds remaining in the first period. Verhaeghe won possession behind the Oilers’ net and fired a pass through the slot, finding Anton Lundell for a one-timer for the 3-0 lead.
The Panthers outshot the Oilers 13-2 through the first 14 minutes and 17-7 in the first period.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch then elected to bench Skinner in favor of Pickard. The Oilers’ offense also woke up in the bridge frame, outshooting the Panthers 9-1 over the next 10 minutes.
Draisaitl and Connor McDavid assisted Nugent-Hopkins for their first score off a power play 3:33 into the second period. Defenseman Darnell Nurse cut the deficit to one with another Oilers score with 7:13 remaining in the period.
Podkolzin tied the score for the Oilers less than three minutes later. Draisaitl and Nurse assisted that score.
The Oilers outshot the Panthers 17-10 in the second period to tie the score heading into the third. Pickard had 10 saves in the second period.
Panthers forwards flocked to the Oilers’ net early in the final frame, but couldn’t convert. Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen then fed defenseman Jake Walman for a vicious one-timer inside the right circle with 6:24 remaining for the Oilers’ first lead of Game 4.
The Panthers pulled Bobrovsky with 2:26 remaining in an attempt to net a game-tying score. Reinhart came through when he beat Pickard with a wrist shot with 20 seconds left, forcing overtime for the third time in the series.
Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling nearly won the game with a one-timer about a minute into overtime, but missed wide. He went on to save a potential game-winning score by the Oilers with his left skate just seconds later.
Pickard deflected another shot from Panthers forward Sam Bennett, which drilled the crossbar on another attempt about five minutes later.
That shot proved the be the Panthers’ best chance at a late winner.
Podkolzin sent a pass from left to right to Corey Perry above the slot to start the final exchange. Perry flicked the puck on to Draisaitl, who carried the puck on his stick with just his right hand. Draisaitl shielded off defenseman A.J. Greer before sliding the puck off Mikkola and through Bobrovsky’s legs.
The Oilers and Panthers will face off in Game 5 of the best-of-seven game series at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday in Edmonton.
“Obviously we’ve got a work ahead of us here,” Draisaitl said. “I’ll take it, but bigger picture.”
