SUNRISE, Fla. – In a series that’s already produced a few instant classics, it would be hard to top Game 4.
Leon Draisaitl’s game-winner at the 11:18 mark of overtime gave the Edmonton Oilers a wild 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers, knotted up the best-of-seven series at two games per team, and capped off a roller-coaster night at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night.
Draisaitl set a league record with his fourth OT GWG of the postseason – it’s already his second of the Cup Final – and put the finishing touches on a seemingly improbable comeback after the Oilers found themselves down 3-0 after one period of play; Edmonton nearly won in regulation, but Sam Reinhart’s goal with just 20 seconds left in regulation forced extra hockey for the third time in the series.
“I think it was just intensity,” Draisaitl said. “We wanted to come out strong tonight, but they put us on our heels early and we were kind of lollygagging around a little bit…Corey (Perry) spoke up, and when he speaks up, you listen, and you do what he says. We did a great job of grabbing some momentum and keeping it…this time of year, you’ve got to stick with it, and I thought we did a really good job of that tonight…our group never quits.”
There was perhaps no better embodiment of that than Calvin Pickard, the Oilers backup goaltender who was summoned into action to start the second period after starter Stuart Skinner had allowed three goals on 17 shots, and became the first netminder to win a Cup Final game in relief in ten years.
It would be hard to envision Pickard yielding the net as the series moves on – although Skinner can hardly be faulted for the sluggish play in front of him – as he now improves to a stunning 7-0 this postseason, having only left the net after an injury suffered early in the second round.
“Obviously, when I got hurt it was frustrating, things were going pretty well,” Pickard said. “(Skinner) hopped in there and played great. I felt for him today, he came ready to play today and made some big saves early, but we just didn’t have it as a team early. I think (head coach Kris Knoblauch) just wanted to switch it up. If (Skinner) was playing behind our team in the second, third and overtime, he would have done what I did too.”
Now, Knoblauch has a decision to make in net once the series gets back to Edmonton on Saturday night, but was more focused on having a chance to take control of the Cup Final on home ice.
“It’s unfortunate for Stu to be pulled there,” he said. “Our team was flat…we needed to change things up, and the change was great the way (Pickard) played. It was great to see him make the saves when we needed them.”