FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Corey Perry knew from his seat on the bench he wanted to say something.<\/p>\n
His Edmonton Oilers looked flat, outclassed by the defending champion Florida Panthers, and were in danger of a third consecutive loss in their Stanley Cup Final<\/a> rematch that would have put them on the brink of losing once again. In the locker room at the first intermission, he offered some words of wisdom.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t wisdom. It was just honesty,\u201d Perry said Friday. \u201cHad to realize where we were at the moment and just kind of look ourselves in the mirror and how we were playing.\u201d<\/p>\n Everything flipped from there, with the Oilers erasing a three-goal deficit and bouncing back from losing the lead with 19.5 seconds left in regulation to win Game 4<\/a> and tie the series. This terrific fina<\/a> l is now a best of three between two titans, experienced like Perry<\/a> because so many involved have been here before and know how to be at their best when the stakes are the highest.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a reason both teams are here,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “It\u2019s the hardest trophy to win, and both teams are resilient and strong and have some amazing players that can do some amazing things. It\u2019s going to take all of us. That\u2019s the message: Stay together and find a way to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometime in the next week, either Florida goes back to back or Connor McDavid hoists the Stanley Cup for the first time and ends Canada’s NHL championship drought dating to 1993. These hardened opponents will play at least two more times, starting with Game 5 on Saturday night in Edmonton, putting on a spectacular display of the sport in the process.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this is as good as this thing gets,\u201d Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. \u201cThis is Christmas. This is the payoff.\u201d<\/p>\n Maurice’s team has played 312 regular-season and playoff games since he took over. The Oilers have played 303.<\/p>\n Yet, somehow they are bringing some of their best hockey in June. It’s something Maurice chalks up to excitement that builds energy knowing the end is near, and the Panthers, in their third consecutive final and the Oilers in their second, seem to thrive at this stage.<\/p>\n \u201c(It is) just the maturity of the team,\u201d second-year Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch<\/a> said. \u201cWe\u2019re an older team. There\u2019s been a lot of highs and lows that they\u2019ve experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n Those highs and lows hit extremes on Thursday night when the Panthers built a 3-0 lead in the first period and the Oilers erased it<\/a> in the second. They went back and forth again in the third before Leon Draisaitl scored<\/a> his single-season, playoff-record fourth overtime goal.<\/p>\n Florida is now all even with the team it beat in the final a year ago, knowing home-ice advantage again melted away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou kind of ride that wave,\u201d winger Sam Reinhart said. \u201cIt\u2019s an emotional grind. That\u2019s part of it. That makes it so sweet when you win it. So, we\u2019re in another battle, and we won\u2019t want it any other way. And now it\u2019s about recovering and going into Edmonton and trying to do what we can to win a Game 5 and bring it back here.\u201d<\/p>\n There will be a Game 6 on Tuesday night in Florida, along with the nerves and anticipation about one team being on the verge of completing a title journey. But players can’t realistically think that way.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not looking longer or further than the next game,\u201d Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. \u201cIt\u2019s Game 5 now, and we all know that Game 5 is always a big, big game in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n Thanks to a scheduling quirk, it also comes on a short turnaround, without an extra travel day for the teams to practice and shake off the cross-continental jet lag. Maurice said that’s nothing new for his group, accustomed to it from the long season. They know there will be a jacked-up crowd waitin in Edmonton.<\/p>\n “We know it\u2019s going to be a quick pace, and that building is very loud,” Florida’s Gustav Forsling said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be loud. It\u2019s going to be pressure on both teams.\u201d<\/p>\n AP NHL playoffs: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/stanley-cup<\/a> and https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nhl<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. 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