Florida Panthers’ Three-Goal Lead Slips Away as Edmonton Oilers Force Stanley Cup Final Tie
In a thrilling Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final, the Florida Panthers surrendered a three-goal lead to the Edmonton Oilers, ultimately losing 5-4 in overtime. The stunning collapse has tied the series 2-2, with the Oilers becoming the first road team to rally from a three-goal deficit and win a Stanley Cup final game since the Montreal Canadiens in 1919, reports The Guardian.
The Panthers dominated the first period, with Matthew Tkachuk and the stars of the defending champion Panthers smothering the Oilers. Florida took a commanding 3-0 lead, with Tkachuk and Anton Lundell scoring on the power play and at even strength. However, the Oilers’ veterans responded fiercely in the second period, scoring four straight goals to take a 4-3 lead. The Panthers rebounded, scoring in the final seconds of the third period to force overtime. But, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scored 11:18 into OT to give Edmonton a 5-4, series-tying victory.
"It’s never going to be perfect," said Sam Reinhart, who nearly saved the collapse with a tying goal in the waning seconds of regulation. "This time of year, we’ve been here before. We’ve been through it. So … it’s about recovering for Game 5." As quoted in The Guardian, Reinhart’s sentiments echoed throughout the Florida camp, with coach Paul Maurice adding, "I think we focus on sometimes the mistakes that get made by good players at times, and you miss some of the heart and soul and the intensity of it."
The Guardian reports that the series has been evenly matched, with three of four games going to overtime, marking just the eighth Stanley Cup final – and fourth in the expansion era (since 1967-68) – to have three or more games require overtime. The Panthers had never squandered a 3-0 lead in the postseason, with teams previously holding a 37-0 record when leading a Stanley Cup final game by three or more goals in the first period.
Tkachuk attributed the collapse to the team’s lack of connection and passive play. "I think we were watching the play develop, as opposed to playing on our toes, and that’s obviously how they got back in the game," said Reinhart, as reported by The Guardian. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch’s decision to pull starting goaltender Stuart Skinner after the Oilers allowed three goals in the first period seemed to boost momentum, with the team ultimately becoming the seventh in NHL history to overcome a three-goal deficit in the Stanley Cup final.
Among the 19,000-plus spectators at Amerant Bank Arena were high-profile guests Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who were shown on the broadcast during the first period, holding hands as they made their way to their seats. The pop icon and Super Bowl-winning tight end have drawn mass attention for their appearances at various sporting events since going public in 2023. Hockey legends Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, and Henrik Lundqvist, along with former NFL star Jason Taylor and Miami Heat veterans Bam Adebayo and Udonis Haslem, were also in attendance.
The series now shifts back to Edmonton, with the Oilers looking to build on their momentum and the Panthers seeking to regroup and reclaim control. As The Guardian notes, Florida has responded well to letdowns this postseason, and the experience of playing in their third straight Stanley Cup final has taught the Panthers to relish the moments when the pressure is the highest. The stage is set for a thrilling Game 5, with the Oilers and Panthers poised to deliver another captivating installment in this tightly contested series.
