Leon Draisaitl scored 11:18 into overtime to complete a stunning comeback, as the Edmonton Oilers erased a three-goal deficit and beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night. The best-of-seven series is now tied 2-2.
Down 3-0 after the first period, the Oilers turned to backup goalie Calvin Pickard, who stopped 22 shots in relief and anchored a spirited turnaround. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins started the surge with a power-play goal, followed by tallies from Darnell Nurse, Vasily Podkolzin, and Jake Walman.
Florida forced overtime with Sam Reinhart’s goal in the final 20 seconds of regulation, but Draisaitl’s sharp-angle effort off a defender ended it.
Florida dominated early, capitalizing on three Edmonton penalties with two power-play goals and an even-strength strike to build their lead. But the Oilers responded with relentless pressure, outshooting the Panthers 17-10 in the second period and controlling momentum late. Pickard’s poise and timely stops gave Edmonton a chance, and Draisaitl’s 11th of the postseason sealed it.
The series shifts back to Edmonton on Saturday, with puck drop set for 8 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].