Stanley Cup Remaining: Panthers-Oilers Recreation 4 grades, takeaways

South Florida is the form of place the place weird would not simply reside, it thrives. Jake Walman, who was was fined for squirting water in Recreation 3, scored what seemed to be the game-winning aim within the third interval … just for Sam Reinhart to attain with 20 seconds left in regulation … earlier than Leon Draisaitl scored the precise game-winner in time beyond regulation for the Oilers to take a 5-4 win and tie the Stanley Cup Remaining at 2-2.

Recreation 4 was so erratic that even Florida Man doubtless thought it was an excessive amount of. Precisely how hectic are we speaking? How concerning the Panthers opening with a 3-0 lead within the first interval, solely to see the Oilers pull Stuart Skinner, exchange him with Calvin Pickard after which rating three targets of their very own within the second interval.

That set the stage for a defensive impasse within the third that appeared to first be damaged when Walman scored with 6:24 left to offer the Oilers their seventh comeback win of those Stanley Cup playoffs, earlier than Draisaitl completed the job in time beyond regulation.

At this level, the drill. Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton check out what labored and what did not for every group, whereas inspecting what gamers to observe in Recreation 5 whereas inspecting the massive questions for each the Oilers and Panthers come Saturday.

Is the dialog after Recreation 4 extra concerning the comeback — or what pressured the Oilers to even want to come back again within the first place?

After the Oilers allowed two targets in every interval of Recreation 3, they allowed three within the first interval of Recreation 4. In whole, the primary interval marked the sixth time within the first 10 durations of this collection that the Panthers have come away with a number of targets. That is what pressured Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch and his employees into making a fast adjustment, to keep away from a catastrophe just like Recreation 3.

Knoblauch’s determination to take away Skinner to begin the second led to Pickard stopping all 10 pictures he confronted within the body. It helped that the Oilers went from a 38.4% shot share within the first to a 55.6% shot share within the second, leading to three targets. It was simply their second multi-goal interval through the Cup Remaining.

All the pieces was going so effectively within the third. Their defensive construction allowed eight mixed high-danger scoring possibilities within the second and third interval, a distinction from the seven they allowed within the first alone. To be 20 seconds away from tying the collection all whereas the Panthers had a shot share that was higher than 60%? That is what made Reinhart’s aim so disheartening as a result of that is how shut they have been from tying the collection at 2-2.

However ultimately, Draisaitl’s game-winner drew the Oilers degree coming into Recreation 5 on Saturday. — Clark

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Leon Draisaitl scores OT winner for Oilers in Recreation 4

Leon Draisaitl notches the game-winning aim with this one-handed effort in a pulsating Recreation 4 that ranges the collection for Oilers.

Florida tried to name sport within the first interval. And, briefly, it seemed like they succeeded. The Panthers pounced early with a pair of Matthew Tkachuk power-play targets (his first factors of the Cup Remaining) and Anton Lundell added insult to Oilers’ harm by extending Florida’s result in three with simply 41 seconds left within the first interval — a 20 minute body the place the Panthers outshot Edmonton 17-7 and outchanced them 21-5. Florida’s livid forecheck as soon as once more appeared to flummox the Oilers.

However Edmonton made a goalie change to begin the second, and their karma shifted together with it — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (on the ability play), Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin erased all Florida’s first interval work and put the Panthers on their heels.

And Calvin Pickard had Florida’s quantity in web, maintaining the Panthers’ deep effectively of offensive threats from discovering an equalizer till 20 seconds have been left in regulation and Sam Reinhart discovered a gap.

The eventual loss in further time nonetheless felt beautiful. It was a product of Florida’s uncharacteristic errors — gamers caught under the aim line, dropping monitor of assignments, turnovers — that in the end doomed them in a sport they have been on monitor to win handily. Now all that issues is how they rebound within the fast turnaround to Recreation 5. — Shilton

Arda Öcal’s Three Stars of Recreation 4

Draisaitl set the report for many time beyond regulation targets in a single postseason, with 4 — after setting the report for many time beyond regulation targets within the common season. He’s the third participant in Stanley Cup Remaining historical past with a number of OT targets in a single collection — together with Don Raleigh in 1950 with the New York Rangers vs. the Detroit Purple Wings, and John LeClair in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Los Angeles Kings.

After coming in to alleviate Stuart Skinner, Pickard proceeded to make 22 saves on 23 pictures (the lone aim coming within the last minute of regulation with Florida’s web empty). Pickard is the primary goaltender to win a Stanley Cup Remaining sport in aid since Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2015 (performed 9:13 in aid of injured Ben Bishop). He’s additionally the fourth goalie to win seven straight selections within the playoffs who did not begin his group’s first sport of the postseason, becoming a member of Chris Osgood (2008), Jacques Plante (1969) and Cam Ward (2006).

Tkachuk scored his first two targets of the Cup Remaining to open the sport up shortly for Florida. This was additionally the primary time Tkachuk has scored two targets in a Cup Remaining sport. His fifth profession playoff power-play aim units a franchise report.

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Matthew Tkachuk scores once more to make it 2-0 Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk doubles the Panthers’ lead, once more scoring on the ability play towards the Oilers in Recreation 4.

Honorable point out: This collection!

This Cup Remaining has been extremely entertaining. Between two time beyond regulation video games, a blowout and dueling three-goal durations in Recreation 4, there was no scarcity of drama and intrigue on this Cup Remaining rematch. This collection is the third in NHL historical past to see at the least see whole targets within the first 4 video games (1980 and 1918 have been the others) and, at 31 targets, is tied for the fourth most targets in Cup Remaining Historical past by 4 video games. Deliver on Recreation 5!

Gamers to observe in Recreation 5

Pickard’s work in aid of Skinner has change into somewhat instrumental within the Oilers establishing some sense of consistency. The strongest instance of that got here of their first-round collection towards the Los Angeles Kings, when Pickard was named the starter in Recreation 3 and would win 4 straight to advance to the second spherical. He received the primary two video games of the second spherical towards the Vegas Golden Knights, earlier than an harm prompted the Oilers to return to Skinner.

Pickard was good within the second interval of Recreation 4, and was practically flawless till Reinhart’s aim late within the third interval. However when it reached time beyond regulation? Pickard stopped each shot — with some assist from the crossbar — to complete the night stopping 22 of 23 pictures for a .957 save share over 51:18. And that is with the Panthers having a shot share higher than 57% over the ultimate two durations. — Clark

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Calvin Pickard’s outrageous save retains Oilers in sport

Calvin Pickard’s unbelievable tip-save onto the crossbar stops Panthers from notching an time beyond regulation game-winner.

The Panthers’ main scorer within the playoffs wasn’t his greatest in Recreation 4 — and Florida will want a return to type there on Saturday. Bennett took a second interval infraction that led to Edmonton’s first aim off an influence play marker by Nugent-Hopkins, and he was tagged once more within the third interval for tripping proper when Florida had discovered its misplaced momentum.

Add to that Bennett collected only a single help on an evening the place the Panthers struggled for offense after an explosive first interval. That is not the form of affect Florida requires from Bennett — and all eyes can be on how he rebounds in Recreation 5.

It was optimistic for Florida to see Tkachuk get rolling on Thursday, however the Panthers’ offense has so usually run by Bennett (his breakaway aim in Recreation 3 was significantly good). Florida can be proper to anticipate Bennett to attempt atoning for his sins when the collection shifts again to Edmonton. And if any participant can flip issues round in a rush, it is Bennett — who was the odds-on Conn Smythe Trophy favourite forward of Recreation 4 for a purpose. — Shilton

Large questions for Recreation 5

Did their comeback doubtlessly unlock a brand new solution to defend the Panthers?

The Oilers have had troubles with stopping breakways. They’ve struggled with succumbing to giving up the massive interval on a couple of event. The truth is, that was the narrative of a Recreation 3 that may have been their worst efficiency of the postseason.

The primary interval of Recreation 4 created the concept it may very well be one other defensive problem for the Oilers — solely to stroll away with a win, and the idea that they could have discovered an answer for these aforementioned points.

Recreation 4 established a number of objects:

• The Oilers discovered methods to remove the passing lanes, which is why they went from permitting 17 pictures within the first interval to 23 pictures for your complete remainder of the sport.

• They blocked 28 pictures.

• They considerably prevented the Panthers from having high-danger possibilities regardless of the possession numbers. The truth is, the Panthers completed with one high-danger scoring likelihood in time beyond regulation whereas having a 57.14% shot share.

Even with Reinhart’s late aim, the general construction the Oilers used for the remainder of Recreation 4 — coupled with Pickard’s efficiency — had them trying just like the group that is led to Connor McDavid repeatedly stating they can play protection. However can they harness what they did in Recreation 4 for Recreation 5 and past? And if that’s the case, will that be the important thing to the remainder of the collection? — Clark

Can Florida rattle Calvin Pickard?

The Panthers had Stuart Skinner’s quantity on this collection, scoring eight targets on the netminder by Recreation 3 and the primary interval of Recreation 4. Pickard, however, was glorious in aid of Stuart on Thursday, making 18 consecutive saves earlier than permitting Reinhart’s aim late within the third.

It is not like Pickard wasn’t challenged. He made a number of terrific stops on the Panthers’ high scorers, and proved he was nonetheless in peak type regardless of not beginning a sport in weeks.

That does not bode effectively for Florida. Regardless that Reinhart did get one previous Pickard late, it did not appear to shake Pickard’s confidence. He was terrific in further time, doing greater than sufficient to maintain tempo with Sergei Bobrovsky on the different finish, and in the end securing the victory for Edmonton.

So what kind of problem will a goaltending change current for Florida in Recreation 5? Pickard was a sensational 6-0 within the postseason previous to getting damage within the second spherical. If Pickard will be that game-changing presence within the crease the Oilers are on the lookout for, what is going to it take from the Panthers to reply and recapture an offensive edge? — Shilton