Down by three goals just 20 minutes into the game, the Edmonton Oilers refused to fold. Instead, they roared back with three goals of their own in the next 20 minutes to level the score. Then, they grabbed the lead—only to see the Florida Panthers claw it back in the dying seconds of regulation, forcing yet another overtime thriller in this intense Stanley Cup Final.
Fueled by heart and hunger, the Oilers outlasted the Panthers 5-4 in Game 4 on Thursday night, leveling the series at 2-2 thanks to Leon Draisaitl’s record-setting fourth NHL playoff overtime goal.
"That was a roller coaster—absolutely exhausting," said Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch. "You’ve got two elite teams battling hard, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s stressful, but it’s also a blast. And I know our guys are soaking in every second of it."
They’re certainly enjoying it more tied at two games apiece than staring down the barrel of a 3-1 deficit and the threat of losing to Florida in the finals for a second straight year. Now, they return to Western Canada for Game 5 on Saturday night with momentum on their side.
"Much better than being down," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who ignited the comeback with Edmonton’s first goal. "We can’t wait to get back in front of our fans—Saturday night is going to be electric."
Draisaitl’s winner, 11:18 into overtime—the fourth OT between these two heavyweights—capped a game that was anything but ordinary. It came after Jake Walman gave the Oilers a late third-period lead, only for Sam Reinhart to knot it at 4-4 with just 19.5 seconds left.
"This is who we are—we battle," said Draisaitl, who also delivered the OT dagger in Game 1. "We’re built on resilience. No matter what happens, we don’t quit. Now we go home and keep pushing."
With this win, the Oilers became the first road team to rally from a three-goal deficit and win in a Stanley Cup Final game since the Montreal Canadiens pulled it off in 1919 against the Seattle Metropolitans. It’s a comeback for the ages—only six teams have ever done it in the Final, the most recent being in 2006. It also marks Edmonton’s fourth multigoal comeback this postseason—tied for second-most ever, just behind the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers, who had five.
Things looked grim early on. Matthew Tkachuk netted a pair for Florida, and Anton Lundell added another with just 41.7 seconds left in the first period—a blow that could’ve shattered most teams.
But Knoblauch made a bold move, pulling starter Stuart Skinner after he gave up three goals on 17 shots in the first. Enter Calvin Pickard, the underdog backup who had gone 6-0 in the playoffs before injury. Pickard came in cold and stopped all 18 shots he faced—including some key saves in overtime—keeping the Oilers alive long enough for Draisaitl to seal the deal.
Behind him, Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, and Vasily Podkolzin all found the net in the second to complete the comeback. Edmonton survived the chaos, took the lead through Walman, and overcame one final punch from Reinhart to force the game into OT—marking the first Stanley Cup Final since 2013 where three of the first four games went into extra time.
"There were chances flying around everywhere," said Tkachuk. "We had our looks, so did they. One of their shots hit a skate and then the post—we dodged one there. It’s a game of inches."