Evander Kane has now taken three first-period penalties in the last two games. Corey Perry gets in penalty trouble, as does Darnell Nurse. Mattias Ekholm took another high-sticking call, and these aren’t the only players drawing attention from the officials. These penalties have directly led to the Panthers’ goals, and if the Oilers continue to give the Panthers chances, they will capitalize on them.
At some point, if the Oilers continue to let the officials dictate the series, it will become too overwhelming.
Pickard saves the day
Stuart Skinner deserved better on Thursday. Having said that, thank goodness for Calvin Pickard. The timely goaltending change boosted the Oilers’ play into a much better style of hockey, and the team now has confidence in front of the backup. He didn’t let them down, and he’ll likely get the start in Game 5, and potentially for the rest of the series.
Pickard cannot be the reason the Oilers win this series. He was calm, steady, and gave Edmonton a chance to claw back, but there will be a game that Florida gets to him: They get to everyone. Can Pickard play this way for three more games? That’s a massive question the Oilers shouldn’t be forcing an answer to. The Oilers need to play a full 60 minutes in front of whomever is the goaltender, and they’ve not done that in any of the four games in this series.
From the opening shift of Game 3 — where the Oilers looked lost defensively against Brad Marchand — to much of the first period in Game 4, Edmonton’s defensive zone coverage has been chaotic. They’ve struggled with Florida’s relentless forecheck, coughed up pucks under pressure, and failed to clear their zone cleanly.
Outlet passes that were a strength in previous series have disappeared and John Klingberg was pulled for Troy Stecher, who barely played in Game 4.
This series could have easily been 2-0 for the Panthers going back to Florida. That it’s tied 2-2 is a matter of a bounce or two.
Are the Oilers running out of miracles?
One reason Edmonton survived Thursday night was the veteran leadership shown by Perry’s fiery intermission speech. Last season, it was Connor McDavid blowing up on the team, and them responding with three straight wins. Teams need this kind of tough love, but they shouldn’t have to rely on it to dig themselves out of holes.
This is an Oilers team that knows what’s at stake. They’ve felt the heartbreak of coming so close only to let it slip through their fingers. No one should be as motivated or hungry as this Oilers team, yet they continue to need wake-up calls to spark incredible comebacks and earn almost impossible wins.
On Thursday, the Oilers did what no team had ever done in a Stanley Cup Final — come back from down three goals after the first period. If Game 4 proves anything, it’s just how fragile their margin for error is. Edmonton can’t keep relying on miracles from Draisaitl, McDavid, or a fired-up speech from Perry. They need to play better hockey from the drop of the puck. Florida is too good to keep getting away with lackluster starts or gaps in good play.
Game 5 shifts back to Edmonton, where the Oilers can show this game was the last real wake-up call they need. If they finally got the memo, the Panthers are in trouble. If not, this could be a long three-game series.
