Panthers visit the Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final with the series tied
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Leon Draisaitl scoring in overtime to tie the Stanley Cup final for the Edmonton Oilers ensured the series against the Florida Panthers cannot be decided in Game 5 on Saturday night.
Hockey's hallowed trophy will not yet be in the building. But it is guaranteed to be on Tuesday night back in Sunrise, Florida, making Game 5 another pivotal swing point in the NHL's championship series rematch.
"The team that can move on fastest is going to be have the best chance," Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said.
"The team that moves on from this and team that recovers the fastest is going to have the bigger advantage."
WATCH | Oilers fans survive roller-coaster of emotions in Game 4:
Oilers fans survive roller-coaster of emotions in Game 4
1 day ago
Duration 1:47
The coaches involved, Florida's Paul Maurice and Edmonton's Kris Knoblauch, don't believe much in game-to-game momentum, and that theory has played out so far.
Draisaitl and Brad Marchand traded OT heroics in the first two games, the Panthers won the next in a rout, and took a three-goal lead in Game 4 before the Oilers erased it and got another from Draisaitl to even things up.
The Oilers are favoured to go up 3-2 and are slightly favoured to win it all, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Panthers have won 10 of the 11 playoff series they have been in over the past three years, including a year ago beating Edmonton in seven games in the final.
This has been different, but still feels like it could go the distance.
"It's two good teams, and they're equally matched and you're going to get some good hockey," said 40-year-old Oilers winger Corey Perry, whose first intermission speech helped spark their Game 4 comeback.
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The Province
3 hours ago
- The Province
Player grades: Florida Panthers dead puck Edmonton Oilers to death in 5-2 win
Mattias Ekholm (14) of the Edmonton Oilers checks Aleksander Barkov (16) of the Florida Panthers in game six of the Stanley Cup final in Edmonton on June 14, 2025. Photos by Shaughn Butts-Postmedia Photo by Shaughn Butts / 10108326A1 After four high-flying games in the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers played their best smothering, dead puck game, throttling the Edmonton Oilers at most every turn in a 5-2 win. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors It was the lowest event hockey game of the year for Edmonton, hardly any Grade A shots at all. As strong a defensive performance as the Oilers have faced all year and when they did get a chance, Sergei Bobrovsky was usually there. One big difference in the game? A few major errors by a player who rarely makes them, Mattias Ekholm. He made two mistakes on goals against at even strength in the first period after only make one such mistake on a goal against in his first five playoff games of 2025. In total the Oilers had nine Grade A shots to seven for the Panthers, with the subset of more dangerous 5-alarm shots six for Florida, just four for Edmonton. Connor McDavid, 6. He kept coming but Florida kept stopping him. Early 2-on-1 but unable to get off a shot on net. Knocked down a puck in the corner to send in Brown, almost scoring off his rebound. Solid stick-check late in the first to thwart a dangerous moment. Great hustle to keep puck in, then fired shot off post on second period power play. Magnificient deke shot to break Bobrovsky's shup-out. But a moment later he allowed the pass out on the fourth Panthers goal. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +3/-1; Special Teams +1/-0 Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 7. Best Oilers forward. Hustling hard, just as he has throughout playoffs. Major clearance late in first on PK after Bouchard broke his stick. Put a deflected shot that Perry almost jammed home on Edmonton's early second period power play. He put one off the post with the Oilers goalie pulled. Screened the goalie on Edmonton's late goal. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +1/-0. Connor Brown, 6. Another hustling player. Charged up ice early on for a break-in but fired it into Bob's glove, then made heads up pass to send in McD and RNH on a 2-on-1. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0. Leon Draisaitl, 3. Is he, at last, out of gas? He wasn't close to good enough. After a lacklustre first period, he missed the net on a powerplay one-timer early in the second. He took an undisciplined slashing call late in the second, a full grade demerit at this point. He came alive finally when the Oilers pulled their goalie and was finally in on two Grade A shots, but too little, too late. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vasily Podkolzin, 3. Usual hitting and hustle except on one key play. He failed to block the sneaky Marchand on a centre ice face-off and Marchand went in and scored. He led the team with seven hits. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0. Corey Perry, 5. Almost put on his Socey Perry cape, nearly jammed home an early slot chance in the second, but Bob got his glove on it. He lost a faceoff battle to Marchand on the third Florida goal. Scored on an outside shot late in the game. Lost the puck and screened goalie on Florida's fourth. GAS: ES +2/2; ST +2/-0. Adam Henrique, 5. Solid again on defence. Tipped a Grade A on net. But just five wins on 17 face-offs. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0. Trent Frederic, 3. Hmm. Failed to make an impact. Might be time to sit him, bring in Kapanen, GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jeff Skinner, 5. Another Oiler with a bit of life, at least. He whipped on outside shot on net in the second that Henrique tipped for a Grade A shot. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0. Mattias Janmark, 3. Some good work but marred by a critical error. He was caught puck-watching on the second Florida goal, allowing his man Bennett to rifle in a goal. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0. Evander Kane, 4. Charged hard at the net and drew a tripping call early in the second. Needs to bring more. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. Viktor Arvidsson, 4. Beat out a key icing call in the second. But making an enough of an impact, just like most Oilers forwards. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. Evan Bouchard, 5. Not his best game. Turnover early in second, then blocked shot to clean up own mistake. Part of a power play that failed to score. He got caught flat-footed on the third Panthers goal. Brilliant pass to set up McDavid's 3-1 goal. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-0. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Brett Kulak, 6. Early battle won kicked off Brown's break-in. Quiet game otherwise, which is good for a d-man. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-1. Jake Walman, 4. Battled hard, solid on defence until he got deked out by Marchand on the. third Florida goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0. Mattias Ekholm, 2. He went right and Marchand deked left at the Oil's blueline, kicking off the rapid Sequence of Pain on Marchand's breakaway goal. Another major msitake on the second Florida goal, failing to dump the puck in deep, kicking off the goal rush. Excellent hustle play on McDavid's goal, winning a battle in the o-zone. But screened his goalie on the fourth goal. GAS: ES +1/-4; ST +0/-0. Troy Stecher, 4. Looked nervous early on, iced the puck, but cleared it off face-off. Allowed pass on Reinhart's 5-alarmer. Calmed down in the second. OK in 13:33 but Oilers need more on attack, should play Klingberg next game. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Darnell Nurse, 4. Failed to make read and allowed Reinhart's nasty first period slot shot. Was otherwise solid. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-0. Calvin Pickard, 3. Just could not come up with a save when it was needed. A save certainly would have been great on Marchand's first period breakaway. Not to be. But thwarted Reinhart's wide-open 5-alarmer. Little chance on Bennett's goal, but only one save on three Grade A shots in the first period. Hardly any action in the second, but one big save on Bennett. Beat yet again on Marchand's break-in, three goals on just six Grade A shots just then. Screened on the fourth goal, but four goals on seven Grade A shots at that point. At the Cult of Hockey STAPLES: 'Pure garbage': Panthers fanbase rants about Skinner hold, say it proves refs biased against Florida STAPLES 'Oh God, that hurt': Toronto Maple Leafs insider can't bring himself to celebrate Oilers OT win Staples: 'Not the ref's fault': Florida Panthers country reacts to historic Stanley Cup Final collapse in Game 4 LEAVINS: Game grades in historic Oilers win Vancouver Canucks Sports Vancouver Canucks News Hockey
CBC
4 hours ago
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Halifax's long, complicated relationship with building a stadium
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CBC
5 hours ago
- CBC
From sippy cups to Stanley Cups, these First Nations fathers share the love of their children
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