With the Florida Panthers threatening to pull off the 21st Stanley Cup Final sweep Saturday night, captain Connor McDavid helped spark the Edmonton Oilers to an 8-1 rout in Game 4 at Rogers Place.
The Oilers erupted for three goals in both the first and second periods as the Panthers yielded more than three goals for just the second time in 21 postseason outings.
The difference?
The Oilers’ top players contributed.
McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins entered Saturday struggling to produce offensively. In Game 4, they accounted for two goals among nine points.
Following the Oilers’ Game 3 defeat, McDavid spoke of his passion to get back into the series. Only one team (1942 Toronto Maple Leafs) rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to claim the league title.
“Keep cheering. Just keep cheering, it’s not over till it’s over,” McDavid said, as reported by The Hockey News.
The Cup series continues with Game 5 in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday.
X (Twitter) users reacted to the Panthers being on the verge of clinching their first NHL championship …
The Florida Panthers need ONE MORE WIN to clinch their first-ever #StanleyCup. 🏆
Watch Game 4 TONIGHT at 8pm ET / 6pm MT on Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+! pic.twitter.com/75Cxu18j50
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2024
The Panthers’ pre-game anticipation was running high …
06/15/2024.
Could be a very special date in Florida Panthers history.
— FL PanthersMuse (@flpanthersmuse) June 15, 2024
Until the opening face-off, that is. The Oilers controlled the tempo from start as Mattias Janmark connected shorthanded on the second shot against goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who entered Game 4 as the leading candidate for playoff MVP. Janmark became the first Oilers skater to compile at least two shorthanded tallies during a single postseason since Todd Marchant in 1997 …
MATTIAS JANMARK ON THE PK! OILERS LEAD EARLY IN GAME 4! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zP7FSCTMhT
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 16, 2024
The OIlers were just getting started. Adam Henrique collected his first Cup marker since June 11, 2012, when the defenseman was a rookie for the New Jersey Devils. Henrique scored what proved to be the game-winner on a tip-in at 7:48 of the first period …
THEY SCORE!
HENRIQUE!
I love seeing Adam Henrique score big goals. #NJDevils#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PcMA7n8ZSX
— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) June 16, 2024
About three minutes after Vladimir Tarasenko scored the Panthers’ lone goal, Dylan Holloway gave the Oilers a first-period trifecta with a backhander at 14:48 of the first frame …
Dylan Holloway nets Edmonton’s third goal of the opening frame! @EdmontonOilers | #LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 16, 2024
The Oilers’ scoring surge continued in the second period. McDavid finally notched his first career Cup marker. McDavid became the fifth NHL skater to record at least 36 playoff points, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lamieux, Paul Coffey and Evgeni Malkin …
CONNOR MCDAVID WITH HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL PUTS THE OILERS UP 4-1 😤
(via @Sportsnet)
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 16, 2024
Much-maligned for entering Saturday with a minus-14 rating, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse scored off a second-period snap shot for his first playoff goal in 36 outings. Bobrovsky was pulled after surrendering five goals on 16 shots …
Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers chase Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 4! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gICm8DuNgX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 16, 2024
After two frustrated Panthers (Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett) were called for roughing penalties on the same play, Nugent-Hopkins scored the Oilers’ first power-play goal of the series, extending their lead to 6-1 …
The Tkachuk’s left halfway through the 3rd period. pic.twitter.com/vrgwoforjZ
— Klima’s Lid (@thackattack41) June 16, 2024
The Oilers closed Game 4 with two more third-period tallies as Holloway connected on his second and Ryan McLeod capped the scoring at 16:41 …
Ryan McLeod steps into the loose puck and rifles home a beauty, putting the Oilers up by 7!#LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/xwmv4YKoxT
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) June 16, 2024
Named the game’s No. 1 star, McDavid registered a goal and three helpers, raising his postseason assist total to an NHL-best 32 …
23 of Connor McDavid’s 32 assists in the 2024 #StanleyCup Playoffs are primary assists.
🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/7LHIorQeQc
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 16, 2024
The Oilers’ seven-goal margin Saturday tied the NHL record for teams facing elimination in a Cup final. The effort matched what the 1918 Vancouver Millionaires earned an identical 8-1 win over the host Toronto Arenas. Did the Panthers take anything away from Game 4? …
Paul Maurice: “Not a lot of silver linings here, people. Bob got some rest. We’ll take that.” pic.twitter.com/Blyq2gYIqN
— Colby Guy (@ColbyDGuy) June 16, 2024
Final score: Oilers 8, Panthers 1 …
The @EdmontonOilers force a game 5 on Tuesday! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/3kuq1ZJWJX
— Kevin Daniel White (@KDanielWhite) June 16, 2024
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