Last night, the Stanley Cup was present in the Edmonton arena, as the Florida Panthers got their hands on it in Game #4 against the Oilers.
The Stanley Cup was waiting in the wings to see if the Panthers would sweep the Oilers and win their first Cup.
In the end, the Stanley Cup was nowhere to be seen, as the Oilers played an incredible game, completely dominating Florida.
Oilers completely crush the Panthers
I think that for most hockey fans, the expectation was that this game would be another close, hotly contested affair, as it had been in the first three games.
We were really expecting another very physical game, with crucial scoring opportunities that were not to be missed.
But in the end, just the opposite happened, as the Oilers came out on fire last night to completely pick off the Panthers 8-1.
Yes, yes, 8-1 in the Stanley Cup Final, I didn’t make a typo.
The Oilers were sensational last night, when they were truly alone on the ice.
They played with the energy of desperation and it showed.
Less than ten minutes into the game, the Oilers had already taken a 2-0 lead.
ADAM HENRIQUE EXTENDS THE LEAD! 
#StanleyCup
: ABC & @ESPNPlus 
https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/ftZWwvOAs6
– NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2024
So it was 3-1 after one period, with Vladimir Tarasenko the lone scorer for the Panthers.
In the second period, of course, Connor McDavid joined the party, as he scored his team’s fourth goal and also his first in the Stanley Cup Final.
Connor McDavid is on the scoreboard with his first-ever Stanley Cup Final goal! #LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/FOzdfKKVVd
– Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) June 16, 2024
The Oilers didn’t look back after that, as a few minutes later, Edmonton’s fifth goal chased Sergei Bobrovsky from the game, who had been sensational since the start of the final.
And ironically, it was none other than Darnell Nurse, who is having a horrible series, who scored this goal.
Darnell Nurse chases Bobrovsky with Edmonton’s 5th goal of the night, Oilers up by 4! #LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/bHtrWWrHQc
– Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) June 16, 2024
Have the Oilers found the flaw in Bob?
In any case, the goalie change didn’t turn the tide, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dylan Holloway (with his second of the game) and Ryan McLeod all added to the Oilers’ lead by beating Anthony Stolarz.
In short, the Oilers won a huge game last night and thus survived elimination, while they can still hope to win the Stanley Cup, even if the slope remains steep.
Let’s see if the Oilers can pull it off all the way, and if Zach Hyman can write a book about the Final.
It’s also worth noting that although the Oilers were dominant, credit must be given to Stuart Skinner, who did well, repelling 32 of the Panthers’ 33 shots.
SUPER STU COMES THROUGH 
pic.twitter.com/1joAZNU8q3
– Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 16, 2024
In short, the next game in the series, game #5, will take place in Florida on Tuesday June 18, starting at 8 p.m., when the Panthers will be able to win the Stanley Cup at home in front of their fans.
Frankly, I think that at some point in the game, the Panthers were just thinking about the possibility of winning the Cup at home and simply gave up on the idea of sweeping the Oilers.
The Panthers lead the series 3-1.
Overtime
– Interesting.
The Oilers tie the 1918 Vancouver Millionaires for the largest margin of victory when facing elimination in NHL history#LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/jzrwkjL3rL
– Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) June 16, 2024
– So here’s yesterday’s result.
The @EdmontonOilers get their first win in the @StanleyCup Final since 2006 as the series shifts back to Florida for Game 5.#NHLStats: https://t.co/ZOu9GLl9u6 pic.twitter.com/eyyvGol3wo
– NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 16, 2024
– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.
(Credit: NHL.com)
– Game #5 of the series takes place Tuesday, June 18, starting at 8pm.
(Credit: Google/NHL)
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