Series wrap-up: Oilers completely destroy Panthers and stay alive

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.

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.

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.

– So here’s yesterday’s result.

– Here are yesterday’s top scorers.

– Game #5 of the series takes place Tuesday, June 18, starting at 8pm.