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June 13, 2025
Who WON the Hockey Game Last Night Between Florida and Edmonton: The Edmonton Oilers didn’t just win Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
They made history. Their 5-4 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers tied the series at 2-2. But more than that, they pulled off something the NHL hadn’t seen in over a century.
The Oilers became the first road team in Stanley Cup Final history to come back from a three-goal deficit and win.
The last time that happened was in 1919. Back then, the Montreal Canadiens rallied in overtime to beat the Seattle Metropolitans.
Leon Draisaitl scored his 11th goal of the playoffs to seal the win for the Oilers in overtime during Game 4. Before this game, teams playing at home with a lead of three or more goals in the Stanley Cup Final had a record of 158 wins and just 1 loss.
After the game, Draisaitl spoke about the team’s mindset. “It just proves again that we never give up,” he said. “Even when things look really bad, we stay strong. We keep pushing through the tough moments. And if we do that, something good always happens.”
Draisaitl made some NHL history of his own in the big win. His overtime goal on Thursday was his fourth game-winner in extra time during the 2025 playoffs. That’s the most in a single postseason in Stanley Cup history.
Earlier this year, he also set the regular-season record with six overtime winners.
His latest clutch goal came in a game where the Oilers were down 3-0 after the first period. It was a comeback to remember — and Draisaitl was at the heart of it.
“We were too passive,” said defenseman Jake Walman. “We just stood around and watched. We didn’t play our game at all in the first period.”
According to Walman, that was the main message during the intermission — get back to their style and see where it leads.
That shift in mindset came after a powerful speech by veteran forward Corey Perry. At 40 years old and in his 20th NHL season, Perry stepped up with words that lit a fire in the locker room. His message helped refocus the team.
The result? The Oilers came out strong and scored three goals in the second period to tie it 3-3.
“I won’t repeat exactly what he said,” Draisaitl admitted. “But the message was clear — he’s been through these moments before.”
He added that Corey Perry isn’t the type to shout or talk a lot in the locker room. “That’s not his style,” Draisaitl said. “So when someone like him speaks up — someone with that much experience, who’s won everything — you listen. It gets your attention.”
At first, though, the Oilers lacked that focus.
They came into Game 4 still reeling from a crushing 6-1 defeat in Game 3. Goalie Stuart Skinner, who was pulled in that loss, got another chance to start.
Why? Because he’s known for bouncing back strong. In fact, Skinner had a perfect 6-0 record in Game 4s before this one.
But Skinner’s night didn’t last long. He was pulled in the second period and replaced by goalie Calvin Pickard.
Pickard stepped in cold and immediately got to work. He made 18 straight saves. But with just 20 seconds left in regulation, Florida’s Sam Reinhart tied the game 4-4. He scored with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky off the ice for an extra attacker.
Draisaitl praised Pickard after the game. “It’s tough to explain the pressure he faced,” he said. “We were down 3-0. He had to jump in cold. That’s never easy.”
“But he came up huge. He made those key saves exactly when we needed them. He’s one of the best at stopping the puck in big moments. He’s been incredible for us.”
Pickard stepped in for a struggling Skinner back in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. He was solid, going 6-0 during that stretch for Edmonton.
However, an injury in the second round against Vegas opened the door for Skinner to reclaim the starting spot through the next two rounds.
In Game 4, Pickard once again proved his value. He made 22 total saves and delivered in key moments.
His biggest stop came in overtime — a sharp glove save on Florida’s Sam Bennett. The puck deflected off the crossbar and away from danger. It was a game-saving moment that kept Edmonton alive.
“I read it pretty well,” said Pickard. “I checked my glove, but the puck wasn’t there. Then I heard the crowd reacting — some ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’. Luckily, I got a good bounce.”
With that performance, Pickard became just the sixth goalie in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup Final game coming in as a backup.
The Oilers didn’t start Game 4 the way they wanted. They gave up a wave of shots early and kept getting into penalty trouble.
Matthew Tkachuk scored first on a 5-on-3 power play. Evander Kane was in the box for high-sticking, and Darnell Nurse was penalized for tripping.
Just over five minutes later, Tkachuk struck again. This time it was another power-play goal after Mattias Ekholm went off for high-sticking Brad Marchand.
With only 42 seconds left in the first period, Anton Lundell added a third goal. The Panthers led 3-0 heading into the break.
Skinner allowed three goals on 17 shots in Thursday’s game. He struggled once again, just like in Game 3, where he lasted only 43 minutes and gave up five goals on 23 shots.
Pickard came in Monday night and made a solid impact. He stopped seven of the eight shots he faced.
With Pickard in net, the Oilers began to fight back. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored on the power play. The goal came during one of three penalties taken by the Panthers in the second period.
Later, Darnell Nurse fired one past Bobrovsky at 12:47. That goal brought Edmonton within one. The comeback was on.
Just 10 seconds after Nurse found the net, Florida’s captain Aleksander Barkov was called for delay of game. It was the opportunity the Oilers had been waiting for.
The best defensive forward in the league was now in the penalty box. Edmonton’s top scorers had a golden chance to even the score.
But Bobrovsky stepped up. He made five huge saves during the penalty kill. Two of those stops came back-to-back on McDavid during the same play.
Still, the Oilers didn’t back down. They stayed aggressive and kept pressing.
With 4:55 left in the second period, they were rewarded. Nurse fed Vasily Podkolzin, who scored his second goal of the playoffs. The game was tied 3-3.
The score stayed tied until 6:24 into the third period. That’s when a strong forecheck by the Oilers trapped Florida’s top line deep in their own zone.
Jake Walman took advantage and ripped a shot that gave Edmonton a 4-3 lead.
But the lead didn’t last. Florida answered back with a late goal from Sam Reinhart, tying the game once again.
Overtime brought chances for both sides. Each team had looks to win it.
Then, at 11:18 of overtime, Leon Draisaitl sealed it. Podkolzin delivered a perfect pass. Draisaitl drove the puck toward the net.
It deflected off defenseman Niko Mikkola and slid past Bobrovsky, who had made 30 saves on the night.
Draisaitl is now level with McDavid at 32 points in the playoffs.
He has become just the fifth player in NHL history to score 30 or more points in back-to-back postseasons.
He also joins McDavid and Mark Messier in second place all-time for most 30-point playoff runs, each with three. Only Wayne Gretzky has more — he did it six times.
“He’s as clutch as they come,” Pickard said about Draisaitl. “He’s been outstanding. Always stepping up with big goals in big moments.”
“Now we’re heading back home with momentum on our side,” he added.
Florida missed a huge chance to get within one win of lifting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row.
“It’s down to a best-of-three now,” said Matthew Tkachuk. “We didn’t get it done tonight, so we’ve got to find a way to win one on the road.”
“Hopefully, we take care of business in Game 5.”
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