Oilers Defy Odds with Stunning 5-4 OT Comeback to Even Stanley Cup Final Series Against Panthers

What a rollercoaster Game 4 we just witnessed in the Stanley Cup Final! Down 3-0 early on against the Florida Panthers, the Edmonton Oilers refused to fold. They clawed back, snagging a 4-3 lead in the final period only to see the Panthers tie it up in the dying seconds of regulation. But here’s the kicker: in overtime, Leon Draisaitl—who’s been absolutely on fire this postseason—let loose a shot that took a lucky deflection off a Panthers defenseman’s skate, sneaking past Sergei Bobrovsky to clinch a 5-4 victory. That goal didn’t just win the game; it set a new NHL record for Draisaitl’s fourth OT game-winner this playoff run! It’s wild to think this was the first time a team has overcome a three-goal first-period deficit to win on the road in a Final since 1919, and now the series is deadlocked at two apiece with the stage shifting to Edmonton. Honestly, the dramatic late goal by Florida’s Sam Reinhart with less than 20 seconds left only added fuel to this epic saga. If you’re looking for heart-pounding hockey, this is it—Game 5 can’t come fast enough! LEARN MORE

The Edmonton Oilers emerged victorious from a whirlwind Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

After falling behind the Florida Panthers 3-0, taking a 4-3 third-period lead and seeing the Panthers tie the game at 4-4 in the final seconds of regulation, the Oilers never wavered and came out with a thrilling 5-4 victory in overtime to tie the series at 2-2. 

In overtime, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl threw the puck on net and it deflected off of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola’s skate and through Sergei Bobrovsky’s five-hole to tie the series before it heads back to Edmonton for Game 5 on Saturday. 

It marked the fourth overtime game-winner of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs for Draisaitl, which establishes a new NHL record. Draisaitl turned in another impressive performance, this time with a goal and two assists.

Entering Game 4, teams that led by three-plus goals at the end of the first period in Stanley Cup Final games were 37-0 all-time. They’re now 37-1. In addition, the Oilers became the first team to overcome a three-goal deficit and win a Stanley Cup Final game on the road since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Seattle Metropolitans in Game 5 in 1919.

Prior to Draisaitl’s game-winning goal, the Panthers were able to tie the game and ultimately force overtime in the final seconds of regulation. After Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard couldn’t clear the puck up the boards, Panthers forward Sam Reinhart buried the tying goal off a scrum in front with just 19.5 seconds left in regulation.

That marked the second-latest goal in a Stanley Cup Final game in history, trailing only Corey Perry’s game-winner with 18 seconds left in Game 2.

Panthers jumped out to 3-0 lead, prompting goalie change

The Panthers jumped all over the Oilers in the opening 20 minutes with three goals. Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring with a power-play goal from the face-off circle and later added a rebound goal.

Anton Lundell ended up making it a 3-0 game after scoring on a one-timer off a pass from teammate Carter Verhaeghe. That’s when the Oilers decided to make a change as coach Kris Knoblauch elected to replace Stuart Skinner with Pickard, his backup.

Skinner had allowed 13 total goals across three games, which led Edmonton to make the switch. Pickard ended up producing a dominant effort in between the pipes as he stopped 22 of the 23 shots that he faced. The veteran netminder, who is playing for his sixth NHL franchise, now has a 7-0 record during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Oilers began their comeback with a goal from forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins just 3:33 into the second period. At the 12:47 mark of the frame, defenseman Darnell Nurse let go of a perfectly-placed shot that snuck in over the shoulder of Bobrovsky. Finally, forward Vasily Podkolzin sent a sweeping backhanded shot into the net to tie the game with under five minutes remaining in the third period.

Prior to Reinhart’s game-tying goal, Oilers defenseman Jake Walman played the role of hero at the time. After Aleksander Barkov turned the puck over in his own zone, Kasperi Kapanen found Walman for a one-timer that the veteran blue-liner ripped past Bobrovsky. 

Now the series will shift to Edmonton for Game 5 on Saturday.