The Florida Panthers led 3-0 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final against the Edmonton Oilers.
But, they lost.
Matthew Tkachuk and the stars of the defending champion Panthers smothered the Oilers in the first period.
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Edmonton’s veterans responded fiercely, scoring four straight goals to take a 4-3 lead. The Panthers rebounded, scoring in the final seconds of the third period to force overtime. But, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scored 11:18 into OT to give Edmonton a 5-4, series-tying victory Thursday night.
The Oilers became the first road team to rally from a three-goal deficit and win a Stanley Cup final game since the Montreal Canadiens did it against the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. It’s only the sixth time in NHL history that a team has come back from down three to win a final game.
What initially looked like an easy victory that would put Florida one win away from clinching a second straight Stanley Cup final turned into a huge collapse that has the series tied 2-2 heading back to Edmonton.
“We carried play in the first, they carried it in the second,” Tkachuk said. “Special teams were good for us in the first, special teams were good for them in the second. I think it was tighter than a 3-0 period at the start for us. And they clearly took control of play in the second. After two [periods] it’s even, and it probably should have been. So, it doesn’t matter how you how you start, you’ve got to treat it as zeros at the start of a period.”
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It has been that kind of series so far – an evenly matched, back and forth heavyweight fight between two extremely experienced, resilient teams. The final has been so tight that three of four games have gone to overtime, marking just the eighth Stanley Cup final – and fourth in the expansion era (since 1967-68) – to have three or more games require overtime.
Despite the loss, Florida coach Paul Maurice said he could appreciate the competitiveness.
“I think we focus on sometimes the mistakes that get made by good players at times,” Maurice said, “and you miss some of the heart and soul and the intensity of it. It’s so fast. Every board battle, everything can turn into something. … Everything is dangerous all the time. So there’s a mental intensity, a mental toughness I think both teams show that the game’s not going to be over until it is.”
Sam Reinhart nearly saved the collapse Thursday when he scored a tying goal in the waning seconds of regulation. His score…