The Edmonton Oilers are back on home ice Saturday for a critical game in their Stanley Cup final series against the Florida Panthers, with the teams tied at two games apiece.
The Oilers evened the series on Thursday with an overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl — his record-setting fourth OT marker of this year’s NHL playoffs — capping off a wild game that saw Edmonton overcome a 3-0 deficit.
Calvin Pickard will start in goal for the Oilers on Saturday after coming in for the second period of Game 4 and making 23 saves, including several show-stoppers.
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Stuart Skinner was pulled after letting in three goals on 17 shots, but also making some key saves, in a first period dominated by the Panthers.
The Oilers then scored four straight, before Florida’s Sam Reinhart fired back with 19 seconds left in the third to send the game into overtime.
Game 4 was the third of the series to go to an extra period, with the two teams looking evenly matched apart from the Panthers’ 6-1 Game 3 blowout.
Edmonton is hoping for more heroics from Pickard, who stepped up in the first round to replace Skinner with his team down two games to none against the Los Angeles Kings.
He went on to win six straight games before getting injured in Round 2 against the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The winner of Saturday’s game will just need one more victory to capture the Stanley Cup. Game coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on CBC.
