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The Florida Panthers are hosting the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, with the defending champions leading the series 2-1.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch shuffled his lineup tonight after his team was blown out in Game 3. He also stuck with Stuart Skinner in net originally, but replaced him with Calvin Pickard after the Panthers led 3-0 at the end of the first period. Follow along below for live updates, analysis and reaction.
Pickard makes a strong save on Ekblad to end the period, getting over just in time. The Panthers will begin the third period with 1:31 left on their power play.
What a finale we have coming up!
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P2 0:31 – Oilers 3, Panthers 3
Draisaitl catches Forsling in the face with his elbow and heads to the box.
Following that Verhaeghe hit, Bouchard goes to the Oilers room in the last minute of the second period.
Now three Edmonton goalies have made spectacular saves — Skinner on Bennett, Pickard on Lundell, and Ekholm on Tkachuk.
P2 1:11 – Oilers 3, Panthers 3
Tkachuk has an open net to shoot at but Ekholm blocks his shot with his shin!
Moments later, Bouchard stays down on the ice clutching his face after a hit into the boards by Verhaeghe. We get a tussle after the whistle but nothing like what we saw constantly in Game 3.
The refs get together to discuss a possible penalty but opt not to call anything.
So what I've gathered from this period is that the Oilers' discipline issues, their inability to sustain any offense or keep their sticks to themselves, and their troubles with the Florida forecheck were 100 percent Stuart Skinner's fault. Hockey!
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What a period by Nurse, whose first-period penalty led to the opening 5-on-3 goal for Tkachuk. His wraparound attempt led to Podkolzin's equalizer.
P2 4:55 – Oilers 3, Panthers 3
Podkolzin beats Bobrovsky from close range with a backhand shot across the goaltender's body and we've got a tie game!
If Connor McDavid had scored on that rush, Aaron Ekblad would have had to retire on the spot. Them's the rules.
P2 5:03 – Panthers 3, Oilers 2
The Panthers just barely manage to kill off the power play, preserving their one-goal lead. All the momentum is with Edmonton at the moment.
Draisaitl and McDavid had Grade A chances on that Oilers power play but failed to score. It feels like this game's on the verge of being tied.
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P2 5:24 – Panthers 3, Oilers 2
McDavid makes a spectacular move to break in on goal during the power play, leaving Ekblad falling to the ice in his wake, but Bobrovsky sticks out his leg in time to deny him a highlight-reel goal.
P2 7:03 – Panthers 3, Oilers 2
Just 10 seconds after the Nurse goal, the Oilers are headed back on the power play with an opportunity to tie the game!
Under pressure from two forecheckers, Barkov clears the puck over the glass and heads to the box for delay of game. That also deprives the Panthers of one of their best penalty killers.
What a response period by the Oilers, who looked absolutely done after the first period. A power-play goal, a huge save by a stabilizing Calvin Pickard in relief, now a snipe from Nurse and we've got ourselves a ballgame.
P2 7:13 – Panthers 3, Oilers 2
Here we go, we've got a game now! Ekholm finds Nurse down low, and the defenseman beats Bobrovsky over his shoulder from a nearly impossible angle!
Game on!
Remember that Pickard save on the Lundell breakaway if the Oilers come back.
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P2 8:34 – Panthers 3, Oilers 1
Lundell steals the puck from Walman on the forecheck and is all alone in front of the Oilers net, but Pickard denies him!
For years, we used to get the words "Stanley Cup Final" painted on the ice inside of each blue line. It felt weighty, and when you went back and watched highlights or replays, it lent some historic significance to each game. Now we get a digital ad for the NHL on TNT… while we're watching the NHL on TNT, with the "NHL on TNT" embedded in the score graphic. Maybe I'm an old man yelling at a cloud, but I HATE this.
P2 9:57 – Panthers 3, Oilers 1
A bad giveaway by the Oilers, caused by a pair of teammates running into one another, gives Tkachuk a free shooting opportunity but Pickard makes the save.

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