Panthers-Oilers Game 4 takeaways, early look at Game 5

Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterJun 15, 2024, 11:30 PM ET

CloseKristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

Well, THAT was unexpected.

On the verge of being swept in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers dominated the Florida Panthers en route to a 8-1 victory in Game 4. The series now heads back to Sunrise, Florida, with the Panthers looking for the “gentleman’s sweep” (winning in five games).

There were many notable events in this one, including Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scoring goals for the first time all series, and Sergei Bobrovsky being pulled for the first time all postseason.

We’re here to break it all down for you. Here are our grades for both teams, along with takeaways that stuck out the most, key players to watch for Game 5 and the big questions left unanswered prior to Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).

Panthers grade: C-

Florida was probably due for a dud. The Panthers had been on a dominant run through the playoffs — they entered Game 4 on a six-game win streak — and looked tired out from the start.

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Sergei Bobrovsky had been the Panthers’ backbone, and even he couldn’t salvage anything for Florida, being pulled after allowing five goals midway through the contest.

The Panthers’ special teams let them down, with goals allowed while shorthanded and on the power play, and Edmonton’s star skaters vastly outplayed Florida’s top shooters, who failed to appear on the scoresheet.

It was the sort of game Florida has to try to flush, without allowing how poorly they showed up overall to leak into their next matchup.

Oilers grade: A+

Edmonton finally woke up in Game 4. Unsurprisingly, the Oilers weren’t ready for their season to end.

Connor McDavid? Sensational. His four-point night earned the Oilers’ captain his 32nd assist of the postseason, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s previous NHL record for most helpers in a single playoff run.

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Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40360174/nhl-playoffs-2024-stanley-cup-final-panthers-oilers-game-4-grades

Author : Kristen Shilton

Publish date : 2024-06-16 04:59:13

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