3 Keys: Panthers at Oilers, Sport 4 of Stanley Cup Ultimate – NHL.com

Florida can win 1st title in its historical past; Edmonton wants extra strain on Bobrovsky to increase sequence
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Florida leads best-of-7 sequence 3-0
EDMONTON — The Stanley Cup might be within the constructing, and the Florida Panthers can win it for the primary time of their historical past with a victory in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers in Sport 4 of the Cup Ultimate at Rogers Place on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).
The Panthers, who’ve received the primary three video games of the sequence by a mixed rating of 11-4, can full the primary sweep in a Cup Ultimate because the Detroit Pink Wings defeated the Washington Capitals in 4 straight in 1998.
Florida’s method has gotten the Panthers thus far, and so they really feel there isn’t any purpose to vary now.
“Simply attempt to play the identical means we have been enjoying,” Florida middle Anton Lundell stated. “We all know how one can play, and it is all about going out and simply attempt to have enjoyable and benefit from the second as nicely, however know that it will be a tough recreation. They will give every thing they’ve, and we want to have the ability to give every thing now we have and it will be an amazing recreation.”
The Oilers hope to increase the sequence, following a comeback try that fell quick in a 4-3 loss in Sport 3 on Thursday, once they scored twice within the third interval however failed in a bid for the equalizer.
“They’re optimistic, centered, energized, excited for the problem and it’s going to be a problem,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch stated. “But when there’s a workforce that may do it, if there’s a bunch of males I need to do that with, it’s the fellows in that room.
“From what I’ve seen via the season, how resilient they’re, perseverance, their focus, their perspective, I’m actually excited for the subsequent 10 days.”
Since 2015, groups with a chance to clinch the Cup on the street are 6-1, together with 5-0 from 2016-20.
Myers, Van Diest, Zeisberger preview Sport 4 of Stanley Cup Ultimate
Listed below are 3 keys for Sport 4:
The Panthers have completed an amazing job of this to date, be it on the penalty kill, the place they’re 10-for-10, or throughout 5-on-5 play. Facilities Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and ahead Zach Hyman every has been held and not using a purpose within the first three video games. A troublesome process shutting these guys down? Completely, however Florida will push to do it another time.
“As many offensive guys now we have on the workforce, we’re a defense-first workforce and that’s in opposition to whoever is on the ice,” ahead Matthew Tkachuk stated. “I simply suppose it’s an enormous factor for our workforce to do it collectively and as 5 guys, particularly when you may have proficient guys on the market. So, simply should do it once more.”
The Oilers positively had been extra profitable on this space in Sport 3, once they scored three targets in opposition to the Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after solely getting one previous him within the first two video games. They know they should proceed to get in his technique to hold this sequence going.
“I believe you have a look at the primary couple of video games, when he sees the puck, he’s in all probability going to cease it,” Edmonton ahead Corey Perry stated, “and he has been stopping it and he’s made some nice saves. As that third interval wore on (in Sport 3), we obtained to the entrance of the web, we discovered some puck luck, not sufficient however I believe it’s a begin. That’s what now we have to construct on.”
The Panthers are on the verge of historical past and feelings are going to be working excessive. However they’ve additionally gone 6-2 in elimination video games over the previous two years. So can they wrap issues up Saturday? So long as they don’t attempt to do an excessive amount of too quickly, they consider they will.
“Two issues that come to thoughts — how we seemed within the two video games we didn’t win,” Florida coach Paul Maurice stated. “There’s a little bit of a theme in these video games and that’s that concept, you need one thing so badly, that you simply attempt to do one thing to make it occur earlier than it ought to occur. Simply don’t attempt to break the sport open.
“And the opposite (factor) is, I might say this may be true, even of Sport 3, we’ve performed the very best hockey of the yr in third durations beneath strain. That’s after we’ve been at our greatest, and we’ll attempt to faucet into that tonight.”
Panthers projected lineup
Evan Rodrigues — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Vladimir Tarasenko
Steven Lorentz — Kevin Stenlund — Kyle Okposo
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Brandon Montour
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Ryan Lomberg, Nick Cousins, Tobias Bjornfot, Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, Jonah Gadjovich
Injured: None
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Zach Hyman
Ryan McLeod — Leon Draisaitl — Corey Perry
Mattias Janmark — Adam Henrique — Connor Brown
Warren Foegele — Derek Ryan — Dylan Holloway
Mattias Ekholm — Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse — Philip Broberg
Brett Kulak — Cody Ceci
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Vincent Desharnais, Sam Gagner, Sam Carrick
Injured: Evander Kane (sports activities hernia), Troy Stecher (ankle)
Standing report
Knoblauch stated “I’m going to should make you wait” when requested about potential lineup modifications, however Kane, a ahead, is predicted to overlook his second consecutive recreation. … No modifications are anticipated for the Panthers lineup.
🔹 Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers

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