Edmonton Oilers force Game 5 in Cup Final with 8-1 rout – Edmonton

Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists as the Edmonton Oilers routed the Florida Panthers 8-1 in game four of the Stanley Cup Final Saturday night at Rogers Place.

Florida leads the best-of-seven 3-1.

The Panthers went on the power play before the game was two minutes old. Darnell Nurse was initially given a five-minute penalty for kneeing Sam Reinhart. It was changed to a tripping minor after video review. On the power play, Matthew Tkachuk hit the crossbar with a shot from the high slot, then Reinhart hit the post on the rebound. The Oilers went the other way with Connor Brown setting up Mattias Janmark for a shorthanded goal. Less than five minutes later, Janmark busted down the left side and set the puck in front to Adam Henrique, who chipped in his third of the postseason.

Still in the first, Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a deflection to put the Panthers in business. Less than a minute later, Carter Verhaeghe wired a one-timer on a two-on-one, but Stuart Skinner came up with a stretching left wrist save. Leon Draisaitl recorded his first point of the series when he sent the puck in front to Dylan Holloway, who tucked a backhand past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth.

The Oilers poured it on early in the second, with Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse both beating Bobrovsky blocker side. Bobrovsky, after allowing 5 goals on 16 shots in 24:59, was replaced by Anthony Stolarz.

A scrum broke out later in the second leading to minor penalties to both Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. On the ensuing two-man advantage, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tapped in a loose puck for his seventh and a 6-1 Oilers lead.

Holloway chipped in his second of the game when he was the tail end of a great passing play with McDavid and Corey Perry. McLeod banged in a loose puck to score in the second straight game.

McDavid’s three assists brought him to 32 to set a new league record for most assists in a single postseason. Wayne Gretzky had 31 in 1988.

Skinner earned the win with 32 saves.

The Oilers will visit the Panthers for game four on Tuesday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 4 p.m., game at 6 p.m.).