With new goalie and Draisaitl: Oilers turn around 0-3 deficit

The Edmonton Oilers have bounced back in the Stanley Cup Finals thanks to Leon Draisaitl and a personnel change. And they did it like this!

June 13, 2025

From: dpa/sn

The German ice hockey star scored in overtime in the fourth game against the Florida Panthers, giving the Oilers a 5-4 victory. This brought the Oilers level in the best-of-seven series at 2-2. The first team to win four games is the champion of the world's premier ice hockey league, the NHL. Florida won the title last year in seven games.

Draisaitl had already scored the winning goal in overtime in the opening game; this time, the 29-year-old scored just over eleven minutes into the extra period. Draisaitl is only the third player in NHL history to score twice in overtime in a playoff series.

"We're a tough team. We'll never give up, under any circumstances," said Draisaitl. "We're taking this with us and going home." The series now moves back to Edmonton, where the fifth game will take place on Saturday (local time).

“He is incredible, we can always rely on him” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Draisaitl

"He's one of the best players in the world," said teammate Vasili Podkolzin of the match winner. "He's incredible, we can always rely on him," added Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Pickard for Skinner

The Oilers managed to win despite trailing 0-3 after the first period. However, the visitors equalized in the second period with three goals in just under twelve minutes, with Draisaitl assisting Podkolzin to tie the game at 3-3. Edmonton even took the lead midway through the third period, but the Panthers rallied to force overtime with a goal 20 seconds before the end of the period.
There, Draisaitl once again emerged as the match winner, with three of the four games so far being decided in overtime. This has only happened four times in NHL Finals history.

Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard alternated in goal for Edmonton. © APA / STEPH CHAMBERS

Besides Draisaitl, there was another celebrated hero: Calvin Pickard. The backup goalie took the place between the posts at the beginning of the second period for the once again struggling Stuart Skinner (82,4% save percentage) and subsequently posted a 95,7% save percentage, including several key saves.