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

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 cross bar 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 post-season.

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Still in the first, Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a deflection to put the Panther 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 post-season. 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.).