Florida has a 5-3 home record during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 4 of the series will be held on Thursday night in Sunrise.
The Panthers last hosted a Stanley Cup Final contest one year ago when they were victorious in Game 7 over the Oilers for their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. The Cats had a 3-1 home record during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
In the first period, Florida broke out to a 1-0 lead at the 56-second mark. Anton Lundell bounced the puck from the left side of the crease off a defenders leg in the crease. Brad Marchand scored on a wrist shot from the inner left circle by Stuart Skinner. It was his fourth tally in the series, eighth goal in this postseason and 64th career playoff goal. Marchand became the oldest player in NHL history to score in the first games of a Stanley Cup Final. He also became the first player to score a Stanley Cup Final overtime goal and score within the first minute of the next contest. Eetu Luostarinen was credited with a secondary assist on the play.
The Panthers increased it to 2-0 on the power play with 2:15 remaining in the first. Nate Schmidt pushed the puck from the top of the zone. Evan Rodrigues made a square pass from the high slot. Carter Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the left circle for his seventh goal of the playoffs and franchise-record 33rd career postseason goal. It was Schmidt's fifth assist in the series.
Edmonton cut the deficit to 2-1 with the man advantage at 1:40 of the second period. Evan Bouchard released a shot from the top of the zone which was saved by Sergei Bobrovsky. Corey Perry flipped in the rebound from the right side of the crease for his ninth playoff goal.
The Cats regained a two-goal margin 3-1 at the 3:00 mark of the frame. Verhaeghe backhanded a pass from the left corner. Sam Reinhart scored his fifth postseason goal on a wrist shot from the left-circle dot. It was Reinhardt first goal in the last six contests.
It became 4-1 for Florida at 7:26 of the second. Luostarinen stole the puck from Vasily Podkolzin at the Panthers blue line and handed the puck off at the Oilers blue line to Sam Bennett. He skated alone on a breakaway through the slot, deked the goalie and put in a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his 14th goal in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bennett set a Panthers franchise record with a four-game playoff goal streak.
The Panthers expanded their lead to 5-1 on a power-play goal at the 3:27 mark of the third period. Matthew Tkachuk passed from the right goal line and Reinhart backhanded a cross-ice pass from the right circle. Aaron Ekblad blasted a slap shot from the inner left circle for his fourth goal of the postseason. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in net for Edmonton following the goal.
Florida added a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 3:50 left in the third to make it 6-1. Gustav Forsling sent a pass from the right point and Niko Mikkola angled a pass from the top of the zone. Evan Rodrigues fired a one-time slap shot from the top left circle for his second postseason goal.
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