NHL: The fourth match of the final was a reminder of why we love hockey

Sunrise. When Florida won the Edmonton 3: 0 after the first third of the fourth match of the Tetlly Cup final, it seemed to be decided on the winner of the meeting.

The reigning masters had a third win in the series, held the opponent at bay and in every aspect of the game they were a better team. Edmonton continued his performance from the third match in which he lost 1: 6.

What happened, however, suggests that the title battle can be even more balanced and more dramatic than expected.

Oilers were able to reverse the unfavorable situation and decided to win 5: 4 Leon Draisaitl.

VIDEO: Florida’s Match – Edmonton Match (Fourth Final)

Edmonton became the first team in the final history to win the match when he lost 0: 3 after the first period. The teams with this management had a 37: 0 balance, now they have a 37: 1 balance.

The visiting team won such a match only once in history – in 1919 it was Montreal Canadiens against Seattle Metropolitans. That was more than a hundred years ago.

The final series is 2: 2 moving back to Alberta, Canada.

What happened in Edmonton dressing room?

The fact that the fourth finals can be exceptional was indicated by a long letter of famous personalities who visited Florida to watch at least 60 minutes of the best hockey. Among the stars were singer Taylor Swift and Czech hockey player Jaromír Jágr.

Immediately the opening third saw three goals. Edmonton, as in the previous meeting, donated power plays to the home. She used two of the three Florida options offered. Both numerous benefits took advantage of his parents Matthew Tkachuk.

Edmonton was mature on a towel, kicked mistakes. As overseas journalists write, in the first break he took the word Corey Perry in the dressing room, the oldest participant of the finals and winner of the Cup 2007. Not knowing what the teammates said exactly, but it worked.

« At that moment you are just listening to and doing what he says. We never give up, whatever happens, » Draisaitl said. In just over 15 minutes, the condition was balanced and started from scratch.

Edmonton in the last part of the game perfectly, the fourth goal was scored by defender Jake Walman in 54 minutes.

And when it seemed that the Oilers sealed the win in regular time, Florida also hit. 19.5 seconds before the end scored Sam Reinhart.

The equalizing goal in the NHL final came later only once, in the first match of the same series, when Perry scored at 19:42.

The match was headed for the extension. The third in four matches of this year’s final.

A shot or pass? It doesn’t matter

The overtime continued in the established trend – hockey was played the highest level. « It’s the best playoffs I’ve ever seen, » declared After the Wayne Gretzky meeting.

Both teams had a chance to score, first Edmonton, then Florida. Half the stadium was already lifting their hands over the head 13 minutes before the end of the extra time when the home striker Sam Bennett’s strike was sent to the top of the trap.

But the match finally decided a completely different « shot ». During one of the guests’ actions, the puck got on the stick Draisaitl, one hand threw it on the goal and after a happy reflection ended up behind the back of the goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky. The German striker decided on the triumph of Edmonton.

« We believe, no matter how bad it is, we can break any match. You don’t want to be too often in such situations, but when they happen, I think we’re great in it, » said the scorer of an extremely important goal.

Video: The winning goal of Leon Draisaitl

Was it a shot? Was it a pass? We will never know this again, but we know that this accurate hit was record.

Draisaitl became the first player in history to score four goals in extensions in one playoffs. He decided to win the same way in the first duo of the series.

« It’s incredible. We can always rely on him and always find a way to score big goals, » said teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Just hours before the start of the final, Draisaitl learned that he finished second in the vote on Hart’s NHL trophy for the best NHL player.

Gretzky in the TNT TV studio said that this was the fact that he could kick the 29-year-old striker for Heroic performance.

« Before the game, he certainly thought: Okay, I will put on a horse today and show people how good I was. And finally he showed it, » said The most productive history player.

In addition to the winning goal, Draisaitl scored two assists and became the first star of the evening. With 32 points he is the most productive playoff player. In addition to Draisatila, he scored 10 goals more than once in the playoffs and scored 20 assists only Gretzky.

Hero from the bench

Before the start of the meeting appeared on social networks statistics Edmonton goalkeeper Stuarton Skinner, according to which he has never lost the fourth match of the series in his career.

Goalkeeper Oilers had a 6-0 balance of 6: 0 with the average goals scored 1.26, 95.5% success rate and two clean accounts.

But this series is over. Three goals in the first period were in 17 shots and coach Kris Knoblauch decided to change – Skinner after the first period was replaced by Calvin Pickard.

He learned that he would start « at twelve ». « I had to strain a little to get dressed, » Pickard said with a laugh for TNT.

Finally, he defeated 23 home shots and became only the sixth goalkeeper in the history of the NHL, who caught the win in the Stanley Cup final as a substitute.

In this year’s knockout he won all seven matches in which he played more than one third. « It doesn’t matter who’s in the goal. We are both of the same thing, » Pickard added.

This is Christmas

Florida hockey players said after the loss that they could teach them a lot. « It doesn’t matter anymore, » said Goalkeeper Bobrovsky. « It’s as it is and we’re going, » he added.

His words were followed by striker Tkachuk, a two -goal shooter and the third star of the match: « The team that is recovering the fastest will have a greater advantage on Saturday. That’s all. »

A 4: 4 scorer of a 4: 4 score said that « a success in the playoffs depends on how you can deal with losses. »

Coach Paul Maurice did not make a hard head out of the loss, the team tried to motivate the next match.

« You have a plan where you count on seven matches. That means you lose three times. So you have to overcome what happened, learn from it and go back, » he said.

He also praised the opponent and acknowledged that this is the best possible scenario for fans. “This is Christmas,” declared.

The fifth final match is played on Saturday to Sunday night from 2:00 pm.

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