He florida panthers couldn’t lock up the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4. Edmonton shook off Florida 8-1 in a game where their season was literally on the line. a fight between Matthew Tkachuk and Connor McDavid has taken center stage after Game 4.
The Panthers forward recently spoke to the media about the rumble. According Pierre LeBrun, NHL expertMatthew Tkachuk said it was a scrum and just “classic playoff hockey” when asked about taking some hits on McDavid.
The incident in question occurred during the second period, when tempers flared following a big hit on Zach Hyman by former Panther Sam Bennett. McDavid stepped in to defend his teammate, but Tkachuk put him in a headlock and threw a few shots before the referees could stop play.
McDavid’s teammate praised him for coming to his defense.
“I think it says a lot about him as a leader,” Hyman said. “Bennett hit me in the head and he could have been the first one there. I can’t see because I’m on the ice, but I look up and he’s there. He simply defends his teammates and is not afraid to get into the scrum. “They go, they take two penalties and we score.”
Tkachuk also noted that the Panthers are in a very advantageous position heading into Game 5.
“We are in an incredible situation right now” Tkachuck said. “We came here and after all that madness we split up. Now we’re going home to play in front of our amazing fans. “They are very excited to see us and we are very excited to play in front of them again.”
2024 Stanley Cup Final Game 4 recap: Panthers defeated 8-1 by Oilers
It almost seemed as if the Panthers never had a chance in Game 4. The Oilers were a cornered animal desperately fighting to keep their season alive in front of their home crowd.
Mattias Janmark was the first Oiler to score in the 8-1 rout, energizing the crowd in the first three minutes of the game.
Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Panthers their only goal of the night midway through the first, making the score 2-1. The Panthers never got any closer, allowing six unanswered goals down the stretch.
Tkachuk admitted after the game that the Oilers were playing very well in game four.
“They were flying” Tkachuk said. “They were making really good plays. Yeah, that’s probably the best part of his game all year: his quick play and his tons of goals tonight. And we just didn’t defend ourselves very well with the rush.”
Tkachuck also stated that he believes the Oilers were successful in Game 4 because the Panthers did not provide a unified front on defense.
“I think it was more, you know, that we weren’t together as much as we were in previous games,” Tkachuk said. “And yes, they were flying over the ice. So, yeah, you have to give them a lot of credit. They were making some great, crazy plays. “They looked amazing tonight and, you know, we didn’t have an answer.”
The Florida Panthers will try to capture the Stanley Cup in Game 5. The puck will drop at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday night in Florida.