SUNRISE, FLA – Leaving Amerant Bank Arena after Game 4, I passed by Corey Perry as he was talking to someone on his phone. He seemed to be in great spirits, and why wouldn't he be? His Edmonton Oilers had just pulled off a remarkable overtime victory over the Florida Panthers.

Edmonton had clawed back from a 3-0 first-period deficit to take a 4-3 lead and then, after Sam Reinhart tied it for Florida with 20 seconds remaining, the Oilers regrouped in overtime and won on Leon Draisaitl's goal with 8:42 remaining.

But Draisaitl doesn't get that opportunity unless the Oilers had made that amazing comeback earlier in the game, and from the sounds of it, Perry was the impetus behind the scenes.

According to multiple Oilers, Perry had some choice words for his teammates during the first intermission. Edmonton had been terrible in the first 20 minutes, and he wasn't going to let it stand.

"It was just a bit of, 'Wake up, look where we are here, the position we're in,' " said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "That's a guy everybody in the room respects so much, he's been through it all. So when he speaks up, it means a lot and I thought we did a good job responding."

Added Draisaitl: "The message is that he's been in these moments. He's not a guy who speaks up or yells at guys all the time – that's not his character. So you know when a guy like that with that many games, that much experience, who has won everything there is to win, when he speaks up, you listen. And it grabs your attention. He's a heckuva leader."

Perry has already been crucial for Edmonton during this playoff run. His nine goals have him tied for third in post-season scoring, behind only Draisaitl and Sam Bennett. And despite being famously pugnacious and antagonistic, Perry only has 12 total penalty minutes through 20 games. He's still playing his game, but for the most part, he's been able to do it on the right side of the line.

The veteran right winger already has a Cup ring from his early days in Anaheim, but he surely would love another. Perry has come close in recent years, making it to the final five of the past six seasons with a variety of franchises. 

"He carries a lot of weight with his experience," said coach Kris Knoblauch. "Everyone respects him. The coaches respect him."

And thanks in part to his leadership in the room, Edmonton is now on even footing with the Panthers. Another Stanley Cup is still very possible for Corey Perry.

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