Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk speaks after Florida's 8-1 defeat in Edmonton on June 15. The Edmonton Oilers had their way with the Florida Panthers during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton pounced on the Panthers from the opening puck drop, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old and never looking back. It was Florida’s first loss since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, all the way back on May 26. That’s 20 days between playoff losses for the Panthers. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] The time between defeats combined with the way Florida lost Game 4, getting absolutely manhandled 8-1 on a night they could have clinched the Stanley Cup, was not an easy pill to swallow. Florida’s aggressions and frustrations appeared to boil over during a scrum near Florida’s net during the second period. Following a save by Anthony Stolarz in which Zach Hyman took a couple pokes at the midsection of the goaltender after the puck had been covered, a few Panthers players took acceptation. Keep in mind, the score was already 5-1. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett quickly converged on Hyman, which led to Oilers star Connor McDavid arriving to help his teammate. That first led to Tkachuk getting McDavid in a headlock and unleashing a few punches. Then, after Tkachuk was escorted away from the scrum by an official, Bennett got ahold of McDavid, landed several punches and pulled him around by the collar a bit. For his part, Tkachuk didn’t think too much of what happened. “I got grabbed in the head and it’s a little scrum in front of the net,” he said following the game. “Classic playoff hockey.” McDavid also downplayed the incident. “I didn’t throw very many punches,” he said through a half-smile. Not one who is prone to get involved in those kind of physical gatherings, McDavid went on to say that it was simply about helping a brother in arms. “That’s not the way I want to play, that’s not my job to really do,” McDavid said. “I’m just there to make sure no one is getting outnumbered. I thought Hyman was getting doubled up on by Bennett and Tkachuk and I just tried to jump in there and do my part as a teammate.” As nasty as some of all that may have looked, nobody seemed to carry it past the initial scrum and resulting penalties. Florida ended up down two men as both Bennett and Tkachuk were called for roughing, the only penalties resulting from the scrap. “It's not really been that kind of series,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “There haven’t been too many scrums, but everybody's competitive, and to be great in this league, you have to have a strong fire. So every once in a while, you'll see that.” At the end of the day, it’s the Cup Final and both teams were in different desperation modes. Florida is desperate to win the Stanley Cup, needing just one win to do so. The Oilers are desperate to keep their season alive, and their desperation certainly seemed greater than what the Panthers had to offer on Saturday. With the stakes getting higher with each game the series is extended, it will be interesting to see whether those kind of physical outbursts become more or less common. “Everybody has got to jump in there in those moments,” McDavid said. “It wasn’t anything there, I just didn’t want two guys on my guy.” Game 5 is set for Tuesday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. Pucks drops at 8 p.m. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Three takeaways: Oilers came alive in several ways, Panthers must manage emotions of opportunity [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-oilers-came-alive-in-several-ways-panthers-must-manage-emotions-of-opportunity] The Hockey Show: Breaking down Panthers Game 4 beatdown by the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-breaking-down-panthers-game-4-beatdown-by-the-oilers] Conn Smythe candidate Sergei Bobrovsky struggles in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/conn-smythe-candidate-sergei-bobrovsky-struggles-in-game-4-of-stanley-cup-final] Panthers crushed by Oilers in Game 4, Stanley Cup Final heading back to Florida [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-crushed-by-oilers-in-game-4-stanley-cup-final-heading-back-to-florida] Full circle moment for Florida Panthers ahead of potential Stanley Cup Final sweep [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/full-circle-moment-for-florida-panthers-ahead-of-potential-stanley-cup-final-sweep] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
