The Edmonton Oilers received a crucial intermission speech from veteran Corey Perry during their comeback victory Thursday night, according to Leon Draisaitl.
Perry addressed his teammates after the Oilers fell behind 3-0 in the first period of Game 4 against the Florida Panthers. His words helped spark Edmonton’s three-goal second-period rally in their 5-4 overtime win.
“We wanted to come out strong tonight, but they put us on our heels early,” Draisaitl said. “We were kinda lollygagging around a little bit. Certainly not the time to lollygag around, right? Especially after getting spanked in Game 3.”
“Corey spoke up. When he speaks up, you listen, and you do what he says. We did a great job of grabbing it, grabbing some momentum and keeping it.”
Edmonton was outshot 17-7 through the opening period before mounting their historic comeback.
The 40-year-old Perry rarely takes on that vocal leadership role, which made his message even more powerful.
“I’m not gonna share exactly what he said right now, but the message is that he’s been in these moments. He’s not a guy that speaks up or yells at guys all the time, that’s not his character,” Draisaitl said. “So, you know when a guy like that, with that many games, that much experience – he’s won everything there is to win, he knows how to win – when he speaks up, you listen. It grabs your attention. He’s a heck of a leader.”
Perry’s playoff performance has been remarkable at his age. He’s recorded nine goals and 13 points in 20 games, tied for third in playoff goals this postseason.
It’s the second-most goals he’s scored in a single postseason during his career.
Perry won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He’s reached five more Cup Finals since 2020, including this year’s series against Florida.
The Oilers became the first road team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a game in the Stanley Cup Final since the Montreal Canadiens beat the Seattle Metropolitans in Game 5 of the 1919 Final, according to Sportsnet Stats.
Game 5 returns to Edmonton on Saturday night with the series now 3-1 in favor of Florida.
