Perry, 40, helps Oilers to cusp of Cup Final return
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Kristen Shilton
EDMONTON, Alberta — Corey Perry has seen and done it all in his career. He is in elite company. So, why slow down now?
The Edmonton Oilers‘ veteran forward proved he’s potent as ever, scoring the game-winning goal and adding an assist in his club’s 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday. The Oilers lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series and are one win away from a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final berth.
The second-period power-play strike was Perry’s sixth goal of the postseason. According to EPSN Research, he is now tied with Teemu Selanne, Mark Recchi, Ron Francis and Jean Beliveau for the most goals in a single postseason by a player who started that playoff run at age 39 or older.
Suffice it to say, Perry is the epitome of an ageless wonder for the Oilers.
“That would be huge [going back to the Cup Final],” Perry said. “I thought we got better as the game went on. There’s ups and downs in a game, in a series, but that one felt good going in the back of the net. It’s nice to see it go in and get the power play going again.”
Perry didn’t have a flawless night in Game 4 and was clearly frustrated with himself because of it. When Edmonton was ahead 1-0 in the second period, he was called for interference, and Dallas forward Jason Robertson evened the score on the ensuing power play. Perry could be seen in the box angrily throwing a towel in response to the equalizer.
“If it was interference or whatever, I was just trying to get to the bench,” Perry said of the infraction. “It happens a lot, but we found a way to get one over the line.”
Oh, yes, Perry didn’t let the tie score stand for long.
Barely two minutes later, the Oilers were on their own man advantage and Perry rifled a shot — off an excellent setup by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger to give Edmonton a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish.
That helper by Nugent-Hopkins was his first of two on the night, making him the first player in 35 years to open a conference final with four multipoint performances (the longest streak belongs to legendary Oiler Wayne Gretzky, with five).
Leon Draisaitl called Nugent-Hopkins “the best player in the series.” Nugent-Hopkins was modest in his own assessment of what has gone right to this point.
“I think everybody is pretty locked in,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “We’re all trying to do our part and chip in. We needed the power play to step up, and we were ready and we wanted to and we’ve talked about scoring in the big moments when we’ve needed to.”
Perry capitalizing on his opportunity was critical to keeping the Oilers ahead as they grappled with having lost a key part of their offense in Zach Hyman. Edmonton’s top-line skater left in the first period after taking a hit from Mason Marchment. Hyman dropped his stick and immediately appeared to favor his right arm as he moved down the tunnel. He was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Hyman has been a force in the Oilers’ postseason run, with a league-leading 109 hits in 14 playoff games.
“He’s a huge piece,” goaltender Stuart Skinner said. “He’s a key piece. He is a cliché. He’s a hard worker, he grinds. He’s a leader in the room. He does all the little things right. And on top of that, he’s an amazing human being. You can ask anybody; everybody loves that guy.”
Coach Kris Knoblauch said he would have an update on Hyman — who was seen congratulating teammates in the dressing room after the game — on Wednesday.
The Oilers carried play even after Perry had them ahead 2-1, holding the Stars’ diminished attack at bay thanks to another stellar performance from Skinner. He is now 6-0 in Game 4 of a playoff series, with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage with two shutouts.
“I was feeling good,” Skinner said. “[The Stars] definitely brought it on. They were bringing it the whole game. But the way we all played as a team, we showed courage blocking shots. I felt good out there. Just trying to give my team the best chance every night.”
Dallas has stalled offensively since its Game 1 victory over Edmonton. The Stars were down 3-2 going into the second period of that tilt but opened the third with three power-play goals in less than six minutes to tee up a 6-3 victory. Since then, Dallas has been outscored 13-2 over three straight losses.
The Stars had hoped to get a boost up front from the return of Roope Hintz, who missed Game 3 (a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers) with a lower-body injury suffered in Game 2 when Hintz was slashed by Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse.
But Dallas’ scoring woes continued in the first period, where it held a 39-16 edge in shot attempts but still gave up the first goal to Draisaitl on a power play. It was the fourth time in the series — and 14th time in 17 games — that Dallas has allowed the opening marker this postseason.
Trailing 1-0 going into the second frame, the Stars finally hit pay dirt when Robertson converted on their second power-play chance of the game. But it wouldn’t last, and Dallas was on its heels for most of the period from there.
Edmonton has owned the score sheet in that frame throughout the series, outscoring the Stars 6-2. And things didn’t improve in the third period either, with the Stars being outshot 8-2 with eight minutes left in regulation. And per Natural Stat Trick, they recorded just one high-danger chance in the final two periods of Game 4.
Now, the Stars are on the brink of elimination as the series shifts back to Dallas. Regardless of how well the Oilers have played to this point, there’s no question they’re prepared for the Stars’ best when Game 5 begins on Thursday.
“We’re going to Dallas to have the chance to move on to the Stanley Cup Final,” Draisaitl said. “If that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. But that will be the toughest game of the series. We know that. We’ve been in that situation. Yup. Get ready for it. We know there are certain areas we can clean up and be better at, but overall I think we’re playing a pretty good game right now.”
SEWELL, N.J. — A few days after brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died when they were struck by a driver while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding, family friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane at their home during a rainstorm. Looking outside after the skies cleared, they saw a double rainbow that brought them some momentary peace.
Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten any signs she attributed to her sons, so she sat in their room Friday and asked them for some divine intervention to clear out bad weather in time for an event to honor their legacies. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, a rainbow appeared Saturday morning about an hour before the sun came out for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day.
“I was so relieved,” Jane said. “I was like, ‘Well, there’s my sign.'”
Thousands attended the event at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 people took part in a walk or run in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world.
“I think it speaks to them as a family, how close they were and how everybody loved being around them,” said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, one of a handful of NHL players who were close to the Gaudreaus and made a point to be there. “You just see the support from this community and from other players as well that are here and traveled in. It just says a lot about Johnny, Matty, their legacy and this family as a whole, how much support they have because they’re such amazing people.”
Along with honoring the NHL star known as “Johnny Hockey” and his younger brother who family and friends called Matty, the goal of the event was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School where Jane and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023.
It became their mother’s project after their deaths.
“Jane works every day with children with disabilities, and she knew how important it was for the playground to be built,” said family friend Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the idea for a 5K. “The playground has been a project for, I think, four or five years, and there just never was enough funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, ‘Let’s build the playground.’ It was the perfect marriage of doing something good to honor the boys and seeing children laugh and smile.”
The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for while growing up in Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an extension of the impact they had on the community.
“They’re continuing to make a difference in the lives of so many others,” Caparas said. “Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and now we’re celebrating that.”
Social media filled with mentions from folks in Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities in which John Gaudreau played, and as far away as Ireland and Sweden. Paul O’Connor, who has been tight with the Gaudreau family from son Dalton being childhood best friends with Matthew, couldn’t empty out his inbox because he kept getting notifications about signups and donations.
“It just keeps growing,” O’Connor said. “And people that couldn’t be here, they’re doing a virtual [5K]. If they can’t do either, they’re just throwing money at the cause.”
Tears welled up in the eyes of Guy and Jane as they talked about the event. His speech to the crowd was brief and poignant at the same time.
“I’d like to thank everybody for coming,” Guy said after running the 5K. “It really means a lot to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it really means a lot for us to have you here to honor my boys. Thank you.”
The sea of people first in the rain and then the sunshine included folks in gear from all across hockey. Tkachuk wore a “Johnny Hockey” hoodie with Gaudreau’s name and No. 13 on the back.
He handed sticks, collected from various vigils in late August and early September, to race winners along with fellow players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson.
“Our family wouldn’t have missed this,” Gudbranson said after flying in Friday night following a trip to Walt Disney World. “Hockey’s a very tight community. It’s still a tragedy. We miss the boys.”
The aim is to hold the event annually moving forward, potentially in Calgary and Columbus.
“We thought this was such a good thing to honor the boys we want to keep it up,” Jane said. “I just think each year it’ll just get better and better.”
Florida Panthers forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell will be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night in Edmonton, coach Paul Maurice said Saturday.
Both players were injured in Wednesday’s series-clinching Game 5 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Panthers forward A.J. Greer‘s status for the series opener against the Oilers remains uncertain. He missed Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals and was on the ice for only 4:22 in Game 5 due to a lower-body injury.
All three players did not participate in Saturday’s practice, the first team skate since the defending champions booked their spot in the Final rematch.
“I think the only question mark is Greer,” Maurice said. “We will list him as day to day. The other guys are fine. They will be back on the ice tomorrow when we do a little bit of an optional.”
Luostarinen, 26, recorded 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 80 games during the regular season and 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 17 games this postseason.
Lundell, 23, tallied 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 games in the regular season and 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 17 playoff games.
Greer, 28, posted 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 81 games in the regular season and three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 12 playoff contests.
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