The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are deadlocked at two games apiece in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, with Game 5 set for Saturday evening in Edmonton.
The winner of Game 5 will take a critical three-games-to-two series lead, with a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup on Amerant Bank Arena ice Tuesday evening when the series returns to Florida.
Before Game 4’s start on Thursday, there was a notable meeting near center ice during the pregame warmups, where both Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner appeared to have a discussion with Panthers backup Vitek Vanecek.
Panthers Backup Vitek Vanecek Spills the Beans on His Pre-Game Conversation With Edmonton’s Goalies
Vanecek, acquired by the Panthers from the San Jose Sharks at the NHL trade deadline in March, has yet to play in the postseason as backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
However, he said his pregame conversation with both Pickard and Skinner was a first in his routine.
“I was just doing my routine,” Vanecek said, “and then (Pickard asked) if I want to go stretch with him. I said, ‘No, I’m good, I like this side.”’
“It’s a new one,” he said when asked if that’s always been part of his pregame routine. “For this series.”
Meanwhile, Pickard said he thought it could have been a sly effort by Vanecek to get inside Skinner’s head.
“It’s nothing,” Pickard said. “I just went over there asking, because he’s just, I don’t know, I think he’s trying to get into [Skinner’s] head. But it really wasn’t anything. Obviously, the cameras, you can’t hide out there. You guys are making it a bit of a story, but I was just asking if he wanted to stretch next to me. He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘That’s OK.’”
What about Pickard’s routine?
“I don’t have much routine there,” Pickard said. “I’ll be probably facing our end.”
Vanacek was complimentary of Pickard, who was forced into action after Skinner was pulled by coach Kris Knoblauch following three Panthers goals in the opening 20 minutes of play in what was eventually a 5-4 Oilers overtime win.
“It’s always tough. He’s an old guy, a lot of experience, and then he comes into the game. He played great. I think that’s something special for him.”
Game 5 between the Oilers and Panthers is scheduled to begin just after 8 p.m. ET, with Game 6 set for Tuesday evening in Sunrise at the same time. Every game in the series so far has been decided by a single goal, except for one: Florida’s commanding 6-1 victory in Game 3.
