Following a controversial moment in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, the officials are likely feeling more comfortable being in Florida than they would in Edmonton.
Early in the second period, Florida`s Sam Reinhart scored his first goal of the Final series, firing a shot past Stuart Skinner to restore the Panthers` two-goal lead.
While Carter Verhaeghe was credited with the assist, it appears referee Francis Charron may have played an unintended role in the goal by interfering with an Oilers defenseman.
The incident occurred when Oilers defenseman John Klingberg was attempting to carry the puck forward under pressure from Aleksander Barkov. Referee Charron was positioned in Klingberg`s path, leading to a collision and the puck becoming loose. Verhaeghe quickly recovered the puck and passed it to Reinhart, who then scored.
This goal by Reinhart was particularly painful for the Oilers as it came just 1:20 after Corey Perry had scored to cut the deficit to 2-1, giving Edmonton a chance to build momentum.
Compounding the issue, less than five minutes later, Sam Bennett scored the Panthers` fourth goal of the game and his fourth of the series, extending their commanding lead to 4-1 midway through the second period.
