Perry: Speech that sparked Oilers in Game 4 'wasn't wisdom'
The Edmonton Oilers' reliance on Corey Perry's 20 years of NHL experience has been a theme throughout the playoffs. Still, he claims he didn't say anything special in the speech that rallied his club to a comeback victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday.
"It wasn't wisdom. It was just honesty," Perry said Friday, per Sportsnet. "I mean, just had to realize where we were at the moment and just kind of look ourselves in the mirror and how we were playing, what we were doing. It's pretty much all it was."
Overtime hero Leon Draisaitl credited Perry for turning the tide in Edmonton's dressing room after the team ended the first period down 3-0 to a swarming Florida Panthers squad. Draisaitl noted Perry doesn't often rally the troops, but his words carry weight when he does speak up.
The Oilers tied the contest in the second period and grabbed the lead in the third before Sam Reinhart's equalizer with 19 seconds remaining forced overtime.
Perry is the NHL's active playoff game leader at 236, which is good for fourth most in league history. The 40-year-old has notched nine goals and four assists in 20 contests this postseason and said prior to the Stanley Cup Final he has no plans to retire no matter how the series ends.
Perry won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and has reached the final five times since with four different teams.
Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday night in Edmonton.