The Stanley Cup Final has lived up to the hype through its first four games. With the Florida Panthers holding a 2–1 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers heading into Game 4, the Oilers stormed back from a 3–0 deficit to take a 4–3 lead.

A year after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy despite coming up short in the Stanley Cup Final, Connor McDavid is favored to be named NHL Stanley Cup Playoff MVP.

While the play of the Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand, and the overall physicality of Game 3 drove the narrative, there was another developing storyline: Aleksander Barkov slowed down Connor McDavid.