Corey Perry Turns Back the Clock at 40
Just when it looked like the Oilers were out, Corey Perry pulled off a moment for the history books.
With only 18 seconds left on the clock in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, Perry snagged the puck from a rebound, spun, and fired. The result? A perfectly placed wrist shot past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky that sent Rogers Place into an uproar.
And with that, Perry officially etched his name into NHL lore, scoring the latest tying goal in Stanley Cup Final history. Not bad for a guy who just turned 40.
Not His First Rodeo—But Maybe His Sweetest
This isn’t just another goal. It’s Perry’s eighth of the playoffs—just two shy of team leader Leon Draisaitl. More impressively, it’s part of a red-hot postseason where Perry, now in his 21st NHL season, has racked up 12 points.
He’s been here before—six times, to be exact. But five of those ended in heartbreak. The lone Cup win? That came back in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks, the team that drafted him in 2003.
Now, the 2011 Hart Trophy winner is proving he’s far from done.
Veteran Power in a Young Man’s Game
“He’s a clutch guy,” said teammate John Klingberg, who played alongside Perry during the 2020 Final with Dallas. “Some players rise under pressure—Corey’s built for it.”
Friday night, though, ended in heartbreak. After Perry’s equalizer forced double overtime, Boston’s Brad Marchand crushed Edmonton’s momentum with a game-winner at 8:05.
Still, Perry shrugged it off with the calm of a seasoned warrior.
“We’ve been here before,” he said. “These are tough games. But we rest, reset, and go again.”
The Oilers’ Playoff DNA: Resilience
The Oilers didn’t come this far by backing down. Earlier in the 2024 playoffs, they rallied from a 3-0 series deficit against these very Panthers—forcing a Game 7 before ultimately losing 2-1.
Friday’s loss, tough as it was, didn’t rattle Perry. Nor did it shake Edmonton’s belief.
“We missed a few plays, and they made us pay,” Perry said. “That’s the nature of playoff hockey—one mistake can flip everything.”
A Signing That Paid Off Big Time
Signed as a free agent in January 2024, Perry came in as a low-risk gamble for playoff depth. Now, he’s become a core reason the Oilers are still alive.
“Corey’s got a nose for the net,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We brought him in for moments like this. It’s hard to score in the playoffs, and he’s one of the best at making it happen.”
The Road Ahead: Grit Meets Glory
Game 3 is set for Monday at Amerant Bank Arena. The series is tied. Momentum is up for grabs. And Perry? He’s just getting started.
Age may have taken his speed, but it hasn’t touched his instinct, grit, or timing. And in a Cup Final as tight as this, that’s exactly the kind of player you want on your side.
