How are you handling the Stanley Cup Final?

What you witnessed last night had never happened between two NHL teams before. It was a wild and unexpected comeback by the Oilers and now the Final is a best-of-three with two games in Edmonton.

The Oilers had yet another rough first period. They took three penalties, two of them high-sticking penalties that head coach Kris Knoblauch said in his post-game presser he hated. Evander Kane took one and sat on the bench for 10 minutes because of it.

Stuart Skinner was the only player who was ready to play in the first. Some will see three goals against and think he didn’t play well. Not true. Without two huge Skinner saves the game could have been a blowout. The Oilers need to clean up their first periods if they want to win two of the next three games. They’ve been shorthanded 13 times in the first period this series — an unreal number — and many of the penalties were undisciplined stick infractions.

Despite the lackluster opening frame, the Oilers didn’t fold. They didn’t quit. They didn’t panic. Corey Perry calmly outlined where they were and the need to find their game, play smart and not waste this opportunity.

They didn’t.

Knoblauch decided to change his goalies. It wasn’t an easy decision. “It was unfortunate for Stu to get pulled. Our team was flat. We didn’t give him any opportunities. We took three penalties in the first period again, two high stickings, which I’m hating, and we just needed to change things up,” said Knoblauch.

I viewed it as a guilt-inducing goalie pull. Skinner was the only player who was ready to play in the first, but he took the bullet for his team and Calvin Pickard led them out for the second period.

The Oilers found their legs. They fired the first seven shots on goal, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ripping one top-shelf on the power play to get them on the scoresheet. The Panthers had one shot on goal in the first 10 minutes of the second. Pickard wasn’t tested, but then Jake Walman had a brutal giveaway and Anton Lundell found himself in all alone at the top of the circle. He fired a shot blocker side, that Pickard got a piece of. That save kept the Oilers in the game.

Darnell Nurse made it 3-2 only 1:23 after Pickard’s save. Nurse fired upstairs on Bobrovsky and his celebration showed how big of a goal it was. Adam Henrique, Jeff Skinner and Trent Frederic created the goal with a relentless forecheck. They might have been Edmonton’s best line all game. Winning many battles along the boards in the offensive and defensive zones and suddenly the Oilers were within a goal.

Oilers fans who watched something else, scrolled their phones or walked away out of frustration, were sucked back in.

Only 2:18 later, Leon Draisaitl won the offensive zone faceoff back to Nurse at the left point. Nurse burst down the boards, carried the puck behind the net, and then put it in front. It hit Bobrovsky, and Podkolzin fought off two Panthers and chopped a backhander just under Bobrovsky’s blocker. He lept into Corey Perry’s arms, the bench erupted, the Moss Pit went bananas, fans jumped up from their couches in jubilation. Hugs and high-fives went all around. Drinks were spilled. Dogs and cats were scared as Oilersnation exploded.

The Oilers had tied the game. You might have been in disbelief.

The second intermission came and you exhaled. Some of you had a drink, something to eat. Maybe even a snoke.

Your rage and anger from 40 minutes ago was gone. Your team was alive once again.

The third period started and the Panthers carried the play early, firing the first five shots. Pickard made a solid pad stop on Evan Rodrigues, but the first 10 minutes was mostly uneventful — although your stress level wasn’t.

Sam Bennett tripped Leon Draisaitl in the neutral zone 7:34 into the period. The Oilers went on their fourth power play and you felt this was their chance.

It wasn’t. Edmonton didn’t manage one shot on goal. Oilersnation’s stress level intensified.

Both teams buckled down and chances were rare. Then the Oilers, like the Henrique line did on Nurse’s goal, hemmed Florida in their zone.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins battled against two Panthers behind the net. He was relentless, even when they gained possession. Then Mattias Janmark came in off the bench, he knocked the puck off of Selke winner Alex Barkov’s stick, the puck ricocheted to Kasperi Kapanen and the Finn was in a good too shoot. But he saw Jake Walman sneak down from the point, and Walman ripped a perfectly placed one-timer over Bobrovsky’s pad. Edmonton had its first lead.

You celebrated, almost feeling stunned.

Walman and Nurse were the first pair of D-men to both score a goal in the same Stanley Cup Final game since Kevin Lowe and Randy Gregg did it in 1987. There was just over six minutes remaining.

You were nervous. You paced. You rocked in your chair. Some clenched their hands. Others left the room. The anxiety of being a fan was at maximum level for the final five minutes.

The Oilers didn’t give up much. Florida only managed one shot from the 5:30 mark until the final 30 seconds.

Then disaster struck Oilersnation. On a broken play, the Panthers tied the game with just over 19 seconds remaining. Matthew Tkachuk mishandled the puck, but it bounced directly to Sam Reinhart to the left of the net, and Pickard had no chance. Tie game.

It was the second-latest tying goal in Stanley Cup history. The latest happened in Game 2, when Corey Perry tied the game with 18 seconds left.

What an unreal series.

OT beckoned.

In OT, the Panthers carried the play. Sam Bennett found himself wide open in the slot just under seven minutes in, and he ripped a one-timer, but Pickard got a piece of it with his glove and it ricochet off the crossbar and out.

Oilersnation gasped. What a @&%$ing save, many said. A minute later Pickard made a great shoulder save on Eetu Luostarinen. Florida was pushing.

Edmonton didn’t have a shot on goal for 6:58, but then Leon Draisaitl stepped on the ice for a line change. He stepped in the zone, took a pass from Podkolzin and went to the net on his backhand. He fended off AJ Greer and shoveled a one-hander towards the net that hit a sprawling Niko Mikkola and through Bobrovsky’s five-hole.

Draisaitl scored his fourth overtime goal of these playoffs — a new NHL record.

You’ve seen so many things in this series that fans have never seen before. And they’ve only played four games.

What a series.

DEPTH, DEPTH, DEPTH…

— In their first 16 periods in Florida (the past two playoffs) the Oilers had scored only two goals at 5×5. But then they exploded for four in the second period and beyond last night. Nurse, Podkolzin, Walman and Draisaitl — Connor McDavid wasn’t on the ice for any of them. The Oilers’ depth showed up when needed most.

Of course Draisaitl played a big role, but the likes of Henrique, Skinner, Frederic, Podkolzin, Nugent-Hopkins, Janmark, Kapanen, Walman and Nurse were a huge part of the offensive surge at 5×5. Scoring four goals 5×5 in the final 51:18 after going 320 minutes with only two 5×5 goals was massive. It saved the Oilers’ season.

— The best part for Edmonton is that McDavid wasn’t on the ice for any of those four goals. He’s actually only been on the ice for one 5×5 goal in six games in Florida. You’d like to think that will eventually change, and maybe it will in Game 6, but regression to the mean doesn’t always happen in short series. The Oilers finally scored 5×5 and that will help them when they return to Florida for Game 6.

— There is no question Pickard has made more big saves in the playoffs, and that’s why I don’t buy the theory the Oilers play better in front of him. He’s made more big saves than Skinner, but the Oilers are still giving up too many HD chances with him goal. The difference is they’ve scored more goals when he plays. The Oilers scored 29 goals in Pickard’s six starts and scored five goals last night when he came in. The Oilers are averaging five goals/game when Pickard starts.

In Skinner’s 13 starts Edmonton has scored 45 goals (3.38). Does Pickard help the offence? Maybe, by making big stops, but in his starts Pickard has a .892Sv% while Skinner has .891Sv%. I’m not sold they actually play better defensively in front of Pickard.

— If the Oilers win the Cup, I don’t see how Draisaitl doesn’t win the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP. He’s scored four OT winners and added an assist. He’s set the NHL record for most OT goals in one year and for most points (5). He’s done it in only six OT games, which is absolutely wild.