The Edmonton Oilers aren’t done yet! Canada’s last hope of ending the country’s more than three-decade Stanley Cup drought did not extend the wait at least another year on Monday against the Florida Panthers.
The Oilers scored four of the game’s first five goals and held off a furious Panthers comeback to send the series back to Alberta with a 5-3 victory in Game 5, giving Florida a third straight game where a win ends. the NHL season in three days.
Game 6 will be Friday night in Edmonton. The teams have lost the previous two games at Rogers Place so far in the series.
The Oilers calmed the Florida crowd early with a shorthanded goal by Connor Brown in the first period.
It was the first time in Stanley Cup Finals history that a team opened the scoring with a goal short in consecutive games.
Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner was fantastic in the closing stages of the Game 5 victory.
It was another physical game between the Oilers and Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals.
To end the first half, the Panthers did not have a shot on goal in the final 14 minutes of the period, and only one after Brown’s score.
The Oilers also came out flying in the second period, with two quick goals from Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid to take a three-goal lead.
Florida finally showed life six minutes into the second half with a goal from Matthew Tkachuk.
McDavid showed his magic less than two minutes later by beating a Panthers defender and setting up Corey Perry with a tip-in to give the Oilers a 4-1 lead.
The rest of the game was leaning toward the Edmonton net, but the Oilers leaned in and didn’t break to give up the lead.
A tap-in by Evan Rodrigues brought the score to 4-2, and a one-time shot by Oliver Ekman-Larsson pulled the Panthers within one with 16 minutes left in the game.
From that point on, the Oilers managed to stay ahead while the Panthers seemingly had all the momentum.
Edmonton was finally able to breathe after McDavid’s second goal of the game into an empty net with 19 seconds left.
Connor McDavid once again showed why he is one of the best hockey players on the planet
Oilers tried to set the tone physically from the jump as they returned to road play
The Edmonton Oilers extended the Stanley Cup Finals by at least one more game on Friday
Florida Panthers fans look on dejected as their team failed to take home the Stanley Cup.
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner made 30 saves in the game to be one of the main cogs in sending the championship series back to Alberta.
“You can never rule out oil. Getting these two victories was crucial. We’ve got another one to get in Edmonton,’ Skinner said.
Skinner declined to say whether Game 6 will be the biggest game of his life taking place in Edmonton.
“I’m really excited to come home, see the family and play another game,” Skinner added.
