The Edmonton Oilers were able to outlast the Florida Panthers to win Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers used a three-goal second period to create just enough separation to record a 5-3 win.
In doing so, the Oilers were able to extend the series and force a Game 6 in Edmonton on Friday.
Oilers star center Connor McDavid produced another sensational outing with two goals and two assists. It marked the second consecutive game in which McDavid tallied a four-point performance.
His four-point outing brings his 2024 postseason total to 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists), which is the fourth-most in a single postseason in NHL history.
McDavid ended up assisting on the eventual game-winning goal at the 11:54 mark of the second period. The star forward weaved his way through the Panthers defense before dishing off a picture-perfect pass to Corey Perry for the tap-in goal.
The goal was quite historic for the 19-year veteran. Perry is now the only player in NHL history to score a Stanley Cup Final goal with five different teams.
The Oilers got off to quite a strong start as they ended up jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Just five minutes into the second period, Oilers forward Warren Foegele secured the puck on the forecheck, and was able to get the puck over to McDavid. McDavid was able to skate his way in and score from the side of the net after Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't set in his stance.
Just when it appeared that the Panthers were firmly in the driver's seat, the Panthers scored two of the next three goals to make it a 4-2 game entering the third period.
Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson added a goal just 4:04 into the third period, but the Oilers did just enough to outlast the Panthers down the stretch. McDavid added an empty-net goal at the 19:41 mark to put the game out of reach.
The Oilers have now lit up Bobrovsky for a grand total of nine goals over the past two games. In the opening three contests of the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton had scored just four total goals.
