The Florida Panthers are just one victory away from securing back-to-back NHL championships after a commanding 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final Saturday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. This crucial win came just two days after the Panthers lost a three-goal lead at home on Thursday.
The Panthers’ charge toward a consecutive title has been largely fueled by 37-year-old Brad Marchand, a trade deadline acquisition, who scored twice on Saturday to bring his total to six goals in five final games.
With the series tied 2-2 before Game 5, this win gives the Panthers a significant edge. Historically, teams winning Game 5 in a tied Stanley Cup Final go on to win the championship 73% of the time.
Both teams started aggressively, but Florida struck first midway through the opening period. Marchand took the puck off a face-off, outmaneuvered two Oilers defenders, and scored past goalie Calvin Pickard, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Near the end of the first period, Edmonton’s turnover allowed Florida to quickly capitalize again, with Sam Bennett scoring his fifth goal of the finals to put the Panthers up 2-0 heading into the first intermission. Bennett currently leads the postseason with 15 goals.
After a scoreless second period, the third saw Florida continue its offensive push. Marchand scored again on a one-on-one breakaway, marking his 10th goal of this playoff season.
In his 16th NHL season, Marchand is making history by becoming the first player since Mario Lemieux to score five or more goals in two different Stanley Cup Final series. His performance has also moved him to sixth place for most goals scored in the finals during the expansion era.
Shortly after Marchand’s goal, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid finally found the net from a tough angle, narrowing the score to 3-1. But Florida quickly responded when Sam Reinhart fired a shot through traffic, extending the lead to 4-1.
Edmonton’s Corey Perry scored late in the third, but Florida sealed the victory with an empty-net goal from Eetu Luostarinen, maintaining a three-goal margin.
The series now shifts back to South Florida, where the Panthers can become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, did so in 2020 and 2021.
For Edmonton to keep their championship hopes alive, they’ll need to find a way to contain Florida’s dynamic duo of Marchand and Bennett. These two are the first teammates in over 50 years to each score at least five goals in a Stanley Cup Final.
Florida has the chance to close out the series at home on Tuesday in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
