The Edmonton Oilers are hanging by a thread.
Down 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers dropped Game 5 at home to the Florida Panthers, 5-2, in a night defined by another slow start and Brad Marchand’s cold-blooded finishing.
Marchand scored twice, including a dazzling solo effort early in the third, silencing Rogers Place and cementing Florida’s grip on the series. The Panthers now return to Sunrise, Florida with a chance to clinch the Cup on home ice Tuesday.
Once again, the Oilers couldn’t get going early — down 2-0 after just one period, managing only three shots. Marchand struck first, then Sam Bennett added another off a rebound to continue Edmonton’s first-period woes.
“We’re always chasing the game,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “That’s not a recipe for success.”
Marchand’s second, a highlight-reel rush and finish through Pickard’s five-hole, put Florida up 3-0 and deflated the home crowd. McDavid responded moments later with his first of the Final, but Sam Reinhart answered back in under a minute. Corey Perry made it 4-2 late with Pickard pulled, but Eetu Luostarinen’s empty-netter sealed it.
The Panthers tied an NHL record with their 10th road win of the playoffs. Marchand, meanwhile, became the first player to score five or more goals in a Stanley Cup Final with two different teams.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “We win faceoffs and somehow still end up fishing the puck out of our net.”
Now, Edmonton must rally again — just like last year — or watch Florida hoist the Cup.
“Game 6 will be our toughest yet,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “But we believe. We have to.”
