The Florida Panthers moved to the verge of the Stanley Cup title by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 5 Saturday. The Panthers’ performance was marked by a disciplined defense and the strong netminding of Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 19 saves. The offense was led by Brett Marchand, who scored multiple goals and joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to achieve this feat multiple times.
The Oilers’ power play, which had been a threat earlier in the series, struggled for much of the game, going 0 for 3. This was partly due to the Panthers’ effective penalty killing, which disrupted the Oilers’ top unit. Connor McDavid managed to score his first goal of the series, but the Panthers quickly restored their lead with a goal from Sam Reinhart. The Panthers wrapped up the victory with an empty-netter from Eetu Luostarinen, effectively silencing the crowd.
Calvin Pickard was the victim of the loss, his first in eight starts, allowing four goals on 18 shots. Skinner could be back for Game 6, and the Panthers aim to close out the series after a long cross-continental trip. The team has shown resilience after a Game 4 comeback, learning from their mistakes and improving their performance. The series remains intense, with both teams vying for the Stanley Cup.