Brad Marchand torches Edmonton Oilers in game 5 as Florida Panthers move one win from Stanley Cup redemption

Time of India

14 hours ago

Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
The Florida Panthers just keep finding ways to respond. After a wild collapse in Game 4, they came out in Game 5 and left no doubt. With a steady mix of veteran leadership, timely offense, and lockdown defense, Florida took down the Edmonton Oilers 5–2 on Saturday night — moving within one win of a second straight Stanley Cup title.
Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Bennett kept up his playoff tear, and Sergei Bobrovsky was steady when it mattered most.
Brad Marchand's historic night, a shutdown on McDavid, and a ruthless Panthers penalty kill push Florida to the edge of Stanley Cup glory
Game 5 felt different from the start. The
Florida Panthers
didn't just jump out to a lead — they protected it and built on it. Marchand lit the spark with two goals, tying a Finals feat only Mario Lemieux had matched in the last 50 years: scoring five or more goals in multiple championship series. With 13 career goals in the Final, no active player has more.
Sam Bennett added his league-best 15th of the playoffs to help Florida build a 3–0 cushion. The Oilers finally got a pulse when Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series — but Florida punched right back. Just 46 seconds later, Sam Reinhart answered, killing any momentum Edmonton hoped to gain.
The Panthers' defense clamped down after that. Edmonton had a few flashes, but their top guns — McDavid,
Leon Draisaitl
, and the rest of the power play unit — never found rhythm.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Machala: Inicia hoy con Amazon CFD y construye un segundo ingreso.
Empezar ahora
Registrarse
Undo
Florida's penalty kill was aggressive and smart, forcing mistakes and keeping the Oilers 0-for-3 on the man advantage.
Bobrovsky didn't face a barrage but did what he had to, stopping 19 of 21 shots. The only real push from Edmonton came too late, with Corey Perry scoring with just over three minutes left before Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter.
Now up 3–2 in the series, Florida returns home for Game 6 with a chance to close things out in front of their fans. The Panthers have now won 10 road games this postseason, but Tuesday night offers a shot at something even sweeter — lifting the Cup in their own building. With Marchand rolling, Bennett finishing, and Bobrovsky locked in, the title is within reach.
Also Read:
NHL MVP Showdown: Nikita Kucherov, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor Hellebuyck clash for 2025 Hart Trophy ahead of Game 4