We may be witnessing the greatest Stanley Cup Final series of the 21st century, but for it to truly earn that title, a Game 7 and six more points from Connor McDavid are needed. After the third game, Oilers fans were downcast, as overcoming a 3-0 series deficit seems nearly impossible. Yet, as history shows, winning four games in a row is extremely difficult. The Florida Panthers likely felt the trophy was within reach. While Corey Perry fired up his teammates with passionate speeches, the Panthers headed to Edmonton aiming for a fourth win—only to suffer an 8-1 blowout. In Game 5 at home, a proper response was expected. The hosts attacked from the first shift, created dangerous chances against Stuart Skinner, and earned a power play. But they repeated the same mistake as the previous game: a turnover at the offensive blue line during the man advantage led to Connor Brown’s breakaway against Sergei Bobrovsky, opening the scoring. It brought back memories of Game 3, when debates began over whether Aleksander Barkov or Bobrovsky deserved to be MVP. Now it seems neither does.
Discussions are now swirling that regardless of the series outcome, the Conn Smythe Trophy should go to Connor McDavid. He recorded four points in Game 4 and matched that total in Game 5. McDavid now has 42 points this postseason, trailing Wayne Gretzky’s record by just five. Moreover, no one in NHL history had ever recorded four points in two consecutive playoff games. In Game 5 in Sunrise, McDavid was involved in every subsequent goal by the visitors. First, he assisted on Zach Hyman’s power-play goal—the puck deflected off Hyman’s knee after Evan Bouchard’s shot. Hyman tied the 21st-century record for playoff goals with 15, matching Alex Ovechkin’s mark. Bouchard now has 30 points, becoming the fourth defenseman in NHL history to reach that total in a single playoff run. McDavid scored the third goal himself, with Sergei Bobrovsky failing to cover the near post.
Florida pulled one back through Matthew Tkachuk two minutes later, but mid-period McDavid produced a masterpiece, weaving through three defenders in the offensive zone and setting up Corey Perry for an empty-net goal. The Oilers struck again on the power play. That could have been the end, but 14 seconds later Evan Rodrigues stuffed the puck past Skinner, and early in the third period Oliver Ekman-Larsson made it a one-goal game. The Panthers had 16 minutes to tie, but their efforts fell short. Bobrovsky denied a breakaway, and the Oilers added another empty-netter to seal the win. The Oilers remain with their backs against the wall, but they have dealt a devastating blow from which it may be hard to recover. Now the Panthers’ leaders must deliver fiery speeches, while neutral fans long for a Game 7. Bookmakers’ odds for the matchup in Edmonton:
– Edmonton Oilers win: from 2.20 (BetBoom) to 2.35 (Olimpbet)
– Florida Panthers win: from 2.65 (Winline) to 2.75 (Betsiti, Pari)