Brad Marchand takes Panthers to within one win of 2nd straight Stanley Cup

Dose
Crédit:

Last night saw the first game of the final 2 of 3 in the Stanley Cup Final, as Game #5 was played in Edmonton with the series tied 2-2.

Game #5 is always a very important one, especially when the series is tied, as it pushes the losing team to the brink.

So it was absolutely a game to watch last night, and above all a game the Oilers had to win.

Unfortunately for them, they escaped by a score of 5-2, while the Panthers were very opportunistic at the right moments.

And the players who were opportunistic for Florida are those who have been so since the start of the playoffs.

Brad Marchand opened the scoring midway through the first frame with a superb individual effort that made Mattias Ehkolm look like a pee-wee defenseman.

None other than Sam Bennett then added to his tally late in the first period with his 15th (!!!) goal of the playoffs, and his 13th away from home.

In short, after one period, it really looked like a copy-paste of Game #4, with the only difference being that the Panthers had scored one less goal.

We all knew that the Oilers were capable of coming back into this game, and they tried to do so in the second period, but to no avail.

We had to wait until the third period to see a third goal in this game, and unfortunately, it didn’t come from the Oilers, as Brad Marchand added to it with another magnificent individual effort.

It’s his 10th goal of the playoffs, but more importantly, it’s his 6th of the finals in just five games. He really got the ball rolling when it mattered most.

The Oilers found themselves with a huge mountain to overcome in a very short space of time, and although Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the final moments later, it was too little too late for Edmonton.

Sam Reinhart restored the Panthers’ three-goal lead less than a minute later.

Corey Perry closed the gap again, but Eetu Luostarinen sealed the game with a goal in an empty net.

In short, the Panthers won 5-2 and are now just one win away from a second consecutive Stanley Cup.

As for the Oilers, they’re on the brink of the abyss, and simply have no room for error.

See you Tuesday for Game #6 in Florida, starting at 8 p.m.

The Panthers lead the series 3-2.

Overtime

– He’s really incredible.

– They’re too good on the road.

– Here are the top scorers from Game #5.

(Credit: NHL.com)