Oilers have no room for error left in Stanley Cup Final

Though the path to get here was different this time around, the Edmonton Oilers are right back where they were last year — One loss away from watching the Florida Panthers lift the Stanley Cup.

After a come-from-behind overtime victory in Game 4 knotted the Cup Final at two games each, the Oilers again fumbled home-ice advantage with a 5-2 loss at Rogers Place in Game 5. The Panthers scored twice in the first period and made the score 3-0 early in the third. Under a minute after Connor McDavid put Edmonton on the board, the Panthers scored to restore their three-goal lead.

The Oilers will now have to go back on the road and beat the Panthers in Florida in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Edmonton. Otherwise, they’ll become the first team to lose in back-to-back Cup Finals since the late 1970s.

This certainly isn’t the script Edmonton was hoping for in this year’s Stanley Cup Rematch, but nobody expected a series against the Panthers to be easy. It’s also worth noting that McDavid’s Oilers are in a similar spot to Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins just before they won their first Stanley Cup.

After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Cup Final, the Penguins and Wings met again the following year in 2009. The two teams split the first four games of the series and then Detroit took a 3-2 lead with a commanding 5-0 victory in Game 5 at home. The Pens kept the series alive with a 2-1 win at home in Game 6 and then edged out another 2-1 win on the road in Game 7.

The Panthers don’t want to come back to Edmonton for a deciding game, so they’re going to throw everything they can at the Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday. If they’re not up for the challenge, they’ll have to watch Florida lift the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row.

The Penguins decided they weren’t going to watch the Red Wings celebrate again. Will the Oilers do the same?

What they said…

Head coach Kris Knoblauch on how the Panthers won Game 5…

“We should take some credit and give it to them. The simple pass, tape-to-tape, it’s one thing if there is a defender in the way and you have to make a difficult pass through skates or over a stick or something like that. I think it was probably a little bit of both.”

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on what the Oilers need to change for Game 6…

“We’re a team that can always find a way to come back, but it’s not always going to happen. Sometimes when you put yourself behind you’re not going to find ways to get back. We’ve got to figure out our first period here and we’ll look to correct that in Game 6.”

“You talk about backs against the wall and this is the ultimate. We’ll be prepared to play and make sure that we’re ready to go.”

Mattias Ekholm on another slow start to a game for the Oilers…

“I think we’ve come out flat now most of the series, so that’s something.

“I think it’s a mindset. I think we just have to make sure we get pucks in and try to put pressure on them. They’re a good team for a reason, and they’ve come out and shown that early in games. We’ve got to find a way to be better than that at the start.”

Sam Reinhart on the Panthers being comfortable in high-pressure situations…

“The more times you’re in a situation like this the more comfortable you’re going to be. We’ve been staying in the moment very well, all postseason. It’s just about handling your day. We did what we set out to do today. Now it’s about recovering and getting back at it in a couple days.”

Brad Marchand on enjoying the moment in the Stanley Cup Final… 

“I’ve said it a ton of times, we’re just enjoying the moment. It’s a special time, special memories that we’re going to have forever. I’m not really nervous, just excited.”

Up next…

The Panthers will host the Oilers for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, June 17, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. A victory by the Oilers would force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Edmonton on Friday.