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Stanley Cup Final Game 5 takeaways: Panthers one win away from history
The Florida Panthers are one win away from another championship after Saturday's 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers to take a 3-2 series lead. Here are some key takeaways from their Game 5 win.
This was a clinical performance by the Panthers
Everything about this game was the Panthers at their absolute best, and why they have been in three straight Stanley Cup Finals with a chance to win a second.
There was more clutch scoring from Sam Bennett.
There was great goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky when needed.
And there was absolute clinical defensive play to completely shut down one of the highest-powered offenses in the league. It was smothering, championship-caliber defense and play. There was not a team in the NHL that was beating Florida on this night.
Legacies are on the line in Game 6
For both teams.
When it comes to the Panthers, this is a chance for history. It's a chance to join the rare ranks of back-to-back champions and cement themselves as the best team of the 2020s.
But there's something bigger on the line for Edmonton. Specifically, the superstar duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
They have all of the individual honors and stat lines that any player could ever want. They are two of the best, most productive players of their era. But the one thing they are still lacking is their names on the Stanley Cup. Fair or not, this era of sports is defined by rings and championships and for players to take their place among the all-time greats, at least one championship seems to be a must.
McDavid and Draisaitl have been in the NHL for a decade and are still searching for a championship. If they go out without much of a fight in Game 6, it is only going to add to the pressure on them.
Florida's "rats" keep shining
And by rats, we mean their agitators of Brad Marchant and Bennett.
While they are known for their physical and frustrating style of play, they also keep establishing themselves as big-time clutch players. Bennett scored another goal on Saturday, while Marchand added two more to add to his Stanley Cup Final legacy.
It's going to be perfect timing for them as both are set to be unrestricted free agents this summer.
These types of performances stick with general managers, and with the salary cap set to rise this summer, both players are sure to cash in.
Especially if they are key components to another championship.
More must-reads:
- Top standouts from Game 5 of 2025 Stanley Cup Final as Panthers beat Oilers
- Despite benching, we might not have seen the last of Oilers goalkeeper
- The 'Five game-winning-drives in a season' quiz
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Rangers give the rest of the NHL reason to take notice
The New York Rangers marched into Boston and authored a statement victory over the Bruins that reverberates beyond a single game. They won 6-2 on Black Friday and notched their third consecutive victory. The Blueshirts controlled the match from start to finish. Without a doubt, it was their best performance of the season. Context matters. They were coming off a road win against the Carolina Hurricanes, while some analyses downplayed the achievement by focusing on the shot differential. At five-on-five, the Rangers had been more efficient at generating quality chances, and the team showed discipline to avoid costly penalties. All of that resurfaced in Boston, and this time, the execution was reflected in the box score. Artemi Panarin recorded four points with the serenity of someone conducting an orchestra. Mika Zibanejad rediscovered his scoring touch on the power play with the one-timer everyone knows by heart, and he did it twice in less than a minute, with Panarin and Adam Fox on the sequence. Fox added three assists and extended his point streak. Vincent Trocheck continued his near point-per-game production. Alexis Lafrenière battled for his space and was rewarded with the story-sealing empty-net goal. The narrative of an aging core loses steam when the main characters remind you who they are. Rangers showed signs of the depth that wins games The real difference was in the depth. A commitment to rolling four lines paid dividends, with each unit establishing a clear advantage in five-on-five shot battles. That confidence did not come from nowhere. It comes from weeks of progress from the bottom six, with Noah Laba, Brett Berard, Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom and Jonny Brodzinski appearing near the crease and creating clear chances. Having the third and fourth units push the play forward is what separates a competitive team from a dominant one. There were also tactical details. More discipline. A greater ability to draw penalties. Less time handed to the opponent for free. When the game is played at five-on-five and your offensive efficiency holds, the ice tilts in your favor. That's how it was in Boston. That's how it's starting to look during this streak. The good hockey was always there, but luck and some tactical nuances had obscured it. Now it's visible. Three straight wins, a producing core, a responding depth and a game plan that balances play.
Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. Jerry Jones says Jets turned out incredible trade offer for Quinnen Williams “I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation. “A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].” Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a one, and we didn’t get it done.” Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5. If true, Jets made a big mistake If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal. Although Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass-rush win rate. Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass-rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge-rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss. Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter — if not a star — on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons. How realistic is Jerry Jones' claim? But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s. The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge-rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97M. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed Perhaps the Jets didn't want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have. Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.
Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M
In the biggest game of his college football career so far, Texas quarterback Arch Manning grew into the superstar he was touted to be with the nation watching. No. 16 Texas (9-3) earned a huge rivalry win over No. 3 Texas A M (11-1) in Austin on Friday in large part thanks to the second-half play of Manning. Manning was only 8-of-21 for 51 yards in the first half, and the Longhorns trailed the Aggies 10-3 at the break. Texas had an opportunity to kick a field goal and cut the A M lead to four at the break, but an intentional grounding penalty incurred by Manning took that opportunity away. Arch Manning lights up the scoreboard in second half But with the help of a Texas defense that rattled TAMU QB Marcel Reed in the second half, Manning and the 'Horns scored 24 second-half points in a winning effort. Texas' first drive of the second half netted three points, but a strike from Manning to Ryan Wingo on the next UT possession gave the Longhorns the lead and gave Manning some confidence. After another defensive stop, Manning led a six-play, 83-yard TD drive to put the Longhorns up by 10. After Texas A M responded, Manning did as well, running away from the Aggie defense on a 35-yard scoring sprint that ultimately served as the deciding blow. In the end, it was Reed — the more experienced and consistent of the two quarterbacks — that made the back-breaking mistake, throwing an interception deep in Texas territory on a drive that looked poised to end with points. The victory was a team effort for Texas, which will await Saturday's slate of games and beg for several playoff contenders to lose to have a shot at the 12-team playoff field. But it was Manning who would be the face of it. Manning went 14-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown through the air and added 53 yards and a score on the ground. The win serves as the biggest moment of Manning's young UT career. Going into Saturday, Manning's sophomore season was marred by inconsistent play. A career day against Arkansas was contrasted by middling performances against Ohio State and Georgia. Standout efforts in wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were overshadowed by no-shows against UTEP, Kentucky and Florida. But Manning rose to his greatest challenge on Saturday, delivering a win in a rivalry game that nobody in the state of Texas — whether they wear burnt orange or maroon — will soon forget.
Frank Ragnow update fits troubling 2025 Lions pattern
The Detroit Lions can't catch a break. On Saturday, the Lions announced that center Frank Ragnow, who earlier this week came out of retirement to rejoin the team for the stretch run, failed a physical and won't be returning this season after all. Per Detroit's social media account, Ragnow's medical check-up revealed a Grade 3 hamstring strain, eliminating the possibility of the four-time Pro Bowler playing this season. Ragnow, 29, left the game with seemingly plenty left in the tank, and his injury setback is another brutal blow for a Lions team that is starting to look cursed. Frank Ragnow's hamstring injury halts comeback before it even begins Detroit has been dealing with several injuries up front along the offensive line, and Ragnow's potential return would have provided stability to a unit that that's become the team's weak link. In Thursday's 31-24 home loss to the Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), Lions quarterback Jared Goff was pressured on 36.7 percent of his drop-backs and sacked three times, via Pro Football Focus. Graham Glasgow, who replaced Ragnow at center this offseason, missed the game with a knee injury. The Lions are also without left guard Christian Mahogany (leg), further depleting the team's depth. Without Ragnow, Detroit must get more creative in figuring out a way to mask its weakness up front if it's to reach the playoffs in a third consecutive season for just the second time in the Super Bowl era. At 7-5, the Lions are a game behind the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) for the NFC's final wild-card spot. On Thursday, they host the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) in a potential elimination game for the loser. Ragnow's return would have provided a huge boost at the perfect time, fortifying Detroit in the interior of the line of scrimmage. It was the perfect solution to a growing problem. But as has often been the case this season, when it comes to the Lions, it's never that easy.
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