Panthers Drop Game 5 to Oilers, Head Back to Hostile Ice

That gulping sound you hear in South Florida isn't frogs in the Everglades. It's Florida Panthers fans officially nervous after the Panthers let a golden opportunity slip away on home ice on Tuesday night, falling 5-3 to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The loss sends the series back to Canada for Game 6 on Friday night, when the Panthers will have another attempt at their first championship.

Here's hoping the third try is a charm.

The one bright spot coming off an 8-1 drubbing in Game 4 was that it afforded the Panthers a chance to win the Cup in front of their home crowd. However, the Oilers weren't willing to play a supporting role in that storybook ending to the season. 

CONNOR BROWN SHORTY TO KICK OFF GAME 5🚨 pic.twitter.com/fPwYSsubpN

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 19, 2024

You knew things wouldn't be all champagne and Bud Lights when Connor Brown set the tone with a shorthanded goal in the first period, snatching a Brandon Montour pass and breaking away for an unassisted goal just five minutes into the game.

The Oilers extended their lead with a power-play goal from Zach Hyman, who deflected an Evan Bouchard point shot into the net late in the period.

In the second period, Connor McDavid — the Oilers figure-skating savant — put on a magic show by splitting the defense and scoring a goal on Sergei Bobrovsky's doorstep, making it 3-0.

MCJESUS HAS ENTERED THE CHAT!

3-0 OILERS 😳 pic.twitter.com/tiTdyDv2mG

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 19, 2024

The Panthers were dead in the water, right? Wrong! Just moments later, the team responded with a goal from Matthew Tkachuk on a takeaway and assist from Evan Rodrigues, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

Just when you thought it was safe to switch over to Netflix, the Panthers turned it on.

Panthers forecheck gets a turnover and Tkachuk makes it 3-1 pic.twitter.com/bPONyJfxOS

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 19, 2024

After trading a pair of goals and ending the second period on an absolute blitz upon Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, Oliver Ekman-Larsson opened the third period with a rifled shot over Skinner's glove to bring the score to 4-3.

We're so back. The Panthers were writing a script fit for Hollywood in front of our eyes.

PANTHERS MAKE IT A 4-3 GAME 👀

(via @BR_OpenIce)pic.twitter.com/OE5vh0a376

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 19, 2024

Unfortunately, the script turned out to be fit for Hollywood, Florida. Because that would be Florida's last goal.

The entire third period would be an anxiety-fest filled with just-misses, powerplay kills, missed calls by the referees, and, finally, McDavid scoring an empty-net goal to seal the deal at 5-3 despite a valiant diving effort by Tkachuk to sweep away the puck. McDavid has 42 points racked up during the 2024 playoffs, five behind Wayne Gretzky's all-time record — which he set in 1985 while playing for none other than the Oilers.

The Panthers now face a daunting task: returning to Edmonton for Game 6 to face an Oilers team that has shown undeniable prowess when their backs are against the wall. The energy in Canada is sure to be off-the-charts, with Edmonton fans slabbering at the prospect of resurrecting their team's glory days.

South Florida's potential parade planning will have to wait another three days at least. The Panthers and Oilers will run it all back once again on Friday night, and hopefully, the Panthers won't need another game on home ice until next season.