Brad Marchand scored twice and Sam Bennett added his playoff-best 15th goal as the Florida Panthers moved within one win of a second straight Stanley Cup title, topping the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 on Saturday night.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves and Florida’s aggressive defense neutralized Edmonton’s high-powered attack to take a 3-2 series lead.
The Panthers led 3-0 before Connor McDavid finally found the net for his first goal of the series. But Sam Reinhart answered just 46 seconds later to extinguish any momentum, and Eetu Luostarinen’s empty-net goal sealed it. Florida improved to 10-3 on the road this postseason.
Marchand’s two-goal effort gave him 13 career goals in Finals play, the most among active players.
Florida’s penalty kill stifled Edmonton’s power play, holding it scoreless on three tries.
Calvin Pickard, unbeaten in his previous seven playoff starts, allowed four goals on 18 shots in his first loss.
The Panthers can clinch the Cup at home on Tuesday in Sunrise, with puck drop set for 8 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
