EDMONTON, Alberta — Brad Marchand is making more highlights for his new team, Sam Bennett is piling up the goals again, and the Florida Panthers are on the verge of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row.
Marchand scored twice, Bennett had his playoff-leading 15th goal and the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven title series.
The Panthers improved to 10-3 on the road during this run, matching the NHL record for victories away from home in a single postseason. They can hoist the Stanley Cup again as soon as Tuesday night if they win Game 6 on home ice in Sunrise.
“It was very solid game, definitely,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. “But the series continues, and we are excited about the next game. It’s going to be a big game.”
Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers.