Connor McDavid wanted the Edmonton Oilers to bring the Florida Panthers back to Alberta, then he did the whole lot in his power to make that occur.
McDavid scored twice, including the empty-net goal for the win, and assisted on two more goals to win the Stanley Cup Final with a 5:3 victory In Game 5 Tuesday night – Avoid elimination and send the series back across North America. Game 6 is Friday in Edmonton.
“I love playing in the playoffs,” McDavid said. “I love playing with this group. It's been a great time and we're glad it's going to go on for another day. But that's all we've earned here: another day, another flight. We'll be ready to go in Edmonton on Friday.”
With two consecutive four-point performances, McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky in 1985 because the only players to attain 4 or more points in two Finals games. His eight during that span are probably the most for a player in consecutive games for a team getting ready to the abyss.
“Connor does Connor things,” said linemate Zach Hyman, who scored his playoff-leading fifteenth goal with an assist from McDavid. “That's what makes him so special. He's able to elevate his game in the most important moments, the main reason we've come this far. We wouldn't be here without him. He continues to be the boss.”
“Take them back to Alberta” became the Oilers' rallying cry, began by McDavid after he first prevented a sweep and repeated by Connor Brown hours before puck drop in Sunrise. Brown, the opposite Connor, scored five minutes into the shorthanded period after Stuart Skinner made several great saves in the primary few periods because the Panthers made a robust push for his or her second likelihood to win the Cup.
That could have to attend, nevertheless, as Edmonton was in a position to extend the series at 5-on-4 with a 0-0 power play, which was equalized by goals from Hyman and Corey Perry, each with an assist from McDavid.
“He carries the team on his shoulders,” Perry said. “When we're in trouble, he carries us on his shoulders and plays. You can see why he's the best player.”
Former referee Kerry Fraser, who worked within the finals 12 times during his long profession, posted on social media: “Connor McDavid reminds me of how Mark Messier could take over a playoff game and ultimately a series.” Fraser was referring to Messier leading the Oilers to the Cup in 1990 – the franchise's last championship title, which capped that dynasty's streak of 5 wins in seven years.
McDavid has now scored 42 points on this run. Only Gretzky (twice) and Mario Lemieux have scored more points in a single postseason. His forty second goal into an empty net with 19 seconds left sparked the Oilers' victory song, “La Bamba,” being played throughout Edmonton.
“We believe in it,” fan Trevor Savage said after watching Game 5. “We all knew it was possible. We knew Connor could lead us. We knew the team would be ready, and we're just looking forward to Game 6 at home.”
McDavid didn’t do the towing alone.
With Brown's goal, Edmonton managed to attain in two consecutive games within the finals while short-handed for the primary time for the reason that Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 (Mario Lemieux and Bob Errey). And Skinner, whose game before the series looked like the most important uncertaintystopped 29 of the 32 shots fired at him.
Meanwhile, the Oilers met Sergei Bobrovsky again, three nights after chase him out of game 4 within the midst of an 8-1 victory. In particular, McDavid's goal on Tuesday night from a good angle, a straightforward goal for the goalie everyone calls “Bob.”
An even shakier Bobrovsky when the series moves back to Edmonton could set the stage for a comeback the likes of which hasn't been seen in over 80 years. The Oilers were only the third team in Cup Final history, and the primary since New Jersey in 2012, to fall behind 3-0 and win the subsequent two games. The only team to return back and win all of it again was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It's been a crazy story all year,” Hyman said. “We have to keep writing it. It's not a good story if you don't finish it.”
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