Brad Marchand scored two goals to lead the Florida Panthers to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, giving his team a three-game series lead. The Panthers now have a chance to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup title.
Marchand got the scoring started with a goal at 9:12 of the first period after collecting a loose puck off a faceoff at center ice. He then fired the puck past Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard, skating through two Oilers defenders in the process.
The Panthers’ power play unit was strong throughout the game, and Marchand’s second goal came when Florida posted another multi-goal effort in the first period. Sam Bennett scored twice in the first period to put the Panthers up 2-0, with Bennett’s goals marking his fifth in the Stanley Cup Final and 15th in the playoffs.
Neither team scored in the second period, but Connor McDavid nearly cut the lead in half during a power play. However, Marchand’s third goal at 5:12 of the third period sealed the deal for Florida, putting them up 3-0.
The Oilers eventually cut the deficit to 4-2 with Corey Perry’s extra attacker goal, but Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart scored in the final minutes of regulation to put the game out of reach. Luostarinen scored an empty-netter to seal the win for Florida.
Marchand’s performance has earned him a spot on the top star list in Game 5, with six goals in this Stanley Cup Final and 12 all-time as an active player. The Panthers will host Game 6 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, where they can cement back-to-back Stanley Cups or risk losing the title to Edmonton in Game 7 on Friday.
Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25208367-brad-marchand-glorified-nhl-fans-panthers-beat-oilers-stanley-cup-final-g5