McDavid vows to "drag them back to Alberta" after blowout win

The Edmonton Oilers have lived to play another day after a blowout win over the Florida Panthers and the focus now shifts to Game 5 on Tuesday.

It’s now a 3-1 series and the Oilers are still on the verge of elimination if they make even one more misstep. The team took a large step by avoiding the sweep, but they will have to win three games in a row if they want to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada.

For Connor McDavid, the focus is winning the next game and nothing else. In his post-game availability alongside Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers captain detailed a succinct game plan for his team heading into Game 5 and it includes making life that much more difficult for the Panthers.

“We have to go to Florida and do a job and drag them back to Alberta,” McDavid said.

“We got to go to Florida and do a job and drag them back to Alberta.”

Connor McDavid on the job that lies ahead for the Oilers. pic.twitter.com/LY0ERYdVmz

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 16, 2024

A win in Game 5 would force a Game 6 back in Edmonton on Friday night. This means that the Panthers would have to delay their celebrations and embark on yet another five-hour flight to the Alberta capital, which is sure to not be in their best interest. The distance between Edmonton and Florida is the longest between two teams in the Stanley Cup Final in NHL history.

The Oilers, on the other hand, are hoping that they will have to make that flight a few more times in this series as they will need to win this one in seven games. It’s not going to get any easier for the Oilers, but they feel like they play at their best when the odds are stacked against them.

“We’re most comfortable when our backs are against the wall,” Connor Brown told reporters after the game.

They will need to put in a repeat performance if they want to get a shot at tying this series up on home ice. If the Oilers can put together a win on Tuesday, the Panthers will be gaining quite a bit of miles on their frequent flyer cards.