Earning another character win while facing elimination, the Edmonton Oilers rained on the Florida Panthers’ (hypothetical) Stanley Cup parade on Tuesday night.
While the game was close as both teams traded goals throughout three periods, Oilers captain Connor McDavid ultimately sealed the deal for Edmonton with his second marker of the night — an empty netter in the dying seconds of the third.
Panthers players and staff were understandably disappointed as hockey’s most famous piece of hardware remained in its box, with Edmonton forcing a Game 6.
However, none made their frustrations more evident than Florida general manager Bill Zito.
With a Sportsnet camera cutting to his suite after the Oilers put the game out of reach, Zito could not contain himself, furiously whipping a water bottle across the room before turning his back to the ice.
Meanwhile, special advisor to the general manager Roberto Luongo rested his face on his hands as he sported a disgruntled look.
Bill Zito was RATTLED after McDavid’s empty netter pic.twitter.com/YMq5rmLBBk
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 19, 2024
With his latest goal, McDavid became the only player not named Wayne Gretzky to record multiple four-point games in a single Stanley Cup Final. The 27-year-old’s postseason point total is now at 42, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
His teammates are undoubtedly grateful.
“Connor doing Connor things,” Zach Hyman said, summarizing the captain’s Game 5 performance. “That’s what makes him special. He’s able to elevate his games at the most important times. The biggest reason why we’ve come so far. We’re not here without him. He continues to drive the bus for us.”
Still, the Oilers, who were down 3-0 before winning Game 4, will have to pull out another clutch performance to push this series to sudden death.
Game 6 in Edmonton will get underway on Friday night. Puck drop is set for 5 pm PT/6 pm MT/8 pm ET.
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