The Florida Panthers are on the brink of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.
Brad Marchand scored two goals to power the Panthers to a comprehensive 5-2 victory over the Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 14 in Edmonton.
Marchand and Sam Bennett netted goals in the first period and the Panthers’ stifling defense maintained a two-goal advantage until Marchand scored again in the third period to give Florida yet another 3-0 lead.
Oilers star Connor McDavid answered quickly to give Edmonton brief life before Sam Reinhart’s goal restored the Panthers’ three-goal lead.
Edmonton pulled goalie Calvin Pickard with just under four minutes remaining and it paid off as Corey Perry capitalized on the Oilers’ man advantage.
In the Oilers’ final desperate comeback attempts, Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen silenced the Edmonton crowd with a rolling shot into an empty net from the defensive end of the ice.
The Panthers and Oilers will play Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET in Sunrise.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Stanley Cup Final: Brad Marchand fuels Panthers over Oilers in Game 5