Edmonton Oilers Stun Opponent in Nail-Biting Game 5, Closing In on Stanley Cup Glory

The Edmonton Oilers delivered a stunning 5-4 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, erasing a three-goal deficit and knotting the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. Leon Draisaitl buried the winner at 11:18 of OT after Connor McDavid spearheaded a furious second-period rally with a goal and two primary assists. The comeback unfolded before a star-studded crowd at Amerant Bank Arena that included pop icon Taylor Swift and NFL champion Travis Kelce, whose surprise appearance lit up social media during intermission breaks. Down 3-0 midway through the contest, Edmonton struck three times in a 6:12 span—Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid and Zach Hyman—to level the score before Evan Bouchard’s point blast in the third gave the Oilers their first lead. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk answered with 2:07 left to force overtime, setting the stage for Draisaitl’s dagger on a feed from McDavid that silenced the home crowd and shifted momentum north of the border. Edmonton’s win not only guarantees a Game 6 at Rogers Place but flips home-ice advantage as the series returns to Alberta for a pivotal Game 5 tomorrow night. Historically, teams that win Game 5 in a 2-2 Stanley Cup Final go on to hoist the Cup nearly 80 percent of the time, raising the stakes for both clubs. Coach Kris Knoblauch praised his captain’s resilience: “Connor refused to let us quit. When your leader performs like that, everyone follows.” Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice called the loss “a gut punch” but vowed his group would “reset and respond.” Key storylines heading into Game 5 • Special Teams Surge: Edmonton’s power play, which led the NHL in the regular season, is now 3-for-12 in the Final, while Florida’s once-lethal penalty kill has surrendered goals in back-to-back games. • Goalie Duel: Stuart Skinner shook off an early wobble to stop 32 of the final 33 shots, whereas Sergei Bobrovsky has yielded nine goals across the past two outings after allowing just three in Games 1-2. • Health Watch: Panthers center Aleksander Barkov left briefly in the third period but is expected to play; Oilers winger Evander Kane remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. What’s next Game 5 drops the puck Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports). Edmonton seeks its first Stanley Cup since 1990, while Florida chases the franchise’s maiden title. With McDavid inching closer to the Conn Smythe conversation and Draisaitl regaining his scoring touch, the Oilers have turned a once-lopsided Final into must-see TV worldwide. Fans searching for streaming options, live scores and ticket updates should keep refreshing official NHL platforms and local broadcasters as demand surges heading into what promises to be a series-defining showdown.