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The Edmonton Oilers are hosting the Florida Panthers in a pivotal Game 5 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final tonight.
With the series tied at two games apiece, tonight's game will go a long way towards deciding which team ultimately lifts the Cup. After his impressive relief appearance in Game 4, Calvin Pickard is making his first start of the series for the Oilers tonight.
Between late goals, come-from-behind wins and plenty of overtimes, this series has been one for the ages. Follow live updates below to find out what Game 5 has in store for us!
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Oilers’ Game 4 comeback could be the stuff of legend on their path to Stanley Cup
Leon Draisaitl has been the ultimate clutch player throughout the Oilers' run this postseason. He has scored both of Edmonton's game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup Final, both coming in overtime. One more game winner would make him just the third player in the NHL's modern era (since 1943-44) to record three in a single SCF, joining Jean Beliveau in 1960 and 1965 and Jacques Lemaire in 1977.
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Despite not scoring in Game 4, Brad Marchand already has four goals in this series. One more would make him just the seventh player in NHL history to score five goals in multiple Stanley Cup Finals, after he previously did so in 2011 for the Bruins.
The only player to achieve that feat in the past 59 years is Mario Lemieux, who did so in 1991 and 1992 with the Penguins.
Brad Marchand spoke about the need for the Panthers to forget their collapse in Game 4 ahead of tonight.
"I mean, obviously it was a disappointing loss, but pages turn pretty quick this time of year," he said. "You can't get caught thinking ahead or behind, it has to be in the moment. Especially with the quick turnaround to this game, guys did a good job of resetting and doing what they had to do to be prepared for this game here tonight."
With 43 goals and 106 assists in the playoffs, Connor McDavid needs one more point tonight to become the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach 150 career points.
The only players who reached that milestone in fewer games are Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
Connor McDavid spoke about the massive opportunity the Oilers have tonight to take a 3-2 series lead.
"Obviously, it's a different feeling than it was last year," he said. "Being down three, chasing the whole series. It's a chance to put ourselves in a good spot here tonight with a big effort. We're excited. I'm sure they're excited too. Everyone's excited. It's a big game."
Kris Knoblauch isn't making any changes from Game 4 to the six defensemen in the lineup, which means that Troy Stecher keeps his place over John Klingberg.
That's a bit surprising given Stecher was benched for the rest of the game on Thursday after playing one shift at the start of the second period. He had been at fault for the Panthers' third goal in the first period, though he was also high-sticked by Carter Verhaeghe during the play.
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In addition to sticking with Calvin Pickard in net, Kris Knoblauch is making a slight tweak to his lineup. After Jeff Skinner replaced Viktor Arvidsson in the lineup for Game 4, Arvidsson is returning for Game 5 in place of Kasperi Kapanen.
Knoblauch said that the quicker turnaround between games is part of why Arvidsson is getting the nod tonight, the forward not having played since Monday.
"It's exciting, a good opportunity for me, obviously," Calvin Pickard said regarding starting tonight. "It feels like another game for me. Obviously getting the time in last game and not having much time to think about it and not having much room for error, then obviously our team really battling back and getting the win, it gives us confidence.
“The building is going to be electric tonight. It's definitely going to be an exciting day."
Calvin Pickard will make his first start of the Stanley Cup Final tonight after relieving Stuart Skinner in Game 4 and playing an instrumental role in helping the Oilers come from behind to win.
Pickard made 22 saves on 23 shots in relief after Skinner had allowed three goals during the first period. The 33-year-old has a perfect 7-0 record this postseason with a 2.69 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage.
Connor McDavid continues to demonstrate that he's the best passer in the world. He leads all skaters with 26 assists this postseason, five clear of Leon Draisaitl in second place with 21, and nearly double the leading Panther of Matthew Tkachuk with 14!
In the Stanley Cup Final, he's recorded six assists through the first four games, but has yet to score a goal. He has six goals in the playoffs overall, two shy of his output of eight last year.
In last year's Final, he was kept from scoring any goals in the first three games, before breaking out for three goals between Games 4 and 5.
Despite being kept from scoring a goal for the first time in this series in Game 4, Sam Bennett's goal scoring run in the playoffs has been particularly impressive given he's never been a prolific scorer in the regular season.
The 28-year-old scored 25 goals this past regular season, three shy of his career high of 28 set in 2021-22. Meanwhile, he's up to 14 goals this postseason, good for double his previous high of seven set last year.
Another goal in this series would make him the first player in 105 years to score 15 goals in a postseason after never recording a 30-goal regular season entering that playoff run.
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Carter Verhaeghe is perfectly happy with this series going to at least six games.
"Every series, we get into our mindset is it's going to go seven," he said. "Right now it's 2-2 and it's the best-of-3. We like to grind. We have a grinding game, and we have to play physical. We like it when it goes longer."
Playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the sixth time in his career, Corey Perry is having a lot of fun.
"Pressure is a privilege," the 40-year-old said. "It's just hockey. It's fun. We're down to two teams and Game 5. There's probably 650 other (active NHL players) that want to be in this position, so just enjoy it."
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Between all the goals, overtime periods and comeback wins, Brad Marchand thinks this has been a "pretty incredible" Stanley Cup Final so far.
"This is one of the tightest series I think anyone will ever see," he said. "Most exciting. Just the talent level and how close these two teams are, how back and forth the games have been, it's been very exciting, a little nerve wracking at times.
"We're all big fans of the game still and to have these two teams playing each other and playing the way they are and the games playing out the way they have, it makes you realize why you love the game so much but also why this trophy is the hardest there is to win."
Three of the four games in this Stanley Cup Final have seen come-from-behind wins, the lone exception being the Panthers' blowout victory in Game 3. That's the most comeback wins in a Final since 2022, when there were three in the entire series between the Avalanche and Lightning.
There have been only six Final series with at least four comeback wins overall: five in 1987, 1971 and 1950, as well as four in 1980, 1978 and 1964.
We've played four games in this series and already had three go to overtime, which is tied for the second-most OT games in Stanley Cup Final history. This series is one of five in history to feature three OT games within the first four contests, along with:
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With 32 total goals so far, this is the fourth-highest-scoring Stanley Cup Final through four games in league history, and the highest-scoring in 44 years. The three series that have had more goals at this stage:
Anytime you're mentioning the Vancouver Millionaires, you know you're looking at some pretty old history!
There are games in the history of the Stanley Cup Final that are not easily forgotten.
If the Edmonton Oilers go on to win two more games and end Canada’s 32-year Cup drought, everyone will remember where they were on June 12, 2025.
What a freaking game.
A 3-0 Florida Panthers lead after the first period. A timely Edmonton goalie switch. Four consecutive goals by the Oilers. Sam Reinhart ties it with 19.5 seconds left, throwing more adversity at Edmonton. And finally, in the magical moment, it was lead-by-example Leon Draisaitl winning it 11:18 into overtime.
Bonkers.
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Oilers’ Game 4 comeback could be the stuff of legend on their path to Stanley Cup
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell picked up a loose puck off a turnover in the high slot and barrelled towards the net with a chance to make a big lead surely insurmountable. A goal here and the game, and maybe even the Stanley Cup Final, might be over.
This was Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard’s big moment, maybe the most important moment of his career.
Having faced just two shots after replacing teammate Stuart Skinner, who was pulled after a disastrous first period by the Oilers, Pickard was being thrown into the deep end.
He was up to the task.
Pickard turned aside Lundell with his blocker at 11:24 of the second period to keep his team down two goals and within striking distance. Cue the season-saving comeback.
The Oilers evened the Final with a 5-4 victory in Game 4 on Thursday, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl’s fourth overtime winner – an NHL record – at 11:18 of the extra frame. They wouldn’t even have had a chance to do so without Pickard’s heroics, starting with that massive stop on Lundell.
Read more on Pickard below.
GO FURTHER
Calvin Pickard, saving pucks and playoff runs alike, comes to Oilers’ rescue yet again
