Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers were dominated by the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton lost its cool in the third period, sparking a line brawl between the teams. In the end, the Oilers dropped this game by a score of 6-1. And they now trail in this series.

Edmonton did not put its best foot forward in this game. And their performance shows a major contrast between their first two games. They played rather tight, close games against the Panthers back home in Edmonton. They won the first game in overtime while dropping Game 2 in double overtime.

Still, the Oilers had things to clean up. And it seems as if McDavid agrees. He made a rather striking comment following Game 3 to this effect. It was essentially a warning to Florida that this team is not ready to roll over and give up. “I don't think our best has shown up all series long, but it's coming,” McDavid said, via The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

How Oilers' Connor McDavid can impact 2025 Stanley Cup Final

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) reacts against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
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There are very, very few players like McDavid in NHL history, let alone the current makeup of the league. The Oilers captain is on track to go down as one of the greatest players of all time. The only thing he is missing is a Stanley Cup.

McDavid has shown he can make a massive impact in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, the Oilers captain had a historic postseason run that resulted in him winning the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. This is in spite of the fact that his team lost the Stanley Cup Final in seven games against these same Panthers.

McDavid was a force in last year's Final. In fact, he was the only player who scored more than 10 points in the series. He had 11 points in seven games as Edmonton fought back from 3-0 down. The next closest players in terms of scoring for the Oilers were Warren Foegele and Evan Bouchard, who each had five points.

There aren't many players who can break games open like McDavid. And even fewer can take over an entire series. The Oilers captain may need to take over one more time this postseason if he wants this Panthers series to end with his first Stanley Cup ring.