The Edmonton Oilers had recovered home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final with an improbable Game 4 comeback, beating the Florida Panthers in overtime after being down 3-0 after one period. In Game 5, however, Edmonton was unable to keep that momentum going.

Florida suffocated the Western Conference champs right from luck drop on Saturday night in Edmonton, racing out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and running away with a 5-2 victory to take a 3-2 series lead and move within one win of winning the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year.

Despite the mess that was Game 5 and the fact that the Oilers are heading back to Florida for Game 6 on the road, defenseman Jake Walman is still confident that Edmonton hasn't played its last game in front of its home crowd, via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic.

“This was always going to be a long series,” Walman said. “We’re going to come back here after a game there, and that’s it. There’s no doubt.”

Article Continues Below
More Edmonton Oilers News
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman (96) controls the puck against Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand (63) during the second period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
How Panthers’ Brad Marchand had Oilers star ‘feeling s****y’Christopher Hennessy ·
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) reacts with goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) after defeating the Dallas Stars in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.
Oilers not committing to starting goalie for Game 6 vs. PanthersTroy Finnegan ·
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates during the warmup period against the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
Panthers’ Sam Bennett reveals key to Game 5 masterpiece vs. OilersChristopher Hennessy ·
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch looks on during the third period against the Florida Panthers in game four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena.
Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch defends Calvin Pickard after nightmare Game 5 vs. PanthersBenjamin Adducchio ·
Oilers most to blame for Stanley Cup Final Game 5 dud
Edmonton Oilers most to blame for Stanley Cup Final Game 5 dud vs. PanthersRB Hayek ·
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck against Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) during the third period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
NHL fan goes viral for Oilers-Panthers jersey change during Stanley Cup Final Game 5Owen Crisafulli ·

After seeming to find some answers near the end of Game 4, especially on offense, the Oilers had nothing for the defending champs in Game 5 at home. The Panthers limited their shots and opportunities throughout, and that allowed them to control most of the game.

Still, the Oilers have proven that they can win on the road in this series even when they look down and out. The series seemed close to over after the first period of Game 4 with the Panthers poised to take a 3-1 series lead before Edmonton came all the way back and silenced the crowd with an incredible Houdini act.

If the Oilers want to get their revenge on the Panthers from last year's Cup Final loss and lift the trophy on their side this year, they will have to find some solutions to beat this elite Panthers squad two times in a row. The first test will come on the road in Game 6 on Tuesday night before a possible Game 7 back in Edmonton on Friday.