Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard entered the Stanley Cup Final on the cusp of history. However, he and his assistant coach Paul Coffey wanted to keep his focus on the task at hand. Edmonton is still working at that task, but Bouchard is no longer on the cusp of history. He has officially etched his name into the record books.
The Oilers defenseman dished out three assists in the second period of Game 5 on Tuesday. As a result, he now has 26 assists in the 2024 postseason. He now holds the all-time single postseason record for assists by a defenseman in league history, according to Hockey Reference. Coffey was the previous record holder, having recorded 25 assists in 1985.
Bouchard has played a major role in Edmonton taking a 4-2 lead into the second intermission. Oilers captain Connor McDavid has also pitched in. He has a goal and two assists, giving him 41 points on the postseason. Game 5 is crucial for Edmonton as they trail the Florida Panthers 3-1 in the series.
Focusing on the big picture
Evan Bouchard was well within striking distance of Coffey's assist record before the Stanley Cup Final. But the Oilers legend-turned-coach wanted his 24-year-old blueliner to remain focused on the team's main goal. The most important thing was winning the Stanley Cup. Everything else could wait.
“None of those things matter,” Coffey said before the series, via NHL.com. “Not right now. Numbers are great, but the goal is bigger than that. He would be the first to tell you that. All that matters is what happens from here on in. Win four more games and then there’s plenty of time to look back at the stats.”
Bouchard acknowledged how special it was to be named among some of the all-time greats at his position. But with the Stanley Cup so close, he agreed with Coffey's perspective. For now, the records and stats are secondary to the last four wins his team needs.
“The bigger picture here is that there is another round to be won. Period. After that, once that’s over, well, then you can sit back and look back at all those things that happened in the playoffs,” he said before the series, via NHL.com.
The Oilers are in quite the hole in the Stanley Cup Final. However, Edmonton is starting to climb out of the hole the Panthers put them in. And Bouchard is playing a major role in his team's resurgence in this series.
Oilers take intense Game 5
In the end, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid's efforts were enough to claim Game 5. The Panthers went on the attack in the third period as they desperately tried to claw back into the contest. Eventually, they did break through. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored to make it a 4-3 game early in the third period.
After that, though, the Oilers began to find their stride again. Florida certainly had its fair share of opportunities. But Edmonton kept their offense quiet while generating chances of their own. The Panthers eventually pulled their goalie, leading to one of the most chaotic endings to a Stanley Cup Final game in recent memory.
Oilers forward Mattias Janmark had a chance to ice the game with an empty net goal. But his effort hit the post, and he failed to knock the puck in on the rebound. Later, the puck was cleared toward the empty net only for Matthew Tkachuk to barely clear the line on an incredible individual effort. Unfortunately, the puck went to McDavid, who scored his second goal of the game on the ensuing rebound.
The Oilers are halfway through their comeback from 3-0 down. Now, they need to take care of business at home in Game 6. Edmonton hosts the Panthers at Rogers Place once again on Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 PM Eastern Time and the game will be shown on ESPN and ABC in the United States.
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