‘ELECTRIC. Game of the year’: Social media reacts to Edmonton Oilers win over Florida Panthers

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The Edmonton Oilers are on a quest to be the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to come back from three opening losses and win the Stanley Cup Final.

Edmonton took a big step in that direction beating the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Final in Florida. Edmonton is now down three games to two.

As Edmonton took an early lead in Game 5 and extended it to 4-1 on a brilliant goal set up by Connor McDavid, both social and mainstream media erupted in talk about Edmonton’s mission.

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Here are the highlights, picking things up with McDavid’s first goal and then his majestic rush that ended with Corey Perry scoring:

Oilers fan @AndersBSvensson
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Former Oilers player Georges Laraque @GeorgesLaraque
Oh my God, McJesus strikes again, guess who’s coming back to play in Alberta
Edmonton Oilers fans?! 🔥🔥🔥

Florida Panthers fan Jacob Winans @JacobWinans8
We’re gonna lose this series aren’t we?

Panthers podcaster Jacob Langsam @ PantherPourri, a @FlaHockeyNow Podcast
I am in genuine distress rn.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic @PierreVLeBrun
McDavid, just wow. Perry makes it 4-1. That’s a highlight they’ll be showing for years.

Las Vegas hockey writer Chris Gawlik @TDChrisG
McDavid is in God mode, and the game is officially drunk.

Oilers fan Bookjie @Bookjie
Florida is just letting the Oilers score all of these goals because they want to win it in the third period.

Edmonton hockey commentator Sports 1440 radio Jason Gregor @JasonGregor
40 points for McDavid joining Lemieux (44) and Gretzky (40,43 and 47) as only players in league history with 40 points in a playoff year. Oilers lead 3-0 five minutes into the second period.

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Former NHL ref Kerry Fraser @kfraserthecall
Connor McDavid reminds me of how Mark Messier could take over a playoff game & ultimately a series. Everyone remembers ‘94 Rangers but one of my best examples was ‘90 Oilers over Boston. The Captain was amazing!

Panthers fan Adam Reid @AdamReid_
Not ONE PERSON went to take the puck away from McDavid
LET THE GUY WALK IN ALL THE WAY FROM ALBERTA
SIT HIM DOWN, PUT HIM ON HIS ASS
Play tough hockey and stop idolizing McDavid . EMBARRASSING

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TNT hockey commentator Liam McHugh @liam_mchugh
For nearly every athlete in the universe this would EASILY be the most magical moment of their career. For Mcdavid, it’s Tuesday. We’re witnessing pure genius.

ESPN hockey writer Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
Suffice it to say, some major movement on the Conn Smythe Trophy wagering market tonight 👀

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Oilers alumni and Spittin’ Chiclets podcaster Ryan Whitney @ryanwhitney6
Oh my god. McJesus is an alien. Not from this planet. And as I’m typing this the Cats respond. What is happening. My mind is spinning.

Oilers fan Karman Gill @Kgill39
Oilers can’t let up and sit back in the 3rd period. The biggest period of the season is upcoming for Edmonton… Broberg and Nurse have struggled in this game. In the 3rd period, they should probably get the 3rd pair minutes.

Panthers fan Adam Reid @AdamReid_
Want to win tonight: Tkachuk, Bennett, Rodrigues
Don’t care: Everyone else

NHL insider Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff @frank_seravalli
Oilers have scored 11 goals on their last 39 shots thrown at Bobrovsky stretching back to third period of Game 3. Save percentage: .718

Sports reporter Anna Dua of NHL network @AnnaNoelleDua
If the Edmonton Oilers pull off the reverse sweep I’ll put maple syrup on everything I eat for a week

Chicago Blackhawks reporter Charlie Roumeliotis @CRoumeliotis
Win or lose, give Connor McDavid the Conn Smythe. Unreal.

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Edmonton Oilers @EdmontonOilers
Florida goal. 4-3 for us with 15:56 remaining in the third.

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Boston hockey writer Joe Haggerty @HackswithHaggs
This is a hell of a hockey game

Sportsnet Montreal columnist Eric Engels @EricEngels
This game is an instant classic already.

NHL.com hockey writer Dan Rosen @drosennhl
Dylan Holloway trips Matthew Tkachuk, but that penalty is negated because Tkachuk is called for embellishment, making it a 4-on-4 at 6:19 of the third period.

Detroit hockey writer George Malik @georgemalik
Jeez, it’s hard to root for the Panthers with somebody like Tkachuk on that team. He can bloody generate a game-tying power play goal, but he decides to flip-flop and flail. >_>

Panthers fan Jacob Winans @JacobWinans8
The refs are having a generationally bad game right now. Absolutely no shot you call an embellishment there after completely closing your eyes while Chucky gets tackled behind the play

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
Oilers had like 1,000 guys on the ice at the same time but play on

Florida Panthers beat writer Alex Baumgartner @ABaumgartner91
That’s a horrible missed call. Edmonton had six on the ice

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Oilers fan Shauna @SLShockeyfan
Why is the clock sooooo slowwwww

Hockey scout Dan Tencer @dantencer
One thing is certain no matter who you cheer for. The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that the NHL has a flat out crisis of officiating.

TSN columnist Travis Yost @travisyost
Watching any team defending a playoff lead is gut wrenching enough, the Oilers really do take it to another height though.

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Oilers fan JB @JackieBee_16
PLAYYY LA BAMBA ON THE ROAD BABY!!!
WE COMING HOME FOR GAME SIX!!!!

Oilers fan Paul Almeida @AzorcanGlobal
5-3! Connor McDavid will not go quietly in to the good night.
He is willing the #Oilers to victory game by game right now.
Total beast mode.

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Panthers fan Adam Reid @AdamReid_
Leave Barkov, Reinhart and Verhaeghe in Sunrise as we head back to Edmonton. Absolutely EMBARRASSING performance again.. They have no desire to win it. The fans can’t want this more than the team does.

Oilers fan Bookjie🇨🇦 @Bookjie
Florida let the Oilers win because they wanted to win the cup back in Edmonton because the fans are better there.

Oilers fan Jenny (she/her) @ginny_jenny
Stuart Skinner, I love you !!!

Winnipeg hockey writer Murat Ates @WPGMurat
Hockey is amazing. That was amazing. All of it.

NHL hockey writer Mike Rupp @Rupper17
Shit just got real…

Oilers fan Brad Lauder @OILfanincowtown
They’re winning in Edmonton… it’s going 7

Hockey writer for the Athletic Dom Luszczyszyn 📈 @domluszczyszyn
that was ELECTRIC. game of the year

Daily Faceoff hockey commentator Matt Larkin @MLarkinHockey
What a game. Best of the series so far. Non-stop competitiveness on both sides.

Sportsnet Stats @SNstats
Oilers Connor McDavid. Sets NHL record for the most points in a 2-game span in the Stanley Cup Final with 8.

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Hall of Fame hockey writer Terry Jones @byterryjones
Another fabulous, unforgettable Stanley Cup Final elimination game win for the Edmonton Oilers. How many buildings, cars, etc. will be painted ‘We Believe!’ to greet the Oilers for Game 6 at home Friday? One thing I believe — Connor McDavid, win or lose, just won the Conn Smythe.

Long time sports writer Curtis Stock @CurtisJStock
Tkachuk: you’re no Mark Messier.

Cult of Hockey writer Bruce McCurdy @BruceMcCurdy
Never in doubt! #neverindoubt

NHL insider Frank Seravalli @frank_seravalli
Might as well declare Friday a holiday in Edmonton.

Writer Curtis Stock @CurtisJStock
McDavid isn’t real. He’s like Santa Claus. Hard to believe.

Sportsnet Stats @SNstats
Oilers Stuart Skinner in Games 4 through 7 this postseason
Record: 9-0
GAA: 1.56
Save %: .938
Shutouts: 1

Florida fan FL PanthersMuse @flpanthersmuse
Last post of the night. Is it just me or after every time we score, we put our 4th line out there and kill momentum? Puck then gets stuck in our zone, we ice it, and then either we get a penalty or they get multiple quality scoring chances

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Veteran hockey writer Ken Campbell @Ken_Campbell27
How can you not give the Conn Smythe to Connor McDavid now, regardless of what happens the rest of the way? As great as Aleksander Barkov has been, McDavid has twice as many points as Barkov. Twice. As. Many. It’s mind-boggling.

Oilers fan Tyson Munro @Tys35
Biggest thing now is to forget that it was ever 3-0. It’s irrelevant now. Oilers are in the exact same spot they were vs Vancouver. You have to win one game at home to force game 7, and Connor McDavid isn’t losing that one

TSN’s Travis Yost @travisyost
Some horrifying EV numbers for the Oilers tonight. Janmark -17 in shots, Nurse -19, Broberg -20.

Former Edmonton Journal columnist Cam Cole @rcamcole
As great as Gretzky was — and that’s the greatest ever — he did his magic by other-worldly anticipation, almost sleight of hand. McDavid makes you stand up out of your seat, makes a movement up-ice absolutely crackle with excitement. Orr-like, in that respect. Scintillating.

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Edmonton sports radio commentator Dustin Nielson @nielsonTSN1260
Who was it out of Florida that had the “McDavid is overrated take”. May go down as the worst take in sports history.

Veteran hockey writer Stan Fischler @StanFischler
My gut got it right about the Oilers winning last night. Now it tells me that Edmonton will do the “near-impossible” and win it in seven. And more power to them for making this a wonderful series. Skinner now better than Bob. Hyman will be a sub-hero but hero nonetheless.

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet @FriedgeHNIC
An absolutely incredible game tonight — by far the best of the series. Phenomenal entertainment.

Former TSN sports anchor Dan O’Toole @dangotoole
Edmonton is gonna be bananas Friday night

Oilers fan Walton @StevenGWalton
Oilers in 7. All they had was Bob and Bob is broken Bookmark it.

NHL Public Relations @PR_NHL
The Edmonton Oilers became the first team in NHL history to win Game 5 on the road after facing a 3-0 series deficit in the championship series and the fourth to force a Game 6 after losing the first three contests of the #StanleyCup Final.

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Oilers fan Jeremy Thompson @Imahockeyguy
The thing about game 6. It’s always 3-2 going in. One team with a chance to win it all, one to stay alive. Oilers have been both in these playoffs and they have won both of them. Going down 0-3 is gone. This is just like every other game 6 in history…and it’s in Edmonton.

Florida hockey podcaster Jacob Langsam @ PantherPourri, a @FlaHockeyNow Podcast @PTPJacob
Okay NOW it’s time to start panicking.

Former Oiler Georges Laraque @GeorgesLaraque
Why doesn’t anyone talk about Tkachuk who said they would win game 5? Bruh, don’t try to copy Messier! You will chew on that mouthpiece for awhile! 😂🤣

The Cult of Hockeys’ Bruce McCurdy @BruceMcCurdy
For all those folks who predicted all year that Connor Brown was going to score a big goal in the playoffs or even Finals, bingo, you nailed it. A shorty to open the scoring for the second straight game (Janmark from Brown last game), & Oilers led the rest of the way both times.

Lead analyst NHL Tonight E.J. Hradek @EJHradek_NHL
Win or lose, Connor McDavid is the Conn Smythe winner. Period.

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Hockey insider Pierre LeBrun @PierreVLeBrun
Game 6 Friday night in Edmonton. Bring your ear plugs… As Oilers shift momentum in Stanley Cup Final, all eyes on a miracle comeback. The veteran Panthers? They’re not rattled. They’re still in a good spot. But make no mistake, the pressure has shifted in this series.

Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid
I love playing in the playoffs. I love playing with this group. It’s been a fun ride and we’re glad it’s going to go one more day. But that’s all we’ve earned here: Another day, another flight. We’ll be ready to go in Edmonton on Friday.

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NHL.com writer Dan Rosen @drosennhl
Here’s the list of players with multiple 4 point games in Stanley Cup Final history:
Wayne Gretzky
Connor McDavid
Here’s the list of players with consecutive 4 point games in Stanley Cup Final history:
Connor McDavid
The end.

Hockey podcaster Dimitri Filipovic @DimFilipovic
Connor McDavid has been on the ice for 53 of the 80 goals the Oilers have scored this postseason and has a point on 42 of them

Panthers fan Bryan @Metalpanthers
Good thing I’ve never even liked hockey anyway

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At the Cult of Hockey

STAPLES: Player grades for huge Game 5 win in Florida

‘Edmonton was just rolling’: Rave review of city and of Edmonton Oilers from major critic

McCURDY: Depth scoring finally comes alive

Player grades:

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