Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been absolutely on fire for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, showcasing incredible chemistry and nonstop production. McDavid, with his incredible speed and vision, is paired with Draisaitl, who’s not just a powerhouse in overtime—scoring a record four OT winners this postseason—but also makes an impact on both ends of the ice. In the first five games, McDavid has racked up 5 assists, with Draisaitl more than keeping pace with his 4 goals and 4 assists. Together, they’re undoubtedly one of the most impressive duos of their time; maybe even set to become a modern day Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri if you will. So how do you halt a force like that?

Now in Game 5, the duo really didn’t shine, failing to bail the team out of a 2-5 defeat at home. Though McDavid scored his first goal of the final and Draisaitl notched an assist, the star of the show was Brad Marchand. Brad Marchand, who had an impressive game, scoring two goals and becoming one of only two players in the last 50 years to net five or more goals in multiple finals, alongside Mario Lemieux. Meanwhile, Sam Bennett notched his playoff-leading 15th goal, and both Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen contributed with their own goals too. Edmonton finally found the back of the net— first with McDavid, and then Corey Perry but it wasn’t enough to mount a real comeback.

Their game plan just didn’t stack up against the Panthers. On the other hand, there was a strategy that really paid off for Florida in Game 5, and Sam Reinhart revealed it during the post-game press conference. He said, “I think I’m upset every time they get a goal. I think when we’re moving like we are, we’re supporting the puck, both offensively and defensively. That’s when we’re at our best. We’ve talked about taking away their time and space. Make them as uncomfortable as we possibly can. That leads to a lot of our offense. That’s what our focus is.”

According to Reinhart, Florida’s Game 5 victory was all about the team’s collective intensity instead of individual standout performances, as they focused on a strategy to stifle Edmonton’s top players. The Panthers successfully shut down the McDavid–Draisaitl duo, limiting them to only a few shots and making their power play struggle. Using their puck support and aggressive forecheck, Florida really turned the heat on Edmonton, forcing the home side into some tight spots.

The plan was straightforward: shut down the top duo’s influence, support it with a solid structure, and create scoring opportunities through teamwork and pressure. It worked too, nullifying the threat posed by McDavid and Draisaitl in a game that changed the momentum of the series. But did you know that amidst the difficult loss, McDavid set a record?

Connor McDavid has joined some big names once more

So, after scoring a goal in Game 5 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, Connor McDavid has now joined the ranks of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as one of the fastest players in NHL history to hit 150 Stanley Cup Playoff points. Pretty impressive, right? While it is an amazing milestone, the Oilers star will hope to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup at the end of the series to go along with it.

Keep in mind that 149 points were part of McDavid’s total in his first 94 career postseason games after he assisted in Game 4. Did you know that only two players in NHL history have hit 150 playoff points in less than 100 postseason games? Yep, that’s Gretzky with 68 games and Lemieux with 86 games.

Even though the Oilers didn’t take the win at home, this has to be a big confidence boost for Edmonton’s captain. It just might be the first crack that opens his scooring floodgates. And with Game 6 being a do or die matchup for the Oilers, his scoring form couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment.