McDavid helps Oilers top Panthers to avoid elimination again

Connor McDavid notched two goals and two assists as his Edmonton Oilers continued to stay alive with a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday.

McDavid's first goal of the contest was his 40th point this postseason, which tied him for the fourth-best playoff output in NHL history. He finished with 42 and now sits in sole possession of fourth behind Wayne Gretzky's 47 in 1985, Mario Lemieux's 44 in 1991, and Gretzky's 43 in 1988.

The current Oilers captain also set the NHL record for most points in a two-game span in a Cup Final with eight. He posted a goal and three assists in Edmonton's Game 4 victory on Saturday.

Edmonton became the first team ever to win Game 5 on the road after trailing 3-0 in the Cup Final.

Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry added tallies for the Oilers, while Evan Rodrigues, Matthew Tkachuk, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers.

Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner made 29 saves, while his Florida counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky, turned aside 19 of 23 shots.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch alluded to the fact that his team has been written off ever since he was hired amid their struggles in the fall.

"We were counted out a lot through the playoffs, regular season, whatever, but it doesn't faze the group in there," he told the media, including Sportsnet. "They've got a lot of belief and a lot of just enjoying every extra day. ... There's a lot to smile about."

Panthers bench boss Paul Maurice insisted his club isn't feeling down despite losing two in a row after winning the first three.

"I'm not feeling deflated and neither is the hockey team," he said, according to The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds. "Little grumpy."

The Panthers lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Friday in Edmonton.

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