McDavid, Oilers facing elimination against Panthers in Game 6 of Stanley Cup final

FORT LAUDERDALE - Connor McDavid chose his words carefully.

The Oilers captain — undoubtedly hockey's best player — had just been asked about the pressure on himself in his team's moment of need.

"That's a pretty heavy question," McDavid said with Edmonton facing elimination in the Stanley Cup final. "I don't think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you'd be probably pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you play. 

"It's a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that. And I'm looking forward to it."

That big game comes Tuesday night with the Oilers down 3-2 to the defending champion Florida Panthers in the NHL title series.

Edmonton battled hard to get the showcase matchup even at 2-2 with a 5-4 overtime road victory after trailing 3-0 in the first period of Game 4, but then laid an egg at home in Saturday's 5-2 loss to press their collective back against the wall.

The Oilers, in short, have no margin for error.

"The Cup will be in the building," McDavid said of Game 6. "Those are games that you dream of. Obviously, it's not for us, but any time the Cup's in the building and you're playing, it's a good sign."

Edmonton will need a much better start to make sure hockey's holy grail gets put back in its case and loaded onto a plane for a potential Game 7 in the Alberta capital Friday.

Florida, which topped the Oilers in seven in last year's final despite nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead, has outscored Edmonton 11-4 in the first period, including an ugly 7-0 mark over the last three contests.

"It would be nice to go out there and play with the lead," said Oilers forward Corey Perry, competing in his sixth final. "That's our goal — to start strong, get that first one and play from there."

McDavid is tied for playoff scoring lead alongside teammate and fellow centre Leon Draisaitl with 33 points, but registered just his first goal of the final with Edmonton down 3-0 in Game 5. 

The 28-year-old superstar has seen plenty of Florida captain Aleksander Barkov — a three-time Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward — in the series after getting another heavy dose last spring.

"It's going to be a tough test," Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said of again trying to knock off Edmonton's No. 97. 

"He's desperate to win a Cup … but so are we."

McDavid skated around a question about his own play when speaking to reporters following Monday's practice in sweltering Florida.

"It's not really about me," he said. "It's about us. It's about us trying to get a win here … that's what we're looking forward to. 

"Everybody has another level, myself included." 

Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse said McDavid's leadership and accountability push the group forward.

"Sets the example," Nurse said. "When he speaks up, everyone has a lot of respect because of the amount of work that he puts in. Not only coming rink and preparing practice-wise, but knowing what goes on behind closed doors and the commitment and sacrifice and everything that he does for this game and for this team, it motivates us. 

"We have to bring it." 

Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch, who also had McDavid in junior with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters, said the Newmarket, Ont., product has been a talent others will follow from the start.

"It was his work ethic, his attention to detail, wanting to be the best player possible," Knoblauch said of the No. 1 pick at the 2015 NHL draft. "As he's gotten older, you become more comfortable at being a leader and you build that rapport with all the players.

"He's got so much respect from players because of the acknowledgment of the other players' contributions." 

Perry played with McDavid at the world championships for Canada in 2016, but didn't really know him until joining the Oilers last season.

"I was very surprised how outgoing he is in the dressing room, how he's friends with everybody," said the 40-year-old. "He's that leader. He has a voice and he uses it when something needs to be said. 

"His actions speak louder than words … couldn't ask for a better captain." 

The Oilers have a well-documented history of bouncing back.

They were down 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round last spring, trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 to open these playoffs and — of course — nearly pulled off a miraculous Cup final moment 12 months ago.

"For whatever reason, our group doesn't like to make it easy," McDavid said. "We've put ourselves in another difficult spot and it's our job to work our way out of it."

The pressure is on.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.