Oilers come out flat again, lose Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Again the Edmonton Oilers came out flat against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, and the result has them on the brink of losing to them for a second year in a row.

The Oilers gave up the first two goals early, eventually fell behind by three and lost Game 5 on home ice Saturday night 5-2. They've been outscored 11-4 in the first period during the final.

“Well if I knew, I’d address it,” said defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who was burned on Brad Marchand's opening goal nine minutes in. “They’re a good team over there. We’re a good team. We just have to make sure we bear down early on in games. It hasn’t happened for us, and obviously we need to go down to Florida and win a game.”

Game 6 is Tuesday night in Sunrise.

The Oilers went into Game 5 favored to take the lead and win the series, but they instead got outskated and outplayed by the defending champs. Coach Kris Knoblauch didn't hate his team's start, just what followed.

“I thought we got off to a great start,” Knoblauch said. “We won a faceoff and it led to a goal against. It’s tough tonight. Like two of the goals against, we won the draws and they go down and score immediately. That’s tough. Rather than being on the attack, having the puck, getting in on the forecheck at least should happen, and what turns out is we’re picking the puck out of our net.”

Knoblauch would not commit to a starter in net for Game 6 after Calvin Pickard allowed four goals on 18 shots.

“From what I saw, I think Picks didn’t have much chance on all those goals,” Knoblauch said. "Breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots. There was nothing saying that it was a poor performance.”

It was not Edmonton's best, which seemed a bit surprising after rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win Game 4 in overtime. The response from Thursday night was not there this time around, possibly the result of expending so much energy coming back all series.

“Chasing the game over and over against a team like this, it’s very difficult,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers' longest-tenured player. “It was a tight-checking game all the way through. They took advantage of some opportunities, and at the end of the day we didn’t and it ends up being a difference.”

The power play of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Perry and Evan Bouchard went 0 for 3. Even with the penalty kill keeping Florida off the board, not capitalizing on those chances proved costly.

“We had some looks, for sure, but maybe find a way to generate some second, third looks quickly,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “We’ll stay confident, stay positive, take a look and see if we can correct anything.”

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett (9) celebrates after his goal with teammate Nate Schmidt (88) during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard looks on during a stoppage in play during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Jake Walman (96) and goalie Calvin Pickard (30) look to each other after being scored against by the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, June 14, 2025. ( Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)