Let the other team get a 3-0 lead on you enough times and eventually they’ll make sure to keep it. In Game 4 the Oilers were able to battle through adversity and steal a game away from the Panthers in overtime courtesy of Leon Draisaitl – who set a record for playoff overtime winners.

Game 5 was a different story though.

Edmonton played a sluggish, lazy, February style game and ultimately couldn’t find their extra gear until there was five minutes left with the goalie pulled. Game 5 was not the sort of effort you want to see from a team that: 1) has a chance to get a 3-2 series lead in the Stanley Cup finals, and 2) is trying not to lose to the same team they lost to in last year’s Stanley Cup finals.

Game 6 (and hopefully 7, Tuesday depending) needs to be a 60 minute effort from the whole lineup, but most importantly, players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl need to be the difference makers that Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett are being right now. Multiple Marchand breakaways put this game out of reach for the Oilers, meanwhile McDavid had one goal late in regulation when the goalie was pulled.

Not good enough.

Connor McDavid has been saying the same thing throughout the playoffs everytime Edmonton has put together a bad game: “Our best hockey is still coming.” Well you’re out of gimmes now. Edmonton can not lose a single extra game this year. There’s no more rope. If the best hockey is coming, it needs to come Tuesday – and preferably before Florida scores three unanswered goals, again.

That isn’t to say that the Oilers can’t overcome the adversity, in fact, overcoming adversity seems to be the team’s overriding mantra.

When they were down two games and on the verge of losing Game 3 against the LA Kings Edmonton was able to rally and come from behind to win, which was crucial, because a 3-0 series deficit likely would have meant a first round exit.

When the Oilers let the Vegas Golden Knights steal a game with 0.4 seconds left remaining they responded by dismantling the Golden Knights and moving on to the Conference Finals.

When the Oilers choked a three goal lead in the third period against the Dallas Stars, they weren’t phased, and they proceeded to work the Stars over as if they were a fringe wildcard team.

Edmonton now has their biggest challenge left. They need to win two games in a row against the strongest team they’ve faced in the entire playoffs.

If they can win Game 6, that’ll mean a chance at raising the cup in front of 19,000 Edmonton Oilers fans – but, you need to win Game 6 first.

Otherwise, it’ll be another long summer looking back at what could have been.