Following just one game on the schedule on Tuesday night, Wednesday night is back to the standard of two games — one of which could be the swan song for a recent Stanley Cup champion.

The first matchup pits the Florida Panthers against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET, ESPN); those teams are tied 2-2. In the nightcap, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Edmonton Oilers (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), with the home team hoping to avoid a 4-1 series loss just two seasons after winning it all.

Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Tuesday’s game and the Three Stars of Tuesday from Arda Öcal.

Matchup notes

Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 5 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN

With the series tied 2-2, ESPN BET has the Panthers as the favorites to win the series at -210 compared to +170 for the Leafs. Florida is now +400 to win the Cup, while Toronto is +900.

When a best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 79% of the time in Stanley Cup playoffs history.

Each goal that Carter Verhaeghe scores extends his lead atop the franchise leaderboard for career playoff goals; he’s currently at 30, ahead of Sam Reinhart (24), Aleksander Barkov (22) and Matthew Tkachuk (20).

Acquired at the trade deadline from Boston, Brad Marchand has a personal 4-0 record against Toronto in playoff series, and is tied for the third-most points against the Leafs in Stanley Cup playoff history; his 33 are tied with Henri Richard, trailing Alex Delvecchio (35) and Gordie Howe (53).

William Nylander leads Toronto in goals this postseason, with six, and he continues to climb the Leafs’ career playoff goal-scoring leaderboard. With 26, he is tied with Steve Thomas and George Armstrong for fifth on the list; Ted Kennedy is fourth, with 29.

Fellow member of the Core Four Mitch Marner is on the precipice of a career milestone too; with his next assist, he’ll join Doug Gilmour as the only Maple Leafs with 50 or more career playoff assists.

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 5 | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

The Oilers take a 3-1 lead into Game 5, and ESPN BET has adjusted the series winner odds accordingly; Edmonton is now -1000 to win this series, with the Knights at +550. Edmonton also has the shortest Stanley Cup odds, at +260, while Vegas’ are +3000; only the Capitals have longer odds, at +7500.

When leading a best-of-seven series 3-1, the Oilers have gone on to win 94% of the time in their history; the Knights have never rallied to win a series after trailing 3-1.

Adam Henrique had two goals in the first period of Game 4 after just one goal in the first nine games this postseason. It was his second career multigoal game — the last came in 2012 during the Devils’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Connor McDavid assisted on Evander Kane‘s goal in Game 4, extending his assist streak to eight games. That ties Wayne Gretzky (1983) for the third-longest such streak in Oilers postseason history, trailing Leon Draisaitl (2022) and Glenn Anderson (1985), both of whom had a nine-game assist streak in a single postseason.

Vegas’ Mark Stone has 36 career playoff goals, tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the Knights’ franchise playoff record.

Teammate Jack Eichel is getting pucks on net, but he has scored only once this postseason. His 27 shots on goal lead the Knights, but among the 43 players with 20 or more shots on goal this postseason, Eichel’s 3.7% shooting percentage is the lowest.

Öcal’s Three Stars from Tuesday

Granlund scored his first career hat trick to lead the way for Dallas. He now has multiple points in consecutive playoff games within a single postseason for the first time in his career.

The Minnesota native stopped 31 of 32 shots to earn the win. He’s the sixth U.S.-born goalie to win 30 playoff games — Tom Barrasso leads the list, with 60.

The star defenseman had an assist and skated just under 15 minutes in his first game since Jan. 28.

Tuesday’s recap

Dallas Stars 3, Winnipeg Jets 1
DAL leads 3-1 | Game 5 Thursday

For much of the postseason, it has been the Mikko Rantanen show for the Stars. On this night, center stage belonged to another Finn the Stars added in trade during the season. Mikael Granlund scored his first career hat trick — spacing them out nicely with one in each period — which was more than enough to outscore the visiting Jets. Nikolaj Ehlers‘ tally at 1:02 of the second period was the only shot that got past Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, as chants of “Otter’s better!” rained down from the Dallas faithful in the seats to torment Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck. Dallas brings a 3-1 lead to Game 5 in Manitoba, pushing for a third conference finals trip in the past four years. Full recap.

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Jake Oettinger’s save earns rousing ovation from Dallas fans

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger makes a beautiful save early in Game 4 vs. the Jets.

Illinois has locked in its football and men’s basketball coaches for the long term, agreeing to six-year contracts with Bret Bielema and Brad Underwood.

Illinois rewarded Bielema for turning around its struggling football program, and Underwood for an eight-year run that includes five NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Elite Eight. Both deals were announced Tuesday.

Bielema’s deal runs through 2030, while Underwood is locked in through the 2030-31 season. The contracts are pending approval by the university’s board of trustees on May 22.

Bielema’s annual salary would begin at $7.7 million, while Underwood’s would start at $4.4 million. Both coaches would be eligible for four one-year extensions if performance benchmarks are met, as well as annual retention incentives starting next July 1.

For Bielema, the retention incentives would start at $700,000 and increase each year. For Underwood, they would begin at $1.15 million.

In four seasons in Champaign, Bielema has led Illinois to a 28-22 record and an 18-18 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini matched a school record for wins in 2024 when they went 10-3. They beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and became just the fifth team in the program’s 133 years to reach double-digit victories.

“Over the last four seasons, our program has been built on tough, smart, dependable people in every facet: from our players, to our coaches and staff, to our administration,” Bielema said in a statement. “I am fortunate to work every day with an athletic director that fully believes in our football program and a coaching staff that fully believes in our players.”

Underwood praised his program’s “alignment” with athletic director Josh Whitman, the administration and trustees.

“That foundation created the environment where — led by all the tremendous players we’ve had along with a group of talented assistant coaches and a dedicated staff — we have been able to achieve success,” he said.

Bielema, who led Wisconsin to three Rose Bowls before a disappointing run at Arkansas, replaced the fired Lovie Smith after the 2020 season. He got a six-year contract at the time with a salary starting at $4.2 million to return to the Big Ten and his home state.

Illinois had nine straight losing seasons before Bielema was hired. The Illini went 5-7 in his first year before winning eight games in 2022. They went 5-7 in 2023 before bouncing back last year.

Illinois won 10 games for the first time since 2001 and were ranked by the College Football Playoff selection committee a program-record four straight weeks, while appearing in the AP poll 11 times, finishing at No. 16.

Underwood is 165-101 overall at Illinois and 92-66 in Big Ten play, with three league championships. He and Lou Henson are the only Illini coaches with at least five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Illinois was also on track to make the 2020 tournament that was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Illini won 22 games last season after losing five starters and the top eight scorers from a team that reached the Elite Eight in 2024.

Underwood has a 274-128 record in 12 seasons as a head coach, including three at Stephen F. Austin and one at Oklahoma State.

Miami secured a seismic commitment when five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300, picked the Hurricanes over Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State on Tuesday afternoon.

A 6-foot-8, 315-pound lineman from Nixa, Missouri, Cantwell is the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle. He commits to the Hurricanes as the highest-ranked member of coach Mario Cristobal’s latest recruiting class, landing with Miami days after an unofficial visit to the Bulldogs on May 10.

Despite the late trip to Georgia, Cantwell’s finalists battled to the very end. Sources told ESPN that Oregon sent assistants A’lique Terry and Drew Mehringer to Missouri on Monday to make the Ducks’ final pitch to Cantwell and his family. Miami tabled the most lucrative NIL package in Cantwell’s recruitment, with sources telling ESPN that the Hurricanes offered a multiyear deal worth more than $2 million annually.

The Hurricanes ultimately outmuscled Georgia and Oregon at the negotiating table, but Cristobal and Miami had held a consistently rising presence in Cantwell’s recruitment in the months leading up to his decision.

Cantwell told ESPN earlier this spring that his confidence in the Hurricanes was bolstered significantly by his March visit to Miami — a trip that crystallized the program’s vision for Cantwell, his trust in Cristobal and offensive Alex Mirabal’s track record of developing elite offensive linemen.

“I got to learn more about the program on that trip,” Cantwell said. “I think Cristobal and Mirabal do a fantastic job coaching up the offensive line, and the guys like playing for them. They’re good teachers. I believe Miami is a good place to live and study. There’s a lot of good things going for them.”

If he signs later this year, Cantwell will mark Miami’s highest-ranked addition since Cristobal took over the program following the 2021 season. He also would be the Hurricanes’ fourth five-star offensive line addition across the five recruiting cycles under Cristobal.

Miami, which secured the nation’s 13th-ranked signing class in 2025, now holds five ESPN 300 commits in the 2026 class, with Cantwell joining linebacker Jordan Campbell (No. 142 overall), cornerbacks Jontavius Wyman (No. 218) and Jaelen Waters (No. 257) and running back Javian Mallory (No. 257).

Defensive tackle Lamar Brown (No. 1 overall) and running back Derrek Cooper (No. 7) are among the top recruits set for official visits with Miami later this spring.

Cantwell emerged as a top offensive line prospect at Missouri’s Nixa High School, flashing power and sharp technique with impressive footwork for his size as a multiyear starter. The son of former Olympic shot-putters Christian Cantwell — a silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Games — and Teri Steer, Cantwell holds multiple national high school throwing records and is expected to continue his track and field career in college.

Six of the nation’s top-10 offensive tackle prospects are still uncommitted for the 2026 cycle. Oregon is now expected to turn its attention to Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 12 overall), the cycle’s second-ranked offensive lineman. Five-star prospect Felix Ojo (No. 20) and four-star blockers John Turntine III (No. 44), Micah Smith (No. 47), Ekene Ogboko (No. 51) and Darius Gray (No. 73) will take their recruitments into the summer months.