Connor McDavid wanted the Edmonton Oilers to drag the Florida Panthers back to Alberta - and he played a huge role in making sure it happened.

McDavid scored twice, including an empty-netter to seal it, and set up two goals to keep the Stanley Cup Final alive.

The Oilers' 5-3 victory in Game 5 reduced the Panthers' overall lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and sent the teams all the way back across North America for Game 6 in Edmonton, Canada, on Friday.

"Drag them back to Alberta" became the Oilers' rallying cry, started by McDavid after he led the way in his side avoiding a sweep with an 8-1 victory in Game 4.

Connor Brown scored short-handed five minutes in on Tuesday after Oilers keeper Stuart Skinner made several big-time saves on the first few shifts as the Panthers opened with a strong push in their second attempt to hoist the Cup.

That will have to wait thanks to the Edmonton power play that was 0 for the series at 5 on 4 building the lead with goals by Zach Hyman and Corey Perry, each assisted on by McDavid.

Hyman's goal was his NHL post-season-leading 15th.

McDavid, who now has 42 points in this post-season, did not do the dragging by himself.

"He puts this team on his back," veteran forward Corey Perry said of McDavid.

"When we're against the wall, he puts us on his back and he plays. You see why he is the best player."

Brown's goal made Edmonton the first team since the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux and Bob Errey) to score short-handed in back-to-back games in the final.

Skinner, whose play coming into the series looked like the biggest uncertainty, stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced.

Meanwhile, the Oilers again got to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, three nights after chasing him from Game 4 midway through an 8-1 rout.

More shaky form from Bobrovsky when the series shifts back to Edmonton could set the stage for a comeback not seen in more than 80 years.

The Oilers became just the third team in Cup final history - and the first since New Jersey in 2012 - to fall behind 3-0 and win the next two games.

The only team to come all the way back to win the Stanley Cup was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs.