"That's how he played in VAN": Fans bash Oliver Ekman-Larsson's "inexcusable" play during Connor McDavid's ENG in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final

Fans on social media were unimpressed with Oliver Ekman-Larsson's failure to make an effort to catch up to Connor McDavid during his empty net goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday.

With less than 20 seconds remaining in the game, the Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater. However, the Edmonton Oilers attempted to score on the empty net from the other side, and the Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk made an incredible save by diving and sliding the puck just inches before the goal line.

Amid this play, the puck ended up with Connor McDavid, who quickly shot it into the empty net for the game-winning goal.

At the same time, Oliver Ekman-Larsson completely gave up on McDavid during the sequence, leading fans to question his effort. One fan on X/Twitter took a shot at the defenseman and said:

"Thats how he played in VAN right there"

Another chimed in and expressed their opinion:

"Who cares what he thought though? You don't stop on a play until the play stops"

"Doesn’t matter in or out. Don’t quit on the play. Inexcusable," said one X user.

Many fans were of the thought that Oliver Ekman-Larsson thought the puck had already gone in, which is why he stopped during the play, as one explained:

"Looks like he thought it was in. His view was obscured by diving Tkachuk."

"He was behind the play and likely didn’t see the puck not go in. Yes, he should always play to the whistle, but it’s pretty natural to have a reaction when the other team scores the game-ending goal," one fan opined.

"The excuse he thought it was in, is ridiculous. You play as hard as you can until you hear a buzzer no matter what you think happened," another fan chimed in with their opinion.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson reflects on Game 5 loss

The Florida Panthers lost Game 5 narrowly with a 5-3 scoreline at the home arena on Tuesday night. Despite falling short, the team showed a resilient finish in the game, which provides a positive foundation for them to build on in Game 6.

In the post-game media interactions, Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlighted the team's ability to be successful when they play to their strengths while acknowledging the competitiveness of the series against the Oilers:

"I think when we play the way that we’re supposed to, I think we’re creating a lot of chances. They’re a good team too, they have a lot of good players on that team and they’re trying to win too. It’s tough out there, and it’s supposed to be tough. It’s fun"

Ever since going up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers have lost back-to-back games. However, the Cats still hold a 3-2 lead in the series and will hope to finish the job when taking on the Oilers in Game 6 on Friday night in Edmonton.