After a Game 4 shutout loss in which Scott Clemmensen got the start, the Florida Panthers decided to bring back Jose Theodore for Game 5 at home. It turned out to be the right decision. The first period remained scoreless with each goalie stopping 11 shots. However, 4:00 into the first, Florida star Kris Versteeg got on the board slapping one past Brodeur. 1-0 Panthers after two.
Scottie Upshall would give the Panthers a 2 goal lead at 13:17. At 19:26 Tomas Kopecky would add an empty net goal putting the game away. Jose Theodore would get the shutout in a 3-0 win stopping all 30 shots. Florida leads the series 3-2.