FORT LAUDERDALE —If the Florida Panthers want the Stanley Cup, they will have to get past the best player in the world to do it.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers secured their spot in the Stanley Cup Final with a six-game series victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday night. And the superstar has been one of the biggest reasons why his team made it this far.

The three-time MVP and five-time NHL scoring champion has been a dominant force in the playoffs, leading all players in assists (26) and points (31). For reference: no non-McDavid teammate has over 20 points in the postseason.

“I think any time he is on the ice, you have to be aware,” Florida center Carter Verhaeghe said. “We have to get in his way a little bit and make him skate through you a little bit. He is obviously a special player and every time he touches the puck, it seems like something happens. I think, just for us, it’s about being stable and playing our structure and being good defensively and extra aware when he is on the ice.”

McDavid has shown time and time again that he will make things happen regardless of what’s happening in front of him. He showed that on a big stage in Edmonton’s Game 6 victory against Dallas.

He toe-dragged his way in between two Dallas defenders with very little space to operate and quickly beat goaltender Jake Oettinger with a backhand shot. In layman’s terms, he did something that very few hockey players could ever dream of pulling off on one of the biggest stages.

When he isn’t stuck in a tight space, he can blow right past any defender with his top-notch speed and make things happen on the rush. His elite playmaking ability and wicked wrist shot take care of everything else in between. People call this guy the best player in the world for a reason.

“You have to try and match that speed,” Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour said. “You have to try and get as close to him as possible. He is going to come out with more speed than most in this league and it’s tough to contain, but you have to try to keep the best gap you can and play hard on him.”

Florida cannot focus too much on McDavid or Leon Draisaitl will strike

Depending on the way the Oilers line up, the Panthers cannot be too focused on McDavid when he is on the ice.

When Edmonton decides to stack up its top line, the ever-dangerous Leon Draisaitl will be there waiting on the wing to unleash one of the best shots in the league. His 10 postseason goals and 28 total points show that.

For now, they have McDavid between Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, who present their own challenges; The former being a quality playmaker who has put up 100 points in a season, the latter a quality finisher near the front of the net who scored 40 goals this season.

“That changes some of the dynamics of what you got to prepare for,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said of the possibility of McDavid and Draisaitl getting paired up. “With these two men, you can’t play a 1-on-1 game with them. They’re just too fast, too strong and too skilled. So, it’s a five-man defensive game and everything else that will come out of my mouth would be a cliche. But sometimes there’s a reason those cliches stick around because they’re true.”

More: Panthers defense must slow down Oilers' Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl in Stanley Cup Final

Those cliches include sticking to the defensive system the Panthers have employed all season. They allowed the fewest goals per game in the league in the regular season and out of every team that made it past the first round in the playoffs.

It also worked against Edmonton during the regular season.

Panthers swept Oilers during regular season

Florida won both regular-season matchups by a combined score of 10-4, holding McDavid and Draisaitl to a combined four points. McDavid had two goals in the first matchup — a 5-3 Panthers' win in Sunrise — while picking up an assist on Edmonton’s lone goal in a 5-1 loss north of the border.

More: Five Reasons why Florida Panthers can win the Stanley Cup championship as playoffs near

“I think each round possesses its own unique challenge and the top two players on this team are matched by nobody,” Panthers center Sam Reinhart said. “I think we’re a confident group. I think if we’re playing a bit more passive, that’s where they’re going to get you, so you got to try and take away their time and space. They’re going to make plays. They’re some of the best players in the world, so we’re excited for the opportunity and the challenge.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Oilers Connor McDavid challenge for Panthers in Stanley Cup Final