Panthers vs Oilers: Will Edmonton force a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup?

Season Finale? Oilers and Panthers Face Off in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final

The Tuesday night matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers could be the final game of the 2024-25 season. The Panthers lead the series 3-2 in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final before Game 6. If they win, they lift the Cup at home. If the Oilers win, Game 7 will be in Edmonton. With a 3-2 lead before Game 6 at home, the Panthers are now the favorites at -400 to win the Cup, while the Oilers are at +300. Sam Bennett remains the leader for the Conn Smythe Trophy, but his odds have changed from +150 to -190. Brad Marchand (+300), Connor McDavid (+700), and Leon Draisaitl (+700) round out the top four. The Panthers are looking to become the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions by defeating the same team since the Montreal Canadiens did it against the Boston Bruins in 1977 and 1978. A Panthers victory would be the fourth Stanley Cup for a Florida-based team this decade (the Tampa Bay Lightning won in 2020 and 2021). The Oilers are facing elimination for the first time in the 2025 playoffs. Last year, they had a 5-1 record when facing elimination, including three wins in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final after falling 3-0. Marchand is having an outstanding Stanley Cup Final, scoring six goals so far. That marks the most goals in a Cup Final since Esa Tikkanen (1988, also six). Marchand is the first player to score five or more goals with multiple teams in a Cup Final, and his five road goals in this series are the most in a single Cup Final since Jack Adams had six for the Vancouver Millionaires in 1922. With multiple multi-goal games in the Cup Final, Marchand joins Jeff Friesen (New Jersey Devils, 2003) and Max Talbot (2009, Pittsburgh Penguins) as the only players to achieve that feat in the last 30 years. His teammate Sam Bennett is also entering historical territory. With a goal in Edmonton in Game 5, he became the fifth player in NHL history with a six-game consecutive road game goal streak. He is also the fourth active NHL player to score 15 goals in a single postseason, joining Zach Hyman (16, 2024), Alex Ovechkin (15, 2018), and Sidney Crosby (15, 2009). Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky tied the NHL record for most road wins in a single postseason (10). The other five goalies tied on the list are: Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues, 2019), Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals, 2018), Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings, 2012), Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames, 2004), Martin Brodeur (Devils, 2000 and 1995). With three goals in this series, Edmonton’s Corey Perry tied Mark Recchi (Bruins, 2011) and Igor Larionov (Detroit Red Wings, 2002) for the most goals by a 40-year-old or older player in a single Stanley Cup Final. McDavid scored a point in every home game he played since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, a streak of 17 consecutive games, with 36 points in that span. He reached 150 playoff points in 95 games, the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach that milestone, behind Wayne Gretzky (68 games played) and Mario Lemieux (86). With one more game-winning goal in this series, Draisaitl would become the third player in the modern NHL era (since 1943-44) and the first since 1977 to have three game-winning goals in a single Stanley Cup Final. The previous players to achieve this are Jacques Lemaire (1977) and Jean Beliveau (1965 and 1960), both of whom accomplished the feat for the Canadiens.

0:47 Oilers coach: We’ve overcome difficult situations before. Kris Knoblauch maintains faith in his Oilers as he reflects on the Game 5 loss in Edmonton.

Leaders in Annotations

Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers GP: 22 | G: 15 | A: 7

Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers

GP: 21 | G: 11 | A: 22

Best Bets for Game 6

Evander Kane Over 4.5 total hits (+107): The Oilers need to be more physical if they hope to have a legitimate chance to take this series to a Game 7. Saturday’s team total of 25 hits, including only a couple from Kane, isn’t going to cut it. An aggressive game changer when at his best while approaching, but not crossing, the line as he has done too often in this series, the winger will be one to watch from the start on Tuesday. Notably, he recorded 17 total hits in both overtime games to open this series in Edmonton. Win or lose, Kane is going to be a factor. Let’s hope that for the Oilers, it’s not by earning time in the penalty box.Stuart Skinner under 25.5 total saves (-120): If Skinner, assuming coach Kris Knoblauch goes with his number 1 goalie to start Game 6, struggles, or the rest of the Oilers fail to perform well, he won’t last long enough on the ice to make 26 saves before all is said and done. The leash will be short in this win-or-die contest. Or perhaps the Edmonton team’s defense will rise to the occasion and prevent more scoring opportunities in support of their starting goalie, as they did in previous rounds against Dallas and Vegas. Connor McDavid, anytime goal scorer in the first period (+600): After Leon Draisaitl scored the first goal in Game 1, the Panthers are perfect in four straight games at catching the back of the net first, outscoring Edmonton 11-4 in total in the opening period. The Oilers understand that reversing that trend would go a long way in helping them survive, particularly by forcing Florida away from their suffocating defensive game. Who better to turn to than McDavid, who finally found the back of the net in this series in Saturday’s losing effort? The best player in the sport needs to shoot more, and he knows it. He will be ready to make a statement, early.