Who is going to win the Stanley Cup? Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers predictions, picks, and odds
When the Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday night, the Florida Panthers will have a second opportunity to win the franchise’s first title.
They suffered injuries and lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights the previous season. They now have home-ice advantage and are healthier, but they still have to contend with the Edmonton Oilers, a strong team.
Two of the best players in the NHL, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, play for the Oilers, who last made it to the Finals in 2006 and won a championship in 1990.
Who will win? Mike Brehm and Jace Evans of USA TODAY Sports predict the Stanley Cup Final, a best-of-seven matchup:
Selections for the Stanley Cup Final
Mike Brehm: Seven for the Panthers. This series is evenly matched. Florida has an excellent team defense and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, but Edmonton has superior high-end talent and special teams. The Panthers’ forechecking strategy made it difficult for opponents to stop teams’ stars in the first three rounds, and Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov has contributed to this success. The fact that Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid will be difficult to stop means that this series will go seven games. But Florida will have home ice and a more experienced goalie in Game 7, so the Panthers will win and capture their first Stanley Cup.
Jace Evans: 7th place Oilers. Even though I believe Florida is the superior team, I’m sticking with my preseason pick of the Oilers over the Panthers. The Panthers have the depth and ability to shut down opponents, but they haven’t had to play with the greatest player in the world. Nine years into his career, it feels like Connor McDavid, one of the generational talents in this league, is finally ready to take home the Cup. But the takeaway from this Oilers run is that McDavid isn’t the only factor. In addition to Leon Draisaitl, a former MVP, the Oilers also feature Zach Hyman, who has demonstrated postseason success, and Evan Bouchard, who has developed into a premier offensive producer from the back end.
has more goals scored than any other player this NHL season, excluding Auston Matthews. Stuart Skinner, their goalie, will undoubtedly need to perform at his peak to win this, but his play has improved since being benched in the middle of the playoffs. I believe they manage to complete it and put an end to Canada’s Cup drought.
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