Florida (3-2) at Edmonton (2-3)
When: Friday, June 21st 2024
Where: Rogers Place,
Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8:20 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Edmonton -130/5.5
Momentum has shifted drastically in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals, as the Edmonton Oilers are trying to do what only one other team has done. Game 6 is back in Alberta on Friday night and the Florida Panthers will give it their third try to end this NHL season and hoist the Stanley Cup. Since the third period of Game 3 – which Florida ended up winning – the Oilers have outscored the Panthers 15-4 and Connor McDavid is now the Conn Smythe favorite even if Edmonton wins the series or not.
Sergei Bobrovsky was a heavy -500 favourite after the first three games, but he’s nearly fallen out of contention at +900. McDavid is now the -250 favorite to win the Conn Smythe after recording eight points over the last two games. Five players in NHL history have won the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final and Reggie Leach (1976) is the only non-goalie.
Only four teams in NHL history have ever trailed 3-0 in a playoff series and come back to win and the only time it has happened in the Stanley Cup Final was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs over the Detroit Red Wings. The Panthers were -3000 to win the series after Game 3, but the odds have taken a massive turn to Florida -300 and Edmonton +240.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
The Panthers are starting to feel the pressure and need to get off to a better start in Game 6. For the second straight game, Bobrovsky allowed a short-handed goal to begin the game and the Panthers never recovered. Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the Panthers’ goals, but the power play is just 1-for-16 this series. Bobrovsky has allowed nine goals on 30 shots over the last two games, which is a .700 save percentage. He seems rattled.
EDMONTON OILERS
The scoresheet filled up in Game 5 with Evan Bouchard recording three assists, while Connor Brown, Zach Hyman and Corey Perry scored. Stuart Skinner made 29 saves and is now 9-0 in his career in Games 4-7 of a series. McDavid is up to 42 points (8G, 34A) in the playoffs, 10 more than the next closest player. He has the fourth-most points in a single postseason in NHL history, with only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux scoring more. Bouchard is second in postseason scoring with 32 points (6G, 26A) and his 26 assists is an NHL postseason record among defensemen.
Prediction:
For the sixth game in a row, I’m back Edmonton. I’m really confident that this series is going back to Florida for a Game 7. Bobrovsky is rattled and the Oilers offense – and power play – are back in full force. The atmosphere will be electric and the Oilers will force a deciding game.
