If Sport 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final was any indication, Panthers–Oilers II goes to be unimaginable.
Both means, Edmonton carries a 1-0 sequence lead into Sport 2 on Friday night time (8 p.m. ET, TNT/Max). Will the Oilers notch one other W earlier than the sequence heads cross-continent to South Florida? Or will the “Comeback Cats” strike again to sq. issues up?
Listed here are notes on the matchup from ESPN Analysis, in addition to betting intel from ESPN BET:
Extra from Sport 1: Recap | Grades
Matchup notes
Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers
Sport 2 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT/Max
Following their win in Sport 1, the Oilers are actually -225 to win the Stanley Cup, with the Panthers adjusted to +185, per ESPN BET. The highest of the Conn Smythe Trophy leaderboard (for MVP of the playoffs) has Edmonton’s Connor McDavid at -175, adopted by Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky (+375), Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (+450) and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov (+1000).
The winner of Sport 1 in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Ultimate has gained 76% of these sequence (65-20), together with the previous 4 and 10 of the previous 13.
The Oilers registered 46 photographs on objective in Sport 1, their most in a Stanley Cup Ultimate recreation; the earlier excessive was 43 in Sport 7 towards the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987.
Florida has scored 51 highway targets this postseason, which units a brand new Stanley Cup playoffs document, besting the 1993 Los Angeles Kings‘ mark of 49. They’re additionally the primary staff in NHL historical past to attain three or extra targets in 9 straight highway video games in a single postseason.
Draisaitl — who did not rating in any respect within the 2024 Cup Ultimate — scored his third additional time objective this postseason, tying the only postseason document held by Mel Hill in 1939, Maurice Richard in 1951, Corey Perry in 2017 and Matthew Tkachuk in 2023.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm is the twentieth totally different Oilers participant with a objective this postseason, tied for third most in a single postseason in Stanley Cup playoff historical past, and one shy of the mark set by the 2019 Boston Bruins and 1987 Flyers.
Stuart Skinner earned his twenty sixth profession playoff win, which breaks a tie with Invoice Ranford for second in Oilers historical past, trailing solely Corridor of Famer Grant Fuhr, with 74.
Florida’s Sam Bennett scored his eleventh and twelfth targets this postseason, which breaks the Panthers’ single postseason document held by Matthew Tkachuk in 2023 and Carter Verhaeghe in 2024. Eleven of his targets have been on the highway this postseason, which ties Mark Scheifele in 2018 for probably the most highway targets in a single postseason all time.
Brad Marchand scored a power-play objective in Sport 1. He is the one participant with a minimum of one power-play objective in every of the previous eight postseasons.
Bobrovsky made 42 saves in a shedding effort, the second-most saves by a Panthers goalie in a Stanley Cup Ultimate recreation behind John Vanbiesbrouck, who had 55 saves in 1996 Sport 4 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (which went to triple additional time).
Scoring leaders
GP: 17 | G: 6 | A: 22
GP: 18 | G: 12 | A: 6
Finest bets for Sport 2
Sergei Bobrovsky over 24.5 whole saves (-110): After stopping 33 of 36 photographs in regulation, the Panthers’ beginning netminder went on to disclaim one other 9 of 10 within the additional body of an exceptionally full of life Sport 1. Solely two of Edmonton’s 18 skaters did not register a minimum of one shot on web, with six defenders accounting for a complete of 21. Projecting the Oilers to return out firing as soon as extra in entrance of the house crowd at Rogers Place, Bobrovsky needs to be in for an additional busy night. He simply must cease 25 of them.
Eetu Luostarinen over 3.5 whole hits (-134): Via the 16 full video games he is performed this postseason, the bodily ahead is averaging 4.6 hits per contest. Solely teammate Sam Bennett is throwing his physique round extra. After logging greater than 21 minutes in Sport 1, there’s much less concern that the beforehand banged up Luostarinen is match sufficient to wreak such havoc. Plus, little doubt he’ll discover Oilers ahead Evander Kane registered 9 hits within the opener. That little additional aggressive incentive by no means hurts, particularly following a loss.
Corey Perry over 0.5 whole factors (Even): Perhaps the purpose streak ends at three video games. Or maybe the just-turned 40-year-old will proceed to reap the advantages of changing an injured Zach Hyman on a high line and energy play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. — Victoria Matiash