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The Florida Panthers have another chance to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They return to the Finals after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games last year. This makes them the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals after finishing as the runner-up the previous season. Notably, Pittsburgh won the Cup that year.
In contrast, the Edmonton Oilers have a storied history with five Stanley Cup championships, their most recent triumph being in 1990. The Oilers are led by Connor McDavid, who is making his first Finals appearance in nine NHL seasons. McDavid, a five-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the league’s top scorer, leads all players with 31 points this postseason.
Betting Odds and Series Analysis
Panthers Favored
Lucky Cola has the Panthers as -135 favorites to win the series. Several factors contribute to this:
- Home-ice advantage
- Florida won both head-to-head meetings during the regular season
- Panthers are undefeated in regulation in seven games at Rogers Place in Edmonton (4-0-3)
However, the primary reason for their favored status is their stingy defense displayed throughout the playoffs. The Panthers have given up the second-fewest goals per game heading into the Finals, largely thanks to their 5-on-5 play.
The Panthers’ defense is anchored by Selke winner Aleksander Barkov and the blueline pairing of Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling. They have effectively stymied the opposition’s offensive stars through the first three rounds. However, they will face their toughest task this series as Edmonton boasts the three leading scorers in the playoffs: McDavid, Leon Draisaitl (28 points), and defenseman Evan Bouchard (27 points).
Matthew Tkachuk leads the way for the Panthers in the playoffs with 19 points, followed by Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe, who each have 17 points. Florida brings a more well-rounded offense into the Finals, with seven players recording double-digit points in the postseason compared to just five for Edmonton.
The Panthers’ special teams have also been solid, boasting an 88.2 percent penalty kill, second only to the Oilers. They allowed just one power-play goal to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. However, they need to be more disciplined against Edmonton after accumulating 207 penalty minutes in the first three rounds, the most of any team. Florida’s power play has heated up against the Rangers, scoring five times, including Sam Reinhart’s overtime winner in Game Four.
Oilers’ Scoring Prowess
The Oilers are known for their ability to score goals in bunches. No team has scored more even-strength goals than Edmonton this postseason (39). Their special teams have been crucial, as they rank first in both power play and penalty kill percentage.
The Oilers’ power play is scoring at an impressive 37.3 percent heading into the Finals. Draisaitl leads all players with six power-play goals and is tied with McDavid in points with 14.
Edmonton’s penalty kill has been equally impressive, allowing just three goals in 49 opportunities while short-handed, including 28 straight kills dating back to the second round.
Key Matchup: Sam Reinhart vs. Zach Hyman
This series features two of the top three goal scorers from the regular season in Florida’s Sam Reinhart and Edmonton’s Zach Hyman. Reinhart finished with 57 goals, three more than Hyman. However, Hyman has been hotter in the playoffs, with 14 goals compared to Reinhart’s eight.
Lucky Cola has Hyman with the best odds (+400) to lead the series in goals, with Reinhart next at +450.
Goaltending Showdown Bobrovsky vs. Skinner
- Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers): Sensational through the first three rounds, sporting a 2.20 goals against average and allowing two goals or fewer in 13 of his 17 playoff starts. However, he struggled mightily in the Finals last year.
- Stuart Skinner (Oilers): Had an up-and-down postseason but bounced back nicely, posting a 1.91 GAA and .922 save percentage in the Western Conference Final vs. Dallas. He is expected to be much busier in the Finals as Florida averages over 33 shots per game this postseason.
Who Will Win the 2024 Stanley Cup?
So, will Edmonton finally break the Cup curse for Canadian teams and bring Lord Stanley north of the border for the first time since 1993? Or will the Panthers deliver Florida its third Cup in the last five years?
There is an old adage in sports that says defense wins championships. Because of that, my money is on the Florida Panthers. I believe they will use last year’s disappointment as motivation in their quest to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Pick: Florida Panthers (-135)
