Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers, Part 2: Electric Boogaloo!
A year after the Panthers and Oilers gave hockey fans one of the best Stanley Cup Finals series in recent memory, both teams decided they wanted to do it again, and hopefully, the product will be just as good.
Both teams look evenly matched heading into the series. They each won their respective conference finals in five games. Even sportsbooks are unsure who will win with some sites giving both the Oilers and Panthers negative odds of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Here’s everything to know for this Wednesday’s Game 1:
MacMillan points at NHL history, noting that the last two times there was a back-to-back Finals matchup, the team that won the first time failed to win the following year. He believes that trend will continue in 2025.
Benjamin writes, “This is a tough pick. But as good as the Panthers have looked over the first three rounds, as smart and as dogged and as true to their style as they’ve played, I just think revenge will carry the Oilers past. They were devastated when they brought the Cup Final back to Game 7 last season, narrowly losing by one goal, and they came back hungry and ready.”
Cordell writes, “This line is heavily juiced and for good reason. Both teams have won more than 70% of their games during the playoffs and, as alluded to, have scored goals at will, albeit in much different ways. Edmonton has relied on unmatched star power to fill the net while Florida has taken a more balanced approach offensively, with its third line often making the difference. Given how dominant both teams have been, it feels almost impossible for either side to win in four or five games. This should be a long, back-and-forth series.”
*All odds via BetMGM
*- if necessary
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