*If necessary
All games of the Stanley Cup Final can be watched on ABC in the United States and streamed on ESPN+. Canadians can tune in on CBC, Sportsnet and TVAS.
Panthers Favored Over Oilers in Cup Final Odds
Oddsmakers in Las Vegas are siding with the Florida Panthers over the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The opening Oilers vs. Panthers odds favor the Cats winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Florida is playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season, while the Oilers are appearing in the Cup Final for the first time since 2006. The Cats are more battle-tested after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Cup Final.
WE ARE BACK-TO-BACK EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPS
Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers)
Florida is led by Matthew Tkachuk, who has five goals and 19 points through 17 games. The Oilers are led by a lethal trio of Connor McDavid (29 points), Leon Draisaitl (27 points), and Evan Bouchard (25 points). Zach Hyman, meanwhile, has a team-high 13 goals.
Sergei Bobrovsky is a primary reason the Panthers are favored in the . He s been stellar this postseason with a .908 save percentage. Florida also has an impressive penalty kill (88%) capable of shutting down the Oilers star-studded unit.
Edmonton vs Florida History
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers don t see each other very often considering they reside on opposite sides of the continent. They did, however, meet two times during the 2023-24 regular season, with Florida winning on both occasions.
In the first matchup in November 2023, the Panthers won 5-3 thanks to two goals from Nikko Mikkola. Oilers Connor McDavid also scored two goals in that game but it wasn t enough as the Cats lit up Edmonton backup goalie Calvin Pickard for four goals on 34 shots.
In the second and most recent meeting on December 16, 2023, Florida once again scored five goals, this time in a 5-1 victory. Carter Verhaeghe had two goals and an assist, while Sergei Bobrovsky stood on his head with 38 saves on 39 shots.
When you look at all-time Panthers vs Oilers history, Edmonton has a 23-16-3 edge historically. The two teams have split the last 10 meetings equally. Florida and Edmonton have never played in a playoff series before 2024.
Oilers vs Panthers Prediction
Is it finally Connor McDavid s time to win a Cup? Or are the Florida Panthers due for glory after coming oh so close last year? We don t disagree with the oddsmakers that the Cats should be favored in this series, but the Oilers are a tempting underdog with the best player in the world on their roster.
OilersVSPanthers
