One 12 months after a hard-fought seven-game sequence, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers battled their manner again for a Stanley Cup Remaining rematch. The Panthers combat to defend their title after taking the primary spherical, however Connor McDavid and the Oilers are out for revenge.
Each groups superior to the Stanley Cup Remaining with relative ease, and Florida comes off a dominant efficiency towards the Carolina Hurricanes within the Jap Convention Remaining. The Panthers outscored the Canes 21-10 whereas ousting their opponent in simply 5 video games.
Florida started its playoff run by dominating the rival Tampa Bay Lightning within the first spherical, however the staff did get a scare from the Toronto Maple Leafs within the second spherical. The Leafs took a 2-0 sequence lead and pushed the defending champs to seven video games, however the Panthers took Recreation 7 in a rout.
The Panthers at the moment are simply the fourth staff since 1980 to achieve the Stanley Cup Remaining in three consecutive seasons. They are often the third staff since 2000 to win back-to-back Cup titles.
To ensure that the Panthers to perform that feat, they should get by an Oilers staff determined to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990. They have been one win away final 12 months, however the Panthers narrowly edged them out in Recreation 7.
This postseason, Edmonton has been on a mission to get one other crack on the Cup. Since falling behind 2-0 of their first-round sequence towards the Kings, the Oilers have gone 12-2 whereas rolling by means of the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been good, they usually lead the NHL in scoring this postseason with 26 and 25 factors, respectively. That duo will attempt to drive Edmonton to a Cup, they usually’ll be leaned upon much more closely than traditional with Zach Hyman out of the lineup.
Earlier than this Stanley Cup Remaining rematch will get began, take a look at our skilled predictions on which staff would be the final one standing.
Stanley Cup Remaining predictions
Nivison: The Oilers and Panthers have seemed like the most effective two groups in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, so it is solely becoming they’re the final ones left. As is normally the case, this matchup will doubtless come right down to how nicely Edmonton’s depth fares when McDavid and Draisaitl are off the ice as a result of the Panthers have a really clear benefit there.
When McDavid and Draisaitl are on the prime of their video games, the Oilers are subsequent to not possible to beat, and that has been the case over the previous few rounds. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has stepped up, and Evan Bouchard has shined on the blue line. Most significantly for Edmonton, Stuart Skinner has utterly turned issues round in aim. Over his final six begins, Skinner has saved 4.81 targets above common with a .936 save share.
Florida’s roster has no clear holes. The staff is getting key contributions from everybody – the celebrities, position gamers and the protection. Ten Panthers have double-digit factors in these playoffs in comparison with simply seven Oilers, one among which is now out for the season. Edmonton has defended fairly nicely, however the Panthers are not like another opponent. Florida has 4 strains that may grind even the most effective defensive corps right into a pulp, so the Oilers’ protection will face its biggest take a look at on this sequence. Florida’s staff protection, from Aleksander Bakov to Seth Jones, has been top-notch. That matchup towards McDavid and Draisaitl might be fairly the present.
This must be one other terrific sequence between these two groups, however the outcome would be the identical because it was final 12 months. The Panthers’ depth and tenacious forecheck outlast the Oilers for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. Prediction — Panthers def. Oilers 4-2
Bengel: Regardless of neither staff being a prime seed within the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s little or no doubt that the Oilers and Panthers have been the 2 most spectacular groups on this 12 months’s discipline. It’s going to mark simply the fifth Stanley Cup Remaining rematch throughout the NHL’s growth period (since 1967) as the 2 groups try to go to battle as soon as once more.
The Oilers possess a particularly top-heavy roster that’s paced by the dynamic one-two punch of McDavid and Draisaitl. When the 2 are on the prime of their recreation, Edmonton is an extremely harmful staff from an offensive standpoint. Nonetheless, the staff’s depth could possibly be referred to as into query with their prime six forwards taking an enormous hit within the Western Convention Remaining. Ahead Zach Hyman suffered an upper-body harm in Recreation 4 towards the Dallas Stars and was compelled to have season-ending surgical procedure. With out Hyman within the lineup, that takes a ton of goal-scoring prowess away from the Oilers on the prime of their lineup.
In the meantime, the Panthers are about as deep of a staff as has been constructed in recent times. Florida possesses a veteran-laden group that’s extraordinarily aggress on the forecheck, whereas additionally having a really succesful again finish defensively. The Panthers are led by a ridiculous ahead group that has 5 gamers with a minimum of 5 targets this postseason. The addition of Brad Marchand on the commerce deadline continues to pay huge dividends with the veteran winger bringing a bit little bit of every thing to the desk. His 10 assists are tied for second on the staff getting into the Stanley Cup Remaining and his expertise ought to rise to the event as this sequence strikes alongside.
This could show to be one other entertaining sequence like we acquired final season, however the Panthers will in the end show to have an excessive amount of depth for the Oilers to deal with. Prediction — Panthers def. Oilers 4-3
