The Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Edmonton on Friday for Game 6 after the Edmonton Oilers won their second straight against the Florida Panthers. Here's our best Panthers-Oilers prediction for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final based on the top NHL odds.
Well, that was something. The Edmonton Oilers became the first team in NHL history to win Game 5 on the road after facing a 0-3 series deficit. Their odds-defying 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 5 also marked just the fourth time a team has forced Game 6 after losing the first three contests of a Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers are the Game 6 favorites to force a decisive Game 7 back in Florida.
Game 6 takes place on Friday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET (ABC). The Panthers are a sizeable favorite by the Stanley Cup odds despite losing two games in a row.
Here is our Panthers vs. Oilers prediction and our NHL picks for Game 6.
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 prediction
Odds via our best NHL betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
It feels increasingly like the Edmonton Oilers have a date with destiny. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but that happens when you watch the greatest player of a generation, likely ever, commandeer a Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid could not be stopped or slowed in Game 5, scoring four points for the second straight game, which, by the way, is a Stanley Cup Final record.
Teammates can't speak highly enough of him, the perfect embodiment of a lead-by-example captain. His irrepressible desire to win the Stanley Cup and be the best player by a considerable margin has dragged the Oilers back into contention. While there is still a ton of work to b e done, one can't help but feel McDavid won't be denied.
The Oilers' fourth goal in Game 5 perfectly exemplifies McDavid. He had been on the ice for almost two minutes, yet collected the puck deep and dissected the Panthers' defense, slipping by three with sensational stick handling while still sliding a perfect pass to a wide-open Corey Perry. Perry could hardly believe his luck. And his post-goal reaction confirmed his pleasant surprise. Perry said post-game that he didn't even call for the pass, knowing McDavid would find him despite being harassed by three Panthers' defenders. Outrageous doesn't do the play justice.
McDavid has 42 points in 23 games and is now just five points behind the record of 47, set by Wayne Gretzky in the 1985 playoffs. He pole-vaulted to the top of the Conn Smythe odds leaderboard overnight, with his odds seismically shifting from +600 to -161 at BetMGM.
If it were possible to win a Stanley Cup on his own, McDavid would find a way. Thankfully, his teammates are chipping in, many lifting their level at the most desperate of times.
Like McDavid, although to a lesser degree, Evan Bouchard is flying. He has four points in the last two games, notching three assists in Game 5. Bouchard has 26 assists, breaking Paul Coffey's single playoffs' record of 25.
Stuart Skinner is a remarkable 9-0 in Games 4 through 7 of the 2024 playoffs. In potential elimination games, Skinner is 4-0, providing untold hope for Oilers fans. The once-embattled Oilers' netminder looks like he's enjoying every second of each pressure cooker.
In Games 4 through 7, Skinner has a goals-against average of 1.56 and a .938 save percentage. He's also consistently producing timely, even miraculous saves, flying across the goal like a panther on high alert.
Speaking of Panthers, Paul Maurice's team has endured a woeful patch on the power play and penalty kill.
They are 0-for-7 in the last two games. Even worse, the Panthers allowed shorthanded goals in Games 4 and 5, both of which opened the scoring. The Oilers have killed 43 of their last 44 penalties (97.7%), significantly influenced by Connor Brown's brilliance.
Compounding matters is their recent inability to stop the Oilers' power play, which scored two goals in Game 5 and one in Game 4, going 3-for-11 in the victories. For the Panthers to stop the rot, their special teams must be better, like they were in the first three games.
The Oilers also have Rogers Place on a Friday night to look forward to. You'll most likely be able to hear the Oilers' faithful bellowing “Let's Go Oilers” from Calgary. Finally, I backed the Oilers to win the Cup in my Stanley Cup Final Odds and Betting Preview, and I'll ride that bus until the wheels come flying off. The -120 odds represent an implied probability of 54.55%, and a $10 winning bet pays a profit of $8.33.
Best odds: -120 via Betway
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Game 6 key players
| Connor McDavid (Stanley Cup Final) | Matthew Tkachuk (Stanley Cup Final) |
|---|---|
| Points in the final: 11 | Points in the final: 3 |
| Points at Rogers Place: 6 | Points at Rogers Place: 1 |
| Goals in the final: 3 | Goals in the final: 1 |
| Power-play points: 3 | Power-play points: 0 |
| Conn Smythe odds: -150 | Conn Smythe odds: +15000 |
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 6 odds & info
- When: Friday, June 21
- Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- How to watch: ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet
- Favorite: Oilers (-120 via Betway)
Panthers-Oilers predictions made Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.
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