Oilers at Panthers Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds, picks: Will Connor McDavid step up?
Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final were as even as it gets. The Oilers' Game 1 comeback win in overtime changed the tone of the rematch series after they went down 3-0 to Florida last June. Then the Panthers pushed back with a double-overtime win in Game 2 and a 6-1 drubbing in Game 3. Now, Edmonton must dig deep to even the series before heading back to Canada.
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Panthers lead series 2-1
Series odds: Panthers -250, Oilers +200
When the series shifted from Edmonton to Florida for Game 3, the reigning champs took over: The Panthers won every battle. They scored three five-on-five goals and had the special-teams edge on both ends of the ice. In net, Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall, saving 1.3 goals above expected. Stuart Skinner, across the way, was completely exposed and responded poorly to his workload before getting the hook.
The Panthers wear down most teams. They grind them down along the boards, create chaos in the middle and physically walk the line in a way that infuriates opponents. The Oilers were shaky coming into Game 3 as a result, and quickly became unglued.
So, how will the Oilers respond? Connor McDavid has to break through the Aleksander Barkov matchup, especially now that the Panthers' first line made an impact on the scoresheet. Leon Draisaitl has to find more shooting lanes after not attempting a single shot in Game 3. And Edmonton needs to revitalize a commitment to team defense that helped the Oilers get this far.
Betting/odds and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Connor McDavid: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
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