The Hockey Show: Talking Stanley Cup Final rematch, Florida Panthers roots with Bob Wischusen
Final Remaining Teams In This Year's Stanley Cup Playoffs Shows Sabres What's Necessary To Have Success
After the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers play Game 7 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday night, there will be only four teams left in this year's post-season. And no matter which team joins the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals, it's going to be crystal-clear to everyone -- the Buffalo Sabres included -- what it takes to have success to get into the playoffs, and when the games matter most once they get there.
2:27
Now Playing
Paused
Ad Playing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
How do the Panthers beat the Oilers to repeat as champions? Here are the keys
The Florida Panthers are four wins away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Their final test is the toughest in a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers, the same team that just last year took them to seven games in the Stanley Cup Final before the Panthers ultimately prevailed. Here are five keys for the Panthers if they want to win it all for a second consecutive year. Win with depth ... Edmonton has been carried in large part by four main players on offense in Connor McDavid (six goals, 20 assists, 26 points), Leon Draisaitl (seven goals, 18 assists, 25 points), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (five goals, 13 assists, 18 points) and Evan Bouchard (six goals, 11 assists, 17 points). The Panthers have spread the wealth around, receiving contributions from up and down the lineup all postseason. They have 19 players with at least one goal and 10 players with at least 11 points. Every defenseman has scored at least once. There's a confidence that comes with that when Florida can roll every line and not have to rely on two or three big players to do the heavy lifting every night and it also affords the Panthers the opportunity to set up matchups that work in their favor. For example, the fact that the team's third line of Anton Lundell centering Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand has been so effective on both ends of the ice — they have outscored opponents 10-2 while playing together at five-on-five — gives coach Paul Maurice the confidence that they can contain one of Edmonton's top lines featuring either McDaivd or Draisaitl. That, in turn, frees up either the Aleksander Barkov line (with Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart) or the Sam Bennett line (with Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk) to go against one of the Oilers' bottom lines. ... But the stars have to show up, too That said, the big guns do need to step up on the biggest stage — and for their part, they have throughout the playoffs. Barkov leads the team with 17 points in the playoffs. Bennett leads the entire league with 10 goals. Tkachuk has 16 points, seven of which came in the Eastern Conference final. Verhaeghe has six goals, including a pair of game-winners. There's certainly enough to go around, but as Reinhart said after the Eastern Conference final, 'big players make big plays at the biggest moments when you need them.' Excel on special teams Florida's game is built on creating steady pressure at five-on-five, being relentless on the forecheck and grinding down the opposition for a full 60 minutes. But if the game does end up relying on special teams, they've been pretty good there, too. The Panthers boast the best penalty kill of the postseason, killing off 87.9 percent of opposing power play opportunities despite being shorthanded an average of 6:20 per game this playoffs. They have three effective forward pair combinations, including Barkov-Reinhart (the top two finishers for the Selke Trophy given annually to the league's top defensive forward), Luostarinen-Tomas Nosek and Lundell-Marchand to rotate in and out, plus the defensemen have been stellar at limiting shots up close as well. The Oilers will present the biggest challenge to that group, though, as they have scored on 30 percent of their power-play opportunities (12 for 40) this postseason. Florida's power play is converting at a 23.2 percent clip (12 for 52) in the playoffs. Maintain the goaltending edge Sergei Bobrovsky has been the backbone for this Florida team all playoffs. While there were some shaky outings early in the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has overall been a model of consistency. The 36-year-old goaltender, who is wrapping up his 15th NHL season and sixth with the Panthers, has a 2.11 goals against average and .912 save percentage. He has three shutouts in 17 games — one in each round — and has held opponents to two goals or fewer in 11 of those 17 games. His 6.04 goals save above average according to Natural Stat Trick are the most among all goals this postseason. His opposition in Stuart Skinner, meanwhile, has either been fantastic or downright dreadful. Prior to Edmonton's Game 5 win over the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final, when he gave up three goals on just 17 shots, Skinner had either been excellent (one goal or fewer in five wins, including three shutouts) or downright putrid (four-plus goals allowed in four losses) in net this postseason. Florida needs to try to get to Skinner early if they want to get an early edge in the series. Don't overthink it While this is obviously the biggest stage of the season, the final games that will determine which team is a champion, the Panthers know at the end of the day it's just hockey. They've been here before — three times now in the past three years. They need to make sure they don't let the moment get too big, they don't let their emotions get the better of them.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Is This One Factor Holding Back The Carolina Hurricanes?
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 28: Head coach Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on ... More against the Florida Panthers during the first period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 28, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) After reaching the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, the Carolina Hurricanes yet again enter the 2025 Exit Interviews on a sour note. In a 4-1 series loss to the Florida Panthers, the Hurricanes managed to win their first game in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2006. For reference, current Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour scored the game winning goal in that game. What is the reason for these premature eliminations, despite being one of the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference since 2018? RALEIGH, NC - MAY 28: Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) shakes the hands of members of ... More the Carolina Hurricanes after game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes on May 28, 2025 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) For this, let's look into the consistencies of these seven teams. The 2018-2019 season was the first for Brind'Amour at the helm. He took over for previous head coach Bill Peters, who failed to reach the playoffs in his four seasons behind the bench. In year one, he led the team to 99 points on the season and their first playoff berth since the 2008-09 season, by largely changing the team's identity. As a team, they improved from 22nd in goals against to seventh. This adjustment came with the same defensive core, as Jaccob Slavin and Justin Faulk led the team in time on ice in both seasons. Instead, the defensive efforts from the forwards came to fruition, with a unique strategy. Typically, when more defensive responsibilities are given to a team's forward group, you will see the team's blocked shots and hits increase overall. This was not the case in 2018, nor has it been noticeably in the six seasons to follow. Instead, the Hurricanes made an effort to increase the tempo of the game, capitalizing on the team's overall skating abilities. Carolina achieved this philosophy in two ways. First, when defending in their own zone, the Hurricanes pressure the puck handler more than most teams in the NHL, pushing back to the blue line after an entry. Then, when the puck transitions to the offensive end, the Hurricanes shoot more than any other team in hockey. They started leading the league in the statistic in the 2018-19 season, and over the seven year stretch only the Florida Panthers put the puck on net more often. This pesky style of hockey requires a roster compiled of open-ice skaters with enough endurance to keep up with the workload. Based on the team's ability to reach the postseason in each of those seasons, it is safe to say they found a group of skaters with those abilities. Another reason the philosophy is not more widespread, outside of its difficulty, is because it slightly counteracts with the typical formula for a championship. As the playoffs begin, the physicality of the games significantly increases. So, even though the Hurricanes increase their level of physicality with the rest of the league, the makeup of the team that is built to outskate their opponents are often neutralized by the physicality mismatch. RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 29: Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with ... More teammates after scoring the series clinching goal during double overtime in Game Five of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New Jersey Devils at Lenovo Center on April 29, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) Plus, when Carolina is unable to maintain position in the slot, screen the goaltender or get rebounds, their offensive philosophy of shoot now, think later becomes less effective. This is not to say the Hurricanes fail to adjust or are complacent with their track record. For example, if Mikko Rantanen were to have signed a long-term contract with the Hurricanes instead of declining their offer, who knows if their physicality and offensive production would have been different this postseason. But, in as long of a stretch as Carolina has seen without a Stanley Cup berth, it may be time for a significant change to their philosophy. And to achieve this, the team may be forced to cut ties with Sebastian Aho. Aho has objectively done all that could have been asked from a former second-round pick. In nine seasons, the Finnish forward has 631 points in 677 career games, all while never playing less than 68 games in a full season. In the postseason, Aho has continued his point-per-game pace, with 85 in 89 career games, and 15 in this year's postseason. Aho has not been the team's Achilles Heel by any means, nor has his contract withheld Carolina from being able to surround him with talent. But, for being the top-paid player on the team and the potential replacement to Jordan Staal's captaincy once he hangs up the skates, there may be hesitations in believing that Aho can lead a team to hoist the Stanley Cup. So, entering an offseason with only four defensemen on contract and questions at the goaltending position, Carolina's forward depth is a position of strength for the team. If the Hurricanes want to begin their retooling by swinging big for bigger defensemen with postseason experience, in players like Aaron Ekblad, Vladislav Gavrikov or Cody Ceci, this could quickly eat up their current $32 million in cap space next season. If that is the case, then that would limit their options in an already-limited pool of free-agent goaltenders. Could this be the scenario where Aho is traded? Or if not Aho, could another forward on a team-friendly contract like Seth Jarvis or Andrei Svechnikov be a player the team would consider parting ways from. Regardless of which domino falls, the 2025-26 Carolina Hurricanes could have an entirely different look to them after this offseason. And the changes to the roster are warranted given their ceiling in the Brind'Amour era. But even though trading away a forward of these three's talent levels has plenty of risk, with Brind'Amour's coaching and the chemistry of the roster, they could be one player away from escaping the Eastern Conference Final roadblock that they have been unable to navigate.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Stanley Cup Final Series Betting Preview: Oilers-Panthers Odds, Best Bets
The Stanley Cup Final, which starts Wednesday, promises to be a competitive rematch between the Oilers and Panthers. Florida took down Edmonton 4-3 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The Stanley Cup Final, which starts Wednesday, promises to be a competitive rematch between the Oilers and Panthers. Florida took down Edmonton 4-3 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. While this year's NBA Finals features one of the most lopsided matchups in league history, at least according to oddsmakers, the top sportsbooks all see the Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers as a near-coin flip. The Panthers reached this year's Stanley Cup with wins over Tampa Bay (4-1), Toronto (4-3) and Carolina (4-1). The Oilers went through the Kings (4-2), Golden Knights (4-1) and Dallas Stars (4-1) to clinch their chance to avenge last year's Stanley Cup Final loss to the Panthers. Stanley C up Final Series Winner Betting Odds DK FD bet365 Florida Panthers -120 -122 Edmonton Oilers +100 +102 Stanley Cup Final Series Spread Odds You can bet on either the Panthers or Oilers to win the series by 1.5 or 2.5 games. The winner would have to get it done in six games (4-2) to cover at -1.5, and it would need to win 4-1 (or 4-0) to cover at -2.5. The odds below come from DraftKings: EDM -1.5 (+180); FLA +1.5 (-220) EDM -2.5 (+340); FLA +2.5 (-450) FLA -1.5 (+170); EDM +1.5 (-200) FLA -2.5 (+370); EDM +2.5 (-500) Stanley Cup Final Total Game Odds Sportsbooks including DraftKings offer bettors the ability to choose exactly how many games this series will go. DraftKings: 4 games (+600); 5 games (+270); 6 games (+200); 7 games (+200) At FanDuel, the over/under on the number of games in this series is set at 5.5 games, with Over 5.5 priced at -205 and Under 5.5 at +164. Additional Stanley Cup Final series markets include Game/Series Double and Correct Score. At FD, the two correct score options with the shortest odds are Edmonton 4-3 (+390) and Florida 4-3 (+470). Stanley Cup Final Betting Analysis, Pick Looking Back at 2024 Stanley Cup Final These teams are intimately familiar with each other after a memorable seven-game clash a year ago. One of the biggest differences is that this time, it's the Oilers who hold home-ice advantage after they had to play last year's series decider in South Florida. Florida jumped out to 3-0 lead over Edmonton in last year's Final, outscoring the Oilers 11-4 in Games 1-3 of that series. The Panthers did a remarkable job defending Oilers superstar Connor McDavid in those games, as he was scoreless in each of them, though he did notch 1 assist in Game 2 and 2 assists in Game 3. Edmonton exploded for 18 total goals across Game 4 (EDM 8, FLA 1), Game 5 (EDM 5, FLA 3) and Game 6 (EDM 5, FLA 1) to tie the series at 3-3, but the Panthers pullled out Game 7 at home, 2-1. Florida's Game 7 win prevented McDavid -- who did not tally a point in either Game 6 or Game 7 -- and the Oilers from completing their historic rally. In addition to their impressive work containing McDavid (outside of Games 4 and 5, when he piled up three goals and five assists), the Panthers also stifled All-Star C Leon Draisaitl (0 goals, 3 assists) throughout the series, with the latter failing to register a point in five of seven games. Another interesting aspect of last year's series was how well both teams killed penalties. In a seven-game series in which Florida and Edmonton combined to score 42 goals, just six came on special teams: Edmonton tallied 3 power play goals to 1 for Florida, and the Oilers also scored twice shorthanded. Stanley Cup Final Prediction, Best Bets This is a difficult series to predict, as anyone who bet on Panthers-Oilers a year ago vividly remembers. There's history, home-ice, revenge and the McDavid factor on Edmonton's side. The Oilers star has a chance to follow in the footsteps of both Wayne Gretzky and Sydney Crosby by winning his first Cup in a Stanley Cup rematch. Gretzky and none other than the Oilers lost to the Islanders in 1983, then won the Cup at the Isles' expense a year later. Crosby and the Penguins followed suit in '08 and '09, losing to the Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final before winning it all the following year. Edmonton has the unenviable task of having to go through a gritty, veteran Panthers team -- and I don't blame anyone who simply refuses to bet against Paul Maurice's team. But with a stronger, deeper supporting cast this time around and a goalie, Stuart Skinner, coming off a good series in the WCF, I like McDavid and the Oilers to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole and win this franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1990. So, let's go with the Oilers to get it done in a long series -- 0.5 units: Oilers 4-3 (+390 at FanDuel) -- with Edmonton coming out on top in front of a raucous Game 7 crowd at Rogers Place. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
