Oilers dealing with Stanley Cup Final goalie debate. Panthers, 1 win from repeating, have Bobrovsky
When the Edmonton Oilers face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard will lead them on to the ice as their starting goaltender.
The defending champion Panthers have no such debate. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky has started 63 consecutive playoff games going back to early in the playoffs in 2023, and he is a big reason they are on the cusp of winning a second consecutive title.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Panthers host the Oilers with 3-2 series lead
Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, in the Pacific Division) vs. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Panthers -148, Oilers +124; over/under is 6.5 STANLEY CUP FINAL: Panthers lead series 3-2 BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-2 lead in the series. The teams meet Saturday for the eighth time this season. The Panthers won the last meeting 5-2. Brad Marchand scored two goals in the victory. Florida is 47-31-4 overall and 32-15-3 in home games. The Panthers have a 52-8-4 record when scoring three or more goals. Edmonton has a 30-20-2 record on the road and a 48-29-5 record overall. The Oilers have a 29-10-4 record when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent. TOP PERFORMERS: Sam Reinhart has 39 goals and 42 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has nine goals and four assists over the last 10 games. Leon Draisaitl has 52 goals and 54 assists for the Oilers. Corey Perry has scored five goals and added two assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 7-1-2, averaging 4.4 goals, 7.3 assists, 6.5 penalties and 20 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. Oilers: 6-3-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 7.1 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game. INJURIES: Panthers: None listed. Oilers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Globe and Mail
11 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Oilers up against the clock to find a winning mix against Panthers in Stanley Cup final
The Edmonton Oilers were the favourites to win the Stanley Cup before the season began but now find themselves on the brink of elimination from the final for the second straight year. After a defeat on Saturday, the Oilers trail the Florida Panthers 3-2 in the best-of-seven and now must win in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday to stay alive. They must then do it again on Friday to clinch their first NHL championship in 35 years. It has been a great and odd final series where the opponents have alternated victories. Neither has been able to maintain momentum but now the Panthers are just one victory shy of capturing the Stanley Cup for the second straight year. Florida beat Edmonton in seven games a year ago and at present would seem to hold the upper hand. The Oilers have fallen short in two critical areas that they will have to address to have a chance. The issues are related as well. The first is being outplayed at the beginning of games. They have been outscored 11-4 overall in the first period and 7-0 over the last three contests. 'We have come out flat for most of the series,' Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton's veteran defenceman, said after Saturday's 5-2 loss. 'We have to find a way to be better at that. 'We have to make sure we bear down in games, and it hasn't happened for us. We need to go to Florida and win a game and flip that.' Perhaps Ekholm is being hard on himself and his teammates in so far as three of the five games have gone to overtime. But at this time of year there should be no shortage of desperation. There is no reason a team should not be ready to go at the opening puck drop. Cathal Kelly: Any team can win the Stanley Cup – but only the Panthers truly want to Opinion: Stanley Cup pursuit reignites debate about taxes on player salaries The other crucial issue is that the Oilers' goaltending has been erratic. Stuart Skinner has been excellent, but also pulled from the net twice. Calvin Pickard came on in relief on Thursday and was splendid in an overtime victory where Edmonton fell into a 3-0 hole in the first period. As such he was given the starting nod on Saturday but allowed four goals on 18 shots. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch cast no blame his way, but it should be pointed out that Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers' goalie, has been just OK so far. Knoblauch would not say who would start Game 6 during a media availability early Sunday morning, before the team boarded its charter flight for Fort Lauderdale. 'It's not an easy decision,' Knoblauch said of who would be put in the net while facing elimination. 'We have two goalies that have shown they can play extremely well. We feel no matter who [we would] choose can win the game.' The bigger problem is that Edmonton has been collapsing early and its high-powered offence has turned into a popgun in the three losses. 'It would be nice to get some goal support,' Knoblauch said. 'It would be nice to have the lead and for our goalies to not be in a position where the pressure is on them and they have to make every single save to keep the game close or keep us ahead. 'We've had high-quality chances early. Capitalizing on them would be something good for us.' Neither of the team's superstars – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – spoke to journalists after Saturday's game or on Sunday morning. That certainly makes it seem like frustration is mounting. The Oilers took only two penalties in Game 5 but in previous outings have allowed the Panthers to have too many opportunities with a man advantage. 'We have to clean up that issue,' Knoblauch said. 'That has been a big story throughout the series.' There are things that need to be fixed for Edmonton to win. Time is running out.
Toronto Star
11 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Oilers dealing with Stanley Cup Final goalie debate. Panthers, 1 win from repeating, have Bobrovsky
When the Edmonton Oilers face elimination in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers, either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard will lead them on to the ice as their starting goaltender. The defending champion Panthers have no such debate. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky has started 63 consecutive playoff games going back to early in the playoffs in 2023, and he is a big reason they are on the cusp of winning a second consecutive title.
