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USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who will win Stanley Cup? Picks, predictions for Panthers-Oilers Final
Who will win Stanley Cup? Picks, predictions for Panthers-Oilers Final Show Caption Hide Caption Are Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup bound? Former NHLer weighs in Former NHL winger Riley Cote explains what he loves about this Edmonton Oilers team ahead of the Western Conference Finals. Sports Seriously The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are meeting for the second year in a row in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers won in seven games last season in a seesaw series, but the Oilers will have home-ice advantage this year. Florida defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games and the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. The Panthers lost the first two games against Toronto before rallying. Edmonton defeated the Los Angeles Kings in six games, the Vegas Golden Knights in five games and the Dallas Stars in five games. The Oilers lost the first two games against the Kings before rallying. Who will win this year's championship and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP? USA TODAY Sports' Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans weigh in. Stanley Cup Final predictions Jason Anderson: Oilers in 7. If, when the playoffs began, you told me we'd see a Stanley Cup rematch, this prediction would have probably been Panthers in five or six. Florida has talent on all lines, Sergei Bobrovsky is Sergei Bobrovsky and they have the edge in terms of being fine-tuned for playoff hockey. However, there's something to the Oilers right now that goes beyond "they're the team that has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl." Edmonton held the Dallas Stars to 17 shots in an elimination game, showing top-to-bottom poise, and Mattias Ekholm came back back to bolster the defense as well. This Panthers team will be back, but for the first time since 1993, the Cup is heading to Canada. Conn Smythe winner: McDavid, Oilers Mike Brehm: Panthers in 6. The Oilers are better than they were last season, but the Panthers are also deeper than in 2024. They lack home-ice advantage for a fourth consecutive round, but they've done well without it, scoring five or more goals in their last five road games. As well as the Oilers are locking it down defensively, the Panthers' hard-forechecking style can force a team into mistakes. Looking back, my preseason pick for the Stanley Cup champion was the Oilers. I won't be surprised if they win, but Florida should become a repeat champion. Conn Smythe winner: Aleksander Barkov, Panthers Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. The Panthers are basically a perfect playoff team, so it won't be surprising if they repeat. But Edmonton has the two best players in this series in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and I remain steadfast in my belief they will lead the Oilers to a championship. Still, the Oilers no longer rely just on them. The depth has come through these playoffs – though losing Zach Hyman hurts – and, even more important, the Oilers have shown incredible shutdown ability. That defensive play (that in theory could even improve with Mattias Ekholm back) will be the difference. Conn Smythe winner: Draisaitl, Oilers Stanley Cup Final schedule All times Eastern; (x-if necessary) Game 1: Wednesday, June 4 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Wednesday, June 4 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Game 2: Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV Game 3: Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV How to stream Stanley Cup Final Stanley Cup Final games can be streamed on Sling TV and Max.
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NHL playoff predictions 2025: Which teams win first round series and advance in bracket?
NHL playoff predictions 2025: Which teams win first round series and advance in bracket? Show Caption Hide Caption Paul Bissonnette on Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry over last 20 years NHL on TNT's Paul Bissonnette breaks down the ongoing rivalry between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby Sports Seriously The NHL is rolling out its playoff schedule slowly with two Western Conference games on Saturday and the 2024 champion Florida Panthers not starting their Stanley Cup defense until Tuesday. The Panthers will face the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in what could be one of the best series of the first round. The 2024 Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers will try to make it four years in a row of beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Which eight teams will make it to the second round? USA TODAY's Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans give their predictions for the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs: Jason Anderson: Capitals in 6. The Caps have had some ugly losses in recent weeks to teams that missed the playoffs, including dropping a recent back-to-back pair of games to Columbus by a combined 11-1 score. I'm taking Washington, but with the Habs holding opponents to just 2.4 goals per game over their final 10 regular-season outings, this might be closer than a No. 1-vs.-No. 8 series ought to be. Mike Brehm: Capitals in 6. The Canadiens are in the same position as the Capitals were last season: clinching on the last game of the season and facing one of the best teams in the league. Those Capitals were swept. These Canadiens won't be, but they are facing a Washington team that has improved in every aspect of the game, even with its late-season issues. Jace Evans: Capitals in 6. Most of the focus on Washington lately has been on Alex Ovechkin's historic goal chase. While epic, it also obscured the fact that the Caps haven't been playing all that well. Still, the NHL's most surprising team this season should have enough to win this series, particularly if goalie Logan Thompson can return (and return to form). Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils Jason Anderson: Hurricanes in 5. Neither of these teams is coming into the playoffs on a hot streak, with ho-hum goaltending and more recent losses than wins. However, Carolina skates too well and is too deep for a Devils team that hasn't figured out how to replace Jack Hughes (shoulder). Mike Brehm: Hurricanes in 5. The Devils are more than Jack Hughes, but New Jersey will miss his game-breaking ability against a Hurricanes team that doesn't give you much free space. Jace Evans: Hurricanes in 4. The season-ending injury to Jack Hughes was so deflating for the Devils. It's just hard to imagine them mustering much of a fight without one of the game's top players. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators Jason Anderson: Maple Leafs in 6. Toronto is clearly the better team here, and is built for playoff hockey. However, no team enters the postseason with a more anxious fanbase thanks to how many times the Leafs have crashed out of the first round (it's eight times in nine postseason trips since the 2004-05 lockout, if you're counting). The Leafs will make it hard on themselves, but they have too much of an edge to pick against them in this series. Mike Brehm: Maple Leafs in 6. This is when we'll find out how much the coaching change to Craig Berube will help. The Maple Leafs have been good in the regular season and not so good in the playoffs. But Berube has them playing the right way. Jace Evans: Maple Leafs in 5. Not to be hyperbolic but if the Maple Leafs somehow manage to lose in the first round this year they should fold the franchise. Jokes aside, Toronto is the superior team and has its best opportunity to make a deep run since 2021 ... when it collapsed in the first round against another Canadian team. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Jason Anderson: Lightning in 7. This one feels like it could be a classic. It's hard to pick against the defending champions, but Florida has been too inconsistent down the stretch to make another long playoff run. Tampa Bay has the edge in goal with Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov has been spectacular, and that's enough to make the home-ice edge in this series count. Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. The Panthers will have to play two games on the road without suspended Aaron Ekblad. And they're facing a Lightning team that made some smart pickups at the trade deadline. The Panthers were busy, too, adding Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, but they also have had injury issues. Jace Evans: Lightning in 6. Beyond questions about Matthew Tkachuk's health (and effectiveness after so much time away), Florida has just played an awful lot of hockey the last two years. It's very hard to make three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final and it's an even bigger ask to begin that journey on the road against a team as good as Tampa. Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Jason Anderson: Jets in 6. The Presidents' Trophy has been a bit of a curse, but it's hard to pick against Winnipeg in this series. The Blues have played the Jets close this season, but St. Louis gives away too many chances in front and has too much trouble killing penalties to convert that into a major upset. Mike Brehm: Jets in 5. The Jets play a strong defensive game and Connor Hellebuyck is heading toward a second consecutive Vezina Trophy. That didn't help him in last season's playoffs, when he was blown out by Colorado, but the Blues aren't the Avalanche and don't have their firepower. Jace Evans: Blues in 6. Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie in the world. But he's been a disaster the prior two postseasons. The Jets were the best team in the league this year. But no Presidents' Trophy winner has made the Stanley Cup Final since 2013 and only two since then have even made the conference finals (2015 and 2024 Rangers). I'm picking the upset. Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Jason Anderson: Avalanche in 6. Plenty of data points suggest the Avs' record isn't quite as good as it should be, and that Dallas has had a bit of luck on its side. It's also impossible to ignore that the Stars enter the playoffs on a shocking seven-game losing streak. Despite Dallas having home ice, Colorado's scoring depth should be able to wear the Stars down. Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. I had toyed with picking the Stars to reach the Stanley Cup Final. But that was before they cratered down the stretch. If Miro Heiskanen remains out and Jason Robertson misses time, Dallas will have a tough time. Jace Evans: Avalanche in 7. The Stars are deep and seem like a title contender once again ... but they don't have the same level of star-power Colorado has. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will help the Avs find a way. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild Jason Anderson: Golden Knights in 5. Vegas won all three regular-season meetings, and while the Wild have the best goalie in the series in Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota is also one of two teams to get into the playoffs despite a negative goal difference (-11) on the season. The Golden Knights are the stronger team top to bottom. Mike Brehm: Golden Knights in 6. The Golden Knights lost key players to free agency but are a deeper team because of the emergence of players such as Pavel Dorofeyev. They didn't even make a stunning move at the deadline, just bringing back Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights have plenty of leftovers from the 2023 Stanley Cup champions and could go far. Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 6. Minnesota has gotten healthy at the right time, but Vegas is a deep, balanced group that is loaded with championship experience. The Wild haven't won a playoff series since 2015. Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Jason Anderson: Kings in 6. It's NHL tradition at this point for the Kings and Oilers to play in the first round, but this year Los Angeles finally gets one over on Edmonton. Darcy Kuemper gives the Kings an edge between the pipes, and it's impossible to assume the Oilers' long list of dinged-up players can be at their best. Mike Brehm: Kings in 7. The Kings are dominant at home and they have home-ice advantage in this series. The Oilers will miss injured Mattias Ekholm. Jace Evans: Oilers in 7. The Oilers were hit by the injury bug about as hard as any team in the playoffs, and there remains eternal questions about their goaltending. And yet, if the big guns are in the lineup, I just trust they'll find a way to score goals and beat the Kings — as they have the prior three years.
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Frozen Four expert predictions, picks for NCAA hockey bracket and national championship
Frozen Four expert predictions, picks for NCAA hockey bracket and national championship Show Caption Hide Caption he PC men's hockey team learns its NCAA tourney seed, and opponent The Providence College Friars will head to Manchester to face defending champion Denver in the NCAA men's hockey tournament. As the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments move on to their Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds this weekend, men's college hockey will begin its process of crowning a national champion. The road to the Frozen Four officially gets started this week, with 16 teams in the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament vying for the opportunity to be immortalized in their sport's long and storied history. Many of college hockey's most historically decorated programs qualified for the field this year, either through an automatic berth or an at-large bid. Each of the past four programs to win a national championship is represented, including reigning national champion Denver, which has captured two of the past three national titles under wunderkind coach David Carle. REQUIRED READING: Men's NCAA hockey selection show recap: Bracket, schedule, 2025 Frozen Four predictions It's Boston College, though, that enters the event as the No. 1 overall seed, with Michigan State, Maine and Western Michigan, in order, rounding out the top four. Some of the sport's other established powers, such as Minnesota and Boston University, will look to add to their immense trophy cases while upstarts like UConn and Bentley will aim to make a run in their first-ever appearances in the tournament. Who from that crowded and competitive group of teams will end up hoisting the national championship trophy in St. Louis on April 12? Here's a look at Frozen Four and national championship predictions from writers from the USA TODAY Network: NCAA hockey bracket predictions for Frozen Four, national championship Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports Regions listed in parentheses Frozen Four picks Michigan State (Toldeo) Maine (Allentown) Boston College (Manchester) Minnesota (Fargo) NCAA hockey championship: Boston College over Michigan State After falling short in the 2024 title game, Boston College gets it done this year. Jacob Fowler is one of college hockey's top goalies, and the line of Ryan Leonard, Gabriel Perreault and James Hagens showed in the USA's gold-medal run at the world junior hockey championship that it thrives in big games. Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Regions listed in parentheses Michigan State (Toledo) Maine (Allentown) Boston College (Manchester) Western Michigan (Fargo) NCAA hockey championship: Michigan State over Boston College Spartans should swagger into the tournament after their double-overtime victory over Ohio State to claim the Big Ten trophy. Between Isaac Howard's dominance with the puck and Trey Augustine (a Red Wings draft pick) delivering outstanding performances in net, the Spartans looked poised to celebrate college hockey's top prize. — Helene St. James Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal Frozen Four picks Regions listed in parentheses Boston College (Manchester) Michigan State (Toledo) UMass (Fargo) Maine (Allentown) NCAA hockey championship: Michigan State over Boston College Michigan State has a favorable regional in nearby Toledo to get to St. Louis. And with goaltender Trey Augustine and Hobey Baker finalist Isaac Howard carrying the load, the Spartans will win their fourth title in program history. — Nathaniel Bott. Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network Frozen Four Regions listed in parentheses Boston College (Manchester) Michigan State (Toledo) UConn (Allentown) Minnesota (Fargo) NCAA hockey championship: Boston College over UConn Making it to the Frozen Four championship game would be a hard-earned road for the Eagles, who will have to get out of a region including a Denver team that beat it in the national title last season and which has two Hobey Baker finalists on its roster this year. They're the No. 1 overall seed for a reason, though, and will follow up a stellar regular season with their first national championship under coach Greg Brown, doing so three years after he took over for the legendary Jerry York.
