Latest news with #StanleyCupFinal.SamNavarro-Imagn
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers Not the Favorites in Initial 2026 Stanley Cup Odds
Panthers Not the Favorites in Initial 2026 Stanley Cup Odds originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For the second straight year, the Florida Panthers ended the NHL season by beating the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. Advertisement Florida capped off the series with a definitive 5–1 win in Game 6 in a dominant showing at home behind Sam Reinhart's four-goal effort and Sergei Bobrovsky's 28 saves. Yet, when the opening 2026 Stanley Cup odds dropped at BetMGM shortly after the final horn, the Panthers weren't listed as the favorites to hoist the Cup next year. That label, as surprising as it might sound, went to the team they've now beaten in back-to-back Finals—Connor McDavid's Oilers. Edmonton opened at +650 to win it all next season, slightly ahead of the Panthers at +750. Florida will try to become the first team to three-peat since the 1980s Islanders dynasty, but oddsmakers have pegged Edmonton, which hasn't lifted the Cup since 1990, and has lost two consecutive finals to the same team, as the early frontrunner. Advertisement The rest of the top five includes the Avalanche (+800), Stars (+850), and Hurricanes (+900)—all familiar contenders with multiple trips to the conference finals in the past few years. Every 2025 conference finalist, in fact, ranks among the top teams again, except for Colorado. That said, the Avs' high rank comes within the context of their recent 2022 Stanley Cup title. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck defended by Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) during the 2025 Stanley Cup Navarro-Imagn Images Florida's upcoming free agency could have factored into the early outlook. Both Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett and 37-year-old Brad Marchand (the runner-up for the trophy) are set to enter unrestricted free agency on July 1. The Oilers, meanwhile, don't have any star player in the upcoming free-agent list, which bodes well for them if they want to bring back their core group to give it another run. Advertisement Related: NHL Makes Historic Connor McDavid Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final Related: NHL Makes Historic Sam Bennett Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oilers and Panthers Share Strong Messages After Heated Game 3
Oilers and Panthers Share Strong Messages After Heated Game 3 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final had a very different tone from the first two, in terms of how unbalanced and physical it was. Advertisement The Florida Panthers' 6–1 blowout of the Edmonton Oilers on Monday included 140 total penalty minutes, three power-play goals for the Panthers, and multiple scrums that led to misconducts on both sides. The Oilers started poorly, surrendering the first goal just 56 seconds into the game and allowing five before pulling Stuart Skinner early in the final frame. By then, the game was well out of reach, but the physical damage was just beginning, with things escalating steadily through the night until the explosion occurred in the shape of a late line brawl. Matthew Tkachuk explained the Panthers' mentality entering the final period of Game 3 with a 4-1 lead and aiming to close things out no matter how. Advertisement 'We talked about it in the third. If you have to take a punch, take a punch. If you have to take a cross-check, take a cross-check. Spear, slash in the face, whatever the case is, you've got to take it,' Tkachuk said. 'We just played a really smart game.' Oilers defenseman Jake Walman, on the other side of the bruising affair, captured the same sentiment in rather raw terms. 'I mean it's for the Stanley Cup, you know. So (expletive). There's not an inch out there," Walman said, per Chris Johnston. "It's a grown man's game out there. That's not for the faint of heart." 'Guys are putting everything on the line, you know?' Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) puts a rat on the stick after beating the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Navarro-Imagn Images Evander Kane picked up 25 minutes in penalties, including a misconduct for striking a downed Carter Verhaeghe with his stick, prompting his ejection from the game. Advertisement The Oilers committed 15 minor penalties overall, and the Panthers capitalized with three power-play goals in 11 opportunities. Florida now holds a 2–1 series lead with Game 4 set for Thursday night in Sunrise, FL. Related: Oilers Coach Sends 'Unraveling' Message After Panthers Take 2-1 Finals Lead Related: Oilers Raise Concerns About Officiating and Panthers' Actions on Stuart Skinner This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
