Welcome back to another day of NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head and other factors that may play in. We also have a featured game of the day, which is considered must-watch TV. Today’s featured game is the Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions in the coming days as the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs roll on.
NHL Predictions
Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers
Season Head-to-Head: Oilers 0-2 Panthers
TV: ABC, Sportsnet, TVAS, CBC
The big day has finally arrived and Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is here. We’re down to two teams that will slug it out for the right to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Panthers are making their second straight trip to the Final while the Oilers are back for the first time since 2006. Edmonton is seeking its first championship since 1990 while Florida is looking for its inaugural NHL crown.
Florida has played like a favourite for most of the season while Edmonton was towards the bottom of the league at the start of the season. However, a coaching change gave the Oilers the fuel it needed to reach the Final. Edmonton is looking to be the first Canadian team to host the Cup since 1993. However, a tall order awaits them. Let’s look at all the storylines heading into Game 1 in our NHL predictions.
The Oilers Story
Edmonton saw its season slipping away, but made the move to hire Kris Knoblauch as head coach. The Oilers then went on a tear and comfortably made the post-season. Series victories over the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars seem Edmonton in the final again.
The Ollers boast four of the top five scorers in the post-season. Connor McDavid is tops in points with 31, including 26 assists. Leon Draisaitl is next in line with 28 points while Evan Bouchard leads all defencemen in points with 27. Zach Hyman is the playoffs leading goal-scorer with 14 so far. Goalie Stuart Skinner will get to call in between the pipes for Edmonton.
The Panthers Story
Florida comes in on a mission after losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s championship series. The Panthers have been great most of the season and have great structure on defence. Series wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers have the Cats in the Final. Everyone raves about the Panthers’ defence, but the team can also score goals.
Matthew Tkachuk leads the team in points with 19 while Carter Verhaeghe tops the team in goals with nine. Aleksander Barkov has played like a Selke Trophy winner all post-season for the team. He has 17 points while soon-to-be free agent Sam Reinhart has eight goals. Florida doesn’t score like Edmonton, but it gets the job done. Sergei Bobrovsky draws the start for Florida.
Prediction
Styles make fights and there are some differences. Edmonton will want to get out and speed up things. However, Florida wants to use its size and physical play to bully the opposition. Defence wins championships and we’ll default to that setting in Game 1 at least.
Prediction: Panthers win 4-2.
Prop Bets of the Night
There are plenty of good props to be had in Game 1 for tonight. On the Edmonton side, we think Skinner might be busy and we suggest the over on +25 saves on this one. For Florida, Gustav Forsling has been putting up over seven shots in the last four games. We’ll take the over on +3.0 shots tonight.
NHL predictions will be back with Game 2 on Monday.
Main photo by: Perry Nelson – USA Today Sports
