Tuesday night’s Game 6 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena has all the makings of a Stanley Cup classic—and potentially the curtain call of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Holding a 3-2 series lead, the Panthers return home with a golden opportunity to clinch back-to-back Stanley Cups. Florida enters the matchup as heavy -400 favorites to seal the deal, a sharp shift from the even -110 odds before Game 5. Edmonton, now facing elimination for the first time this postseason, sits at +300 to pull off the comeback and force a Game 7.
The Panthers are aiming to become the first team to win consecutive Cups against the same opponent since the Montreal Canadiens toppled the Boston Bruins in both 1977 and 1978—part of their historic four-year run in the late ‘70s. A Florida victory would mark the fourth Stanley Cup title for a Sunshine State team in this decade, following Tampa Bay’s 2020 and 2021 triumphs and Florida’s 2024 crown.
While the Oilers were resilient in similar scenarios last postseason—posting a 5-1 record when facing elimination, including three wins in last year’s Cup Final after trailing 3-0—they’ll need a sharp turnaround after falling short in Game 5. Historically, road teams in Game 6 facing elimination are dead even at 6-6 over the past 12 instances.
Conn Smythe Race Heats Up
Sam Bennett remains the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy, with his odds tightening from +150 to -190 after another critical goal in Game 5. Bennett has now scored in six consecutive road playoff games—a feat achieved by only four other players in NHL history. With 15 goals this postseason, he joins elite company that includes Zach Hyman (2024), Alex Ovechkin (2018), and Sidney Crosby (2009) as the only active players to reach that mark in a single playoff run.
Brad Marchand, meanwhile, continues to build his own case for the Conn Smythe. The veteran winger has netted six goals in the series—the most in a Stanley Cup Final since Esa Tikkanen in 1988. He also became the first player to score five or more goals in the Final with multiple franchises, and his five road goals are the most in a Cup Final since 1922.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain longshots at +700 apiece, though both would need monumental performances to snatch the trophy—especially if the Oilers don’t extend the series.
Bobrovsky’s Steady Hand
Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky tied the all-time NHL record for road wins in a single postseason with 10. He now shares the mark with Jordan Binnington, Braden Holtby, Jonathan Quick, Miikka Kiprusoff, and Martin Brodeur—legendary names to be in company with as the Panthers seek their second straight title.
As the puck drops in South Florida, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will Florida finish the job and celebrate on home ice? Or can Edmonton channel last year’s comeback magic and extend this epic showdown to a decisive Game 7?
We’ll find out tonight. Faceoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
