NHL Stanley Cup Final 2024: Odds, Hot Takes, Top Storylines for Game 5
The Edmonton Oilers will look to continue what they hope is a historic comeback in the Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday as they return to Florida for a date with the series-leading Panthers.
A win and they threaten to steal momentum.
A loss and their pursuit of the team's first Stanley Cup since 1990 comes to a screeching halt.
With a 3-1 lead, the Panthers can close out the series at home in front of a rabid fan base.
Who will emerge victoriously from Tuesday's showdown, what are the odds entering the match-up, and when can you check out all of the action from the high-stakes Game 5?
Find out with this preview of the showdown.
Viewing Info and Current Odds
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: ESPN+
Game 5 Odds
Edmonton Oilers (+114; bet $100, win $214)
Florida Panthers (-135; bet $100, win $174.07)
Stanley Cup Championship Odds
Edmonton Oilers (+700)
Florida Panthers (-1100)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Oilers Chasing History
For the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, they must do what no team has done since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, engineering a reverse sweep that would see them reverse a 3-0 deficit and come back to defeat the Florida Panthers in four consecutive games.
It seems impossible, but these Oilers have been defined by their grittiness and resiliency this season. They have fought back from deficits in their previous two NHL Playoff series to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals and when it comes to stringing together victories, they have already done so once this season, going on a 16-game streak.
Connor McDavid has the most assists in a postseason with 32, surpassing a player you may have heard of: Wayne Gretzky. He is fifth all-time for the most points in a single playoff run. The best player in the world today has lived up to the billing through this run and his four-point game in Game 4 ignited a fire that allowed the home team Oilers to stave off elimination.
He will need to rise to the occasion once more Tuesday night as the Panthers fans will be red-hot for their team, looking to will them to victory and ensure that the Stanley Cup resides in Florida for the third time since 2020 and 21, when the Tampa Bay Lightning went back-to-back.
If he and his squad can counteract the aggression of the Panthers with the same ferocious onslaught we saw from the Oilers in Game 4, when they found the net eight times and knocked Sergei Bobrovsky out of the game after giving up five on 16 shots, the Oilers will have a chance to extend the series to a sixth game.
That is far easier said than done, though.
Panthers Will Close Out Series Tuesday Night
The high-flying Panthers were humbled in Game 4, watching their all-world goaltender struggle mightily while giving up five goals on just 16 shots. They were outclassed in Edmonton as the Oilers ensured they would live to see another game, earning the win 8-1.
The loss also accentuated two problematic stats for the Eastern Conference champions: Aleksander Barkov has been relatively quiet, scoring just once in his last seven games and Matthew Tkachuk has not scored in nine.
Bobrovsky's struggles in the last game are also problematic but could reflect the Oilers' desperation.
Despite the issues, the Panthers are one win away from winning the Stanley Cup and with what will surely be a raucous scene in Amerant Bank Arena, a victory should be in order.
The team's aggressive play has defined the Panthers' run to the cup. They have attacked early and often, jumping out to big leads and oppressing the Oilers. They barraged their opponents, earning a 3-0 shutout win, a 4-1 victory, and proving their own resilience with a harder-fought 4-3 win.
One could suggest that the last victory began the turning of the tide for the Oilers, who finally proved they could hang with the Panthers, but they still lost and put themselves in a historic hole.
Could Edmonton win Tuesday? Absolutely; especially if they get another all-world performance out of McDavid. With pressure mounting and a crowd of fans fueling them, though, expect Bobrovsky to bounce back and the offense to put the puck in the net just enough to secure the win and the first Stanley Cup in team history.