Series Overview
The Florida Panthers are gearing up for Game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. After a dominant start, the Panthers secured victories in the first three games of the series. However, the Edmonton Oilers bounced back with an emphatic 8-1 win on Saturday, igniting hopes of forcing a Game 6.
To put it into perspective, the 2012 New Jersey Devils were the last team to push a series to six games after trailing 0-3, setting the stage for an exciting challenge for the Oilers. The opening faceoff at Amerant Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET, and all eyes will be on this pivotal match.
Florida's Home-Ice Edge
The Panthers enter Game 5 as the favorites with odds of -134. Florida has been exemplary on home ice this postseason, boasting an 8-3 record. They have also won their last four consecutive home games.
The defense has been particularly robust at home, conceding just four goals over the last four games. The Panthers have also managed to limit Edmonton to only two goals in the past three contests. Despite allowing at least five goals for the third time this postseason on Saturday, Sergei Bobrovsky has a knack for rebound performances, typically allowing a total of three goals in games following such setbacks.
Panthers' Key Players
Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart have been instrumental to Florida's postseason success, netting 10 and 9 goals respectively. Both players have scored once in the Stanley Cup Final so far. Additionally, Evan Rodrigues and Vladimir Tarasenko have been significant contributors, combining for five goals in the series. Rodrigues tallied three goals in the first two games, while Tarasenko found the net in each of the last two contests, giving him three goals in his last five games.
Anton Lundell is also riding a hot streak, with four assists in his last three games and a three-game point streak. Tarasenko, likewise, has been consistently productive, recording points in the last three outings.
Edmonton's Offensive Surge
Edmonton has been a powerhouse offensively, scoring at least two goals in each of the last four games. In their remarkable Game 4 win, fifteen of the Oilers' 18 skaters registered points. Connor McDavid was a standout, contributing a goal and three assists, bringing his postseason tally to an NHL-leading 38 points.
McDavid has been in superb form, amassing six points in his last two games and closing in on the milestone of 40 points in a single postseason. He also shattered Wayne Gretzky's single-playoff assist record from 1988, with a remarkable 32 assists so far. Darnell Nurse added to Edmonton's scoring in Game 4, while the team's defensemen have been prolific, leading the league with 17 goals this postseason.
Equally notable is Edmonton's impressive penalty kill rate of 93.6%, the best in the league. They have successfully defended 12 of 13 penalties in the series, with Mattias Janmark contributing two short-handed goals this postseason.
Conclusion
The series now returns to Florida, with the Panthers aiming to clinch the championship on home ice. Meanwhile, the Oilers are focused on extending the series and keeping their Stanley Cup hopes alive.
Game 5 promises to be an exhilarating contest, with fans from both sides eagerly watching to see if history will be made or if the Panthers will lift the Stanley Cup.