There will be a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in Sunrise, FL. It’ll be the first Game 7 in the Cup Final since 2019 and just the 18th in league history.
The Panthers looked poised to lift the Cup, if not sweep the Oilers, after taking a 3-0 series lead. However, the Oilers have flipped the script with an 18-5 goal differential in the last three contests.
Will the Oilers complete the comeback or will the Panthers avoid a complete collapse? Here are my early leans for Panthers vs. Oilers predictions and NHL picks for Stanley Cup Final Game 7 on Monday, June 24.
Oilers vs Panthers prediction
My best bet
Under 5.5 (-150 at Sports Interaction)
My analysis
The ice has opened up in recent games for the Edmonton Oilers but I expect things to tighten up in Game 7 as the Florida Panthers return home. Game 6 was trending toward the Under 5.5 until the Oilers scored two empty-net goals in the final minutes for a 5-1 result. While that is a risk in a Game 7 as well, I don’t expect there to be more than a few goals before the third period.
There’s a different feeling in a Game 7, and even more so in the Stanley Cup Final. We’ve seen three Game 7s so far in this postseason with a total of 11 goals: Boston beat Toronto 2-1 in overtime, Dallas beat Vegas 2-1, and Edmonton beat Vancouver 3-2. Things tighten up in Game 7s with both teams limiting their risks and making the smart, safe play with the puck.
Of the 17 Stanley Cup Final Game 7s in history, 16 of them have had five goals or fewer. The one outlier was way back in 1950 when the Detroit Red Wings beat the New York Rangers 4-3 in double overtime.
In the last 15 years, the Blues beat the Bruins 4-1 in 2019, the Bruins beat the Canucks 4-0 in 2011, and the Penguins beat the Red Wings 2-1 in 2009. Even the last time the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup Final they lost 3-1 in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.
Of course, it’s not enough to look at history to make a bet, but we can back that up with stats from the last two games. The Panthers had an expected goals advantage of 2.68 - 0.76 at 5-on-5 in Game 5 and 1.39 - 0.96 in Game 6. Expect more of the same in Game 7 with an alternate Under 4.5 or even Under 3.5 in the cards.
Oilers vs Panthers star player prop
My best bet
Zach Hyman Under 3.5 shots on goal (-185 at Sports Interaction)
We’re laying some juice here with Zach Hyman’s SOG under but it’s worth it. Not only has Hyman not had more than three shots on goal in seven straight games, he’s only had more than three shot attempts in three of those contests. In fact, he’s gone Over 3.5 shot attempts in just one of the last five games in this series.
Hyman has been neutralized in the Stanley Cup Final with just two goals, one off his shin pad in Game 5 and a breakaway tally in Game 6. That should continue here in Game 7 with Paul Maurice and the Panthers getting the last change to match up Aleksander Barkov and their top defensive pairing against the Oilers’ big guns.
Oilers vs Panthers odds
Oilers vs Panthers live odds
Oilers vs Panthers opening odds
- Puck line: Edmonton +1.5 | Florida -1.5
- Moneyline: Edmonton +100 | Edmonton -112
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 | Under 5.5
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Oilers vs Panthers game info
| Location: | Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL |
| Date: | Monday, 6-24-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC, Sportsnet |
Oilers vs Panthers latest injuries
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