June 15, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday, recording the team's first marker in a 5-2 defeat against the Florida Panthers. McDavid is going up against three-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov in the series and has been limited to only two points in the last three games. He was on fire early in the matchup, bagging five assists across Games 1 and 2. The Oilers now face elimination in Game 6 on the road Tuesday and need a big performance from their key guys, including McDavid, who continues to share the postseason scoring lead with teammate Leon Draisaitl. He has tallied seven goals and 33 points in 21 playoff outings this year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 15, 2025
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett registered the team's second goal in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The 28-year-old scored in a sixth consecutive road playoff game and became the fourth active player to light the lamp at least 15 goals in a postseason, joining Zach Hyman, Alex Ovechkin, and Sidney Crosby. Teams have kept Bennett from scoring only three times over his last 10 outings, and he will head into Tuesday's potential Cup-clincher with a six-game point streak. The Oilers would significantly improve their chances in the series if they could find a way to neutralize Bennett, who is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for the scoring lead on the Panthers squad, having posted 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in 22 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 15, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen made his mark with a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-2 Game 5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Luostarinen's helper came early in the third period when Brad Marchand scored the game-winning goal, and the Finnish forward grabbed himself a goal late in the game with the Edmonton net empty. This was Luostarinen's second multi-point effort of the Finals. Overall, he has tallied one goal and four assists against the Oilers. Luostarinen continues to benefit from Brad Marchand's impressive play on Florida's third line. After averaging 0.3 points per game during the regular season, Luostarinen has notched 0.82 points in the playoffs, bagging five goals and 13 assists in 22 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 15, 2025
Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand continued his outstanding Finals series against the Edmonton Oilers with a two-goal performance in Saturday's 5-2 win. The veteran forward opened the scoring 9:12 into the game and grabbed the game-winning goal with 5:12 played in the third period. Marchand has now produced six goals against the Oilers; only seven players in NHL history have managed more during the championship series. He is the first player to score at least five goals in two separate Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams. Opponents have struggled against Florida's third line throughout the postseason, and it was another highly effective outing for them, as Marchand combined for five points with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. The 37-year-old boasts 10 goals and 20 points in 22 postseason outings overall.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 15, 2025
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of 21 shots in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, tying an NHL postseason record with his 10th road win. Florida became the seventh team to win 10 games away from home during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It has been a wonderful postseason run for Bobrovsky, who improved to 15-7 on Saturday. He is sporting a 2.27 goals-against average and has logged a .912 save percentage with three shutouts. Bobrovsky and the Panthers now need just one more victory to become only the third team this century to successfully defend their title in the NHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 14, 2025
Edmonton Oilers left wing Evander Kane will start Saturday's Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers on the fourth line. He is being demoted in the lineup following a couple of quiet outings and bad penalties. The power forward has received three minor penalties in the first period over the past two games, amassing a minus-three rating. Kane has previously been ever-present on the second line during the playoffs, posting six goals and 12 points in 19 outings. On Saturday, Leon Draisaitl will be joined on the second line by Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Brar
June 14, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen will be a healthy scratch for Saturday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a decent postseason, registering six points (three goals, three assists) in 11 outings, but Viktor Arvidsson will take Kapanen's spot in the lineup on Saturday. Arvidsson was scratched for Game 4 of the series. He has produced two goals and seven points in 14 outings. While Kapanen skated on the second line for the Oilers, Arvidsson will rejoin the action as a fourth-liner. Corey Perry will return to the top six for Saturday's game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Brar
June 14, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard will start Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Oilers are making another switch in the crease after Stuart Skinner was torched in the first period of Game 4. Skinner has made 12 consecutive starts. However, Edmonton has also received outstanding goaltending from Pickard during the postseason and will give him another shot as a starter on Saturday night. Pickard is 7-0 in the playoffs, having allowed 2.69 goals with a .896 save percentage. Only two goalies in franchise history -- Grant Fuhr and Bill Ranford -- have remained undefeated for more games during a postseason campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
June 13, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been named the 2024-25 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner. He became the fifth goalie to win both the Hart and Vezina in the same season, the first since Carey Price in 2014-15. Hellebuyck was nearly a unanimous winner of the Vezina, receiving 31 of 32 first-place votes from the NHL's general managers. This marks the third time he has been recognized as the best goaltender of the year in the league. In the MVP voting for the Hart Trophy, Hellebuyck collected 1,346 votes, edging out Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (1,209) and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (973). Additionally, Hellebuyck earned the William M. Jennings Trophy this season for contributing to the Jets allowing a league-low 191 goals during the regular season. Hellebuyck has been among the league's top goalies for quite some time and should have many quality years left in him, as he only turned 32 last month.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
June 13, 2025
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov opened his 2025 Stanley Cup Finals scoring account with two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Barkov's helpers came in the first period on power-play goals by Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers captain has had a limited role in the attack, as he has been tasked with slowing down Connor McDavid in the Finals. However, Barkov has enjoyed a solid postseason overall, scoring six goals and 19 points in 21 outings. He is also averaging a block per game and has dished out 49 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 13, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart recorded a second consecutive multi-point game in the Stanley Cup Finals in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. He picked up a pair of first-period assists, including one on the power play, and sent the game into overtime with only 20 seconds left in regulation. After going scoreless in seven of nine games, Reinhart has broken his offensive slump in style, accumulating five points (two goals, three assists) over the past two contests. While Reinhart has slowed down during the latter half of the postseason, he is still nearly averaging a point per game, with six goals and 12 assists across 19 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 13, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and an assist in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He scored both goals on the power play in the first period, leading the charge as Florida jumped to a 3-0 lead. Tkachuk, who had managed only two points over the first three matchups against Edmonton, capped off his three-point night with an assist in the third period when Sam Reinhart tied the game with only 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Florida has had nine players score 15 or more points this postseason, with Tkachuk leading the group with 21 points, along with Sam Bennett. He has recorded seven goals and a team-high 14 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard maintained his perfect record this postseason in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win against the Florida Panthers, improving to 7-0 with a relief effort. The Panthers chased Stuart Skinner in the first period, putting three pucks past him with 17 shots. Edmonton was in big trouble but managed to produce an impressive comeback victory, with Pickard allowing only one goal on 23 shots. The 33-year-old became the sixth netminder in history to win a Stanley Cup Finals game in relief. He is the fourth Oilers goaltender to win seven straight decisions in a postseason. It seems likely that Pickard will have the opportunity to extend his streak as a starter in Game 5.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm posted two assists in Thursday's 5-4 overtime win in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers. He played a crucial role in an incredible Oilers comeback, as the team entered the first intermission down 3-0. Darnell Nurse scored off Ekholm's feed in the second period, and his second assist came in overtime when Leon Draisaitl ended the game. Ekholm was late to the party, not making his postseason debut until Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, but he has not needed much time to pick up form. The Swedish blue-liner has tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in as many games, firing off nine attempts on goal and blocking 11 shots.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
June 13, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal and had two assists as his squad tied the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers with a 5-4 overtime victory on Thursday night. The German superstar buried his fourth overtime goal of the postseason 11:18 into the extra frame. Draisaitl became the first player in NHL history to score as many as four overtime goals during a single playoff run. It was Draisaitl's 11th multi-point performance of the postseason, giving him 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) through 20 games. Wayne Gretzky was previously the only player to have multiple postseasons in the NHL with at least 10 goals and 20 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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