The Edmonton Oilers have yet to beat the Florida Panthers in four tries this season, including the regular season, as the Stanley Cup Finals shift to Canada on Thursday night for Game 3 with the Cats trying for a commanding 3-0 edge but underdogs for the first time in the series.

Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers 2024 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Information

THE PANTHERS ARE HEADING NORTH WITH A 2-0 SERIES LEAD! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/QOzxMnmI8x

— NHL (@NHL) June 11, 2024

• When: Thursday, June 13th, 2024, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Rogers Place, Alberta, Canada
• TV: ABC, ESPN+
• Radio: 560 Sports WQAM (Panthers) // 630 CHED (Oilers)
• Live Stream: NHL Network
• NHL Betting Odds: Panthers (+1.5) // Oilers (-1.5)

Why Bet on the Florida Panthers?

What is facing Edmonton as it plays its first home Finals game at home since 2006 and down 2-0? Since the Stanley Cup Finals went to a seven-game format in 1939, only five teams have come back to win the Cup after losing the first two games.

Florida won both regular-season games over Edmonton by multiple goals and has followed suit in both games of the Finals following a 4-1 victory in Game 2 on Monday in South Florida. Evan Rodrigues led the way offensively with two goals to extend his point streak to three games and goal streak to two games. Rodrigues has proven to be an important part of Florida’s attack — he’s currently playing alongside Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett on the second line. Rodrigues also has three goals through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, while no other player has more than one.

“It’s nice to contribute to wins,” Rodrigues said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who it is. In Game 1, Bobby (Sergei Bobrovsky) stands on his head. It doesn’t matter who it is. We’re looking for wins here. We’re happy with the results in our first two.”

Nikko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad (empty net) had the other goals for the Panthers, who trailed 1-0 about midway through the second period. Anton Lundell added two assists, becoming the second Panthers player ever with a multi-assist outing in a Stanley Cup Finals game, following captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 1 last year.

Bobrovsky made 18 saves on 19 shots and has won five consecutive contests while not allowing more than two goals in a game during that span. Bob has only been beaten by Edmonton once through two games, making a total of 50 saves on 51 shots. He is the first goaltender since 2008 to allow one goal or fewer through Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals (among those who played in both contests). The Russian is 14-5 with a 2.02 GAA and a .916 save percentage through 19 postseason appearances.

The Panthers claimed their seventh comeback win of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, equaling their most ever in a single postseason (also 7 in 2023). Florida is closer to the Stanley Cup than they have ever been, with a chance to win it as they head to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4. They are the fourth straight team to hold a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, and 55th ever to do so in a best-of-seven championship series.

Why Bet on the Edmonton Oilers?

However, the Panthers might be without one of their best players in forward and captain Aleksander Barkov for a bit as he left Monday’s win injured. About midway through the third period, the Oilers were getting frustrated and with Barkov playing the puck along the wall in Florida’s zone, Edmonton star forward Leon Draisaitl left his feet and hit Barkov in the head. Down on the ice for a while, Barkov eventually left and headed to the locker room slowly under his own power, but did not return to action. Barkov won the Selke Award this past regular season as the NHL’s best defensive forward. He also has 19 points in these playoffs. We may not know until a few hours before game time Thursday whether he can play.

It’s also possible that Draisaitl is suspended for a game, even though he was only given a two-minute penalty for roughing (we think he gets just a fine). “I think he went in there to hit. His hands got up a little bit high. He was trying to knock him off the puck, and that led to the penalty,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.

In addition, fellow Edmonton forward Warren Foegele also is facing possible suspension after earning a major penalty and a game misconduct for his knee-on-knee hit on Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen in the first period. Another key Oilers player, defenseman Darnell Nurse, is in question after suffering a hip injury. He was limited to only 4:20 of ice time in Game 2. If the veteran can’t go Thursday for Game 3, Cody Ceci figures to rejoin the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch Monday.

Edmonton was smothered offensively in Game 2, held to seven shots through the first two periods, which tied a record for the fewest shots through the first two frames of a Stanley Cup Final game. The Oilers didn’t reach double digits until there was 16:05 left in the third period. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm had the lone goal in Game 2 and the only goal by either team in the first period. He is up to five goals and three assists with a plus-7 rating through 20 postseason appearances.

Superstar Connor McDavid had an assist on the goal and leads the NHL with 32 points (five goals) in 20 postseason contests. His 27 assists are the most by an active player ever in one postseason. Only Wayne Gretzky (three times; most: 31 in 1988) and Mario Lemieux (28 in 1991) have had more. However, McDavid and the Oilers are 0-for-7 on the power play in this series.

Stuart Skinner stopped 25 of 28 shots in Monday’s loss. It was only the second time in his last 10 outings that Skinner has allowed more than two goals in a contest. The last time Skinner lost consecutive contests in the postseason, he rebounded with three straight wins. Skinner is 11-7 with a 2.51 GAA and an .896 save percentage through 18 postseason appearances.

Panthers vs. Oilers Betting Trends

• Florida is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games.
• The Panthers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against Edmonton.
• The total went under in 5 of Florida’s last 5 games.
• Edmonton is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home.
• The Oilers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
• The total went under in 4 of Edmonton’s last 5 games.

Panthers vs. Oilers 2024 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Expert Betting Predictions

The Oilers take the win in Game 3 on Thursday night to get their first win in the series.

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