NHL Stanley Cup Finals Preview: Oilers Don’t Want To Let This Chance Slip
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Eric Kelly
- June 6, 2025
Top NHL Pick: Oilers To Win the Series 4-2 (+370) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The 2025 Stanley Cup Finals are about to get underway as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet for the 2nd season in a row. Coming into this series, the Panthers have won both matchups against the Oilers this season (both by one-goal margins).
BetOnline, one of our top-rated sportsbooks, has priced up the Edmonton Oilers as the finals favorite at -125 NHL betting odds to lift the Stanley Cup, whilst the reigning champion, Florida, is priced at +110 to win the cup.
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Finals Repeat
Both teams’ journeys have been somewhat similar on their path to the finals, but they deserve to make it to this year’s finals, as we have a repeat in store following these two teams’ Stanley Cup Finals appearances in 2024.
Last season, the Florida Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, only to let the next three games slip away. With the series tied 3-3, Game 7 ensued, and the Panthers emerged victorious to claim the Stanley Cup. This marks the third year in a row that the Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final.
The Edmonton Oilers finished the season 6th in the Western Conference with 101 points in total, whilst the Panthers finished the regular season 5th in the Eastern Conference.
The two teams met twice throughout the regular season, with the Panthers winning both games. Although the Panthers did win both games, they were tight one-goal margin victories, 6-5 and 4-3.
History Repeats Itself
Only twice in the previous 40 seasons in the NHL have we seen back-to-back finals, and interestingly, both of those featured two of the game’s greats, Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. In both cases, Crosby and Gretzky made the finals and failed to deliver in the first year, but won the title the second time around. There are eerily similarities to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
With the Oilers falling short last season, can McDavid and company turn things around and capture their first Stanley Cup in 31 years — and McDavid’s first? Interestingly, neither Sidney Crosby nor Wayne Gretzky won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in their first Stanley Cup victories. Can McDavid break that mold, or will he hoist the Stanley Cup without the Conn Smythe, just like Crosby and Gretzky?
Goaltender Matchup
In previous years, the Oilers’ main concern throughout the postseason has been their goaltending performance, which hasn’t been up to par. Last season, the Oilers did make the finals but goaltender Stuart Skinner was the chink in their armor.
So far this season, Skinner has proven to be the main man for the Oilers, having gone 7-4 with 2.5 goals allowed per game and a save percentage of .904, including three shutouts. These are good numbers for the Edmonton-born goaltender, but nothing compared to Sergei Bobrovsky in the Florida crease.
Bobrovsky has gone 12-6 throughout the postseason with a .912 save percentage and has also had 3 shutouts. Although Bobrovsky has allowed 40 goals compared to Skinner’s 28, it must be noted that Bobrovsky has played seven more games than Skinner.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Skinner. He was dropped in the 3rd game of the playoffs (having lost the first two games) and replaced by Calvin Pickard, but when Pickard got injured, Skinner came back into the fold and has been the best goaltender throughout the remainder of the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Series Prediction
It’s now or never for this Edmonton Oilers team. They have a window where their goaltender is playing well enough to allow their power forwards to go get the job done. The biggest fear we have for the Oilers is that this loss could see the team fade away from Stanley Cup contenders for the next few seasons.
The Oilers have home ice advantage throughout these finals (something they didn’t have last year), but will it really matter when facing a team that has scored five or more goals in 7 of their 10 road games throughout the playoffs?
There’s no denying it’s hard to pick the winner of this year’s finals. The Florida Panthers are such a dogged team; they let a 3-0 series lead slip this time last year, but they also have the ability to claw back a 3-0 series deficit.
We believe this time around, Connor McDavid and company will hoist the lost Stanley Cup. However, Stuart Skinner must continue to perform at a high level, and it won’t be easy. Given the Panthers’ determination on the ice, we expect them to win at least two games in the series.
We like the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, but wouldn’t look to lay the -125 on offer with BetOnline. We believe the best two bets to take are the Oilers to win the series 4-2 at +370 or 4-3 at +550.
NHL Pick: Oilers To Win the Series 4-2 (+370) at BetOnline
NHL Pick: Oilers To Win the Series 4-3 (+550) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
