The Stanley Cup Final has been nothing short of exciting in the first two games. If this trend continues, we could see these two teams take it to a winner-take-all Game 7 like last season. We’ll see if this can continue as the series moves to South Beach. We break down the game and hand out our best NHL bet for Game 3.
Monday’s NHL Best Bets & Picks: Oilers vs. Panthers
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Edmonton Oilers (+120) vs. Florida Panthers (-142) | O/U 6.5 (+105/-125)
Unlike Game 1, where the Panthers scored three goals in a row and had a two-goal lead, Game 2 was continually close. The Oilers once scored back-to-back goals, but with nine total goals scored, neither team held a multiple-goal lead. Just like Game 1, the second game needed to be settled in overtime, but this time it was the Panthers who finished it off with Brad Marchand grabbing his second goal of the game in the second overtime.
The Panthers were able to play their style of hockey, which they struggled to do in the last game. They were physical from the first puck drop, finishing with 60 hits. They did well at slowing down the Oilers. Usually, when we see a higher-scoring game, it would favor Edmonton, but the Panthers did well at maintaining puck possession and volume shooting with a 52% Corsi rate.
They needed to jam the crease and put pressure on Stuart Skinner because he can stop long-range shots, especially when he has a clear vision, but when you create havoc in the crease and put multiple bodies at the net, that’s where he struggles. Florida was able to create 10 high-danger shots, scoring twice. If they continue to create opportunities near the net, Edmonton's defense is not good enough to stop multiple shots and clear the puck.
The Oilers’ offense will continue to create scoring chances, especially since we're getting the deeper lines and role players contributing like Corey Perry and Evander Kane. They had plenty of opportunities as they outshot the Panthers 46-42, but it was the offense that did most of the heavy lifting.
The defense had trouble creating problems for the Panthers, and they only had five takeaways. There was plenty of puck mismanagement with 23 giveaways. The offense will not play perfect hockey against a fantastic Panthers defense, so they need to start creating turnovers and take away scoring chances for Florida.
We're seeing the Panthers match the Oilers’ speed, just like they did against the Hurricanes. We're also seeing plenty of scoring chances and goals, and that trend should continue in Game 3.
Pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+105)
