Site MapWhy The Panthers Will Win The Cup Tonight
Game 4 was an outlier and the Panthers look to hoist the trophy on their home ice
The Edmonton Oilers won Game Four in dominating fashion, defeating the Florida Panthers 8-1. It makes any casual fan think the Oilers have a chance, albeit a slight one, to complete the series comeback and win the Cup.
There’s plenty of reason to believe that the last game was an oddity. The Panthers are the better team and with a 3-1 series lead, look for them to close things out at home.
Bobrovsky Will Bounce Back
Game Four showed that even the best goaltenders have bad games. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed only four goals on 86 shots through the first three games. In the previous game, he allowed five on only 16 shots and was pulled from the game.
Bobrovsky has otherwise been dominant in this series. He’s seeing the puck well and playing the crease methodically to stop the Oilers. With the Stanley Cup in the building, he won’t unravel for a second game in a row and instead, he might put together his best performance of the series.
The Panthers Will Slow Things Down
The last game got away from the Panthers because they didn’t control the pace or the puck for that matter. The Oilers allowed their speed to take over and it did, not only allowing them to find scoring chances but run up the score.
The Panthers are back in Florida where the ice is notoriously slower and games are chippier. The Oilers will try to win with their offense again but the Panthers won’t be caught off guard this time. They’ll allow their forecheck to settle in and make the Oilers uncomfortable, led particularly by their top skater.
Barkov Will Have a Series-Defining Game
The Panthers have a 3-1 series lead yet don’t have a clear-cut Conn Smythe Trophy favorite. Bobrovsky was it until Game Four and there’s no skater who has taken over the series, at least not from a statistical standpoint. Aleksander Barkov has impacted the series in that regard.
He’s limited McDavid as the top-line center for the Panthers and has created turnovers that have led to immediate scoring chances. He only has one goal through four games but this will be the game where he dominates on both ends of the ice. His line will look to shut down the Oilers and his shot in space will give him a few big goals in this close out game.
