NHL Playoffs Stanley Cup Winner Prediction: Edmonton Oilers vs Florida Panthers

The Stanley Cup final is upon us starting tonight and as I predicted weeks ago its a rematch of last year when Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in 7 games. The modern NHL is no longer about winning the Presidents trophy which reminds me of the early-2010s Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Black Hawks, teams built not for the regular season but the final two months.

Both teams faced adversity: Florida stumbled late in the regular season, Edmonton endured a two-month slump. Yet neither flinched. Why? Because like Dustin Brown once said of his Kings: “You can’t play this way for 82 games… You’d never survive.”

Playoff hockey is a different beast — heavier, nastier, more draining. The Panthers and Oilers embraced the long view. Rested when they could. Absorbed panic from fans and media. Then flipped the switch.

Now, they’re the last two standing and proving having the best record in the league like the Winnipeg Jets did is meaningless. Now onto my prediction:

Why the Oilers will win: The two top point scorers in the playoffs are Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they just got back star defenceman Mattias Ekholm after a long injury. After a shaky start goalie Stuart Skinner now is tied for shutouts and has won four straight.

Why the Oilers will lose: They lost star Zach Hyman for the rest of the season due to arm injury and Stuart Skinner could always lose his nerve and crash again.

Why the Panthers will win: The Panthers shut down the Oilers' big two last year for the first three games and they are a threat to do it again. The Panthers big 3 of Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett have been consistent all playoffs and have shown no signs of slowing down.

Why the Panthers will lose: The Panthers are expecting the same team but the Oilers now know what level to get to and nothing short of Kryptonite could stop McDavid and Draisaitl this year.

Who will win: The Edmonton Oilers. I see them either winning with a four game sweep or going to war for seven games but still coming out on top. The only way McDavid and Draisaitl get outplayed is if Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in their prime playing days time travel forward to join the Panthers.

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Source: Dan Lalonde

Photo Credit: NHL