Rudy Tomjanovich made an impassioned speech after the Houston Rockets won their second consecutive NBA Finals in 1995, telling viewers “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.”
While neither Florida nor Edmonton have recently won the Stanley Cup Finals, both teams have shown their heart throughout this series. The Panthers took a 3-0 lead over the Oilers with their strong defensive play, but an offensive outburst featuring 13 goals in two games helped Edmonton keep the series alive.
Game 6 will be a pivotal one for both teams. Can Florida regain the momentum they lost to finish off this series? Or will Edmonton continue pushing the series longer? We’ll answer that and name the three best player prop bets for Friday’s Stanley Cup Final contest between the Panthers and Oilers.
Live player props data coming soon for Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky OVER 25.5 Saves
Over the first three games, Florida allowed Edmonton to score four goals during the team’s three-game winning streak.
But the Oilers have figured out the Panthers' defense since, controlling the puck and scoring easily on the league’s best defensive squad in the NHL regular season.
For Florida to win this game, the Panthers will need a strong game from veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The 35-year-old veteran last just over one period in Game 4, and Florida pulled Bobrovsky down 4-3 to attempt a last-minute comeback in Game 5. Expect Bobrovsky to show his heart, stopping 26 or more saves during Game 6.
Live player props data coming soon for Connor McDavid.
Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid to Record 1 Point (-650)
With their backs against the wall, the Oilers used two goals from Dylan Holloway while six other athletes scored en route to an 8-1 Game 4 victory.
The following game, center Connor McDavid scored two goals and assisted on two more to lead the Oilers to a 5-3 victory and force the game back to Edmonton.
With their third straight win-or-go-home contest tonight, expect the league’s leading assist man to score a point tonight. McDavid has shown his resilience throughout the playoffs, willing Edmonton to multiple wins throughout the NHL playoffs.
Live player props data coming soon for Sam Reinhart.
Florida Panthers’ Sam Reinhart to Score a Goal (+160)
Florida’s Sam Reinhart entered the NHL playoffs second in goals scored during the regular season, recording 57 total on the year. The 6-foot-2 center has dealt made the most of his playoff appearances this season, scoring nine goals and assisting on six others in his team’s 22 games thus far.
Yet the Oilers have held Reinhart scoreless for most of the series. Outside of a goal in Game 3, Reinhart has been limited to two assists throughout the Stanley Cup Finals. +
Expect Reinhart to remedy that tonight in Game 6, scoring at least one goal en route to …
Best Bet: Panthers (+100)
His team’s victory.
McDavid said after the Game 5 that it took everything the team had to force the pivotal Game 6. That’s not just lip service, unfortunately. Winning back-to-back games against the NHL’s best defense is difficult, and Edmonton’s 13-goal outburst will be hard to replicate.
Expect Florida to win a hard, close game on the road to win their first Stanley Cup tonight.
