Following a decisive 5-2 victory in Game 5 on Saturday, the Florida Panthers are now just one win away from securing their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Veteran forward Brad Marchand, acquired during the season, netted his ninth and tenth goals of the postseason, bringing Florida closer to lifting the trophy. The Panthers have held a significant scoring advantage in this series, outscoring the Oilers 23-16. Florida could have potentially swept the series had they not surrendered leads in Games 1 and 4, both resulting in overtime losses.
Game 6 is set to take place on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. Ahead of this crucial matchup, expert Eric Cohen has provided his analysis and predictions.
Eric Cohen`s Key Predictions for Game 6:
- Panthers to win by a margin of 1.5 goals or more (Puck Line)
- Total goals scored in the game to be Over 6.5
- Sam Bennett to score a goal
- Predicted final score: Panthers 6, Oilers 3
In his analysis, Cohen asserts that the Florida Panthers are simply the superior and more balanced team, a fact that has become increasingly clear over the five games played. He finds it highly improbable that they will fail to close out the series at home on Tuesday. He suggests that Edmonton`s two wins in the series were somewhat fortunate outcomes. While acknowledging that the Oilers possess elite talent in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Cohen emphasizes Florida`s greater roster depth and, critically, the advantage they hold in goaltending with Sergei Bobrovsky.
Cohen anticipates that Florida will, once again, establish a multi-goal lead early in the game, similar to their performance in most previous contests, and successfully maintain it this time. Given the pattern of high-scoring games throughout the series, with at least seven goals in each, he feels confident predicting the Over 6.5 total. He expects Edmonton will eventually pull their goaltender in the late stages, likely leading to one or two empty-net goals for Florida to seal their victory. The Panthers` top center, a strong contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, has also been a key contributor offensively.
Interestingly, Cohen notes that he initially favored Edmonton to win the series overall, but the performance he has witnessed through five games has led him to confidently predict a Florida win by a comfortable margin in Game 6, securing their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
