Panthers-Oilers Game 4 preview: Can Edmonton tie the series back up?

After 2 choky games to commencement the 2025 Stanley Cup Final -- each requiring overtime to find a victor -- Game 3 was a lopsided affair, with the Florida Panthers winning 6-1 implicit the Edmonton Oilers.

Can the Oilers adjacent things up anterior to the bid heading backmost to Edmonton for Game 5? Or volition the Panthers determination 1 triumph distant from a Stanley Cup repeat?

Here are notes connected the matchup from ESPN Research, arsenic good arsenic betting intel from ESPN BET:

More from Game 3: Recap | Grades

Matchup notes

Edmonton Oilers astatine Florida Panthers
Game 4 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT/Max

Prior to Game 3, the Stanley Cup likelihood were rather close, with the Panthers -115 and Oilers -105. After Florida's clobbering of Edmonton successful Game 3, the Panthers are present -260 favorites, compared to +215 for the Oilers. Sam Bennett besides jumped from +400 to +120 successful the likelihood for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). Connor McDavid (+240), Brad Marchand (+550) and Sergei Bobrovsky (+650) circular retired the apical four.

When a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final has started 1-1, the victor of Game 3 holds an all-time bid grounds of 23-7. The Panthers person a 3-1 bid grounds erstwhile starring 2-1 successful a best-of-seven series; their lone bid nonaccomplishment was successful the 2012 league quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils.

The Oilers person won their past 3 bid erstwhile trailing 2-1: 2024 2nd circular against the Vancouver Canucks, 2024 Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars, and the 2025 archetypal circular against the Los Angeles Kings.

Florida is the sixth squad successful Stanley Cup playoff past to people 5 oregon much goals successful a crippled 11 times successful a azygous postseason, and the archetypal since the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. Four of the erstwhile 5 won the Stanley Cup.

With a extremity successful Game 3, Marchand (37) became the oldest subordinate to people successful each of the archetypal 3 games of a Stanley Cup Final, breaking the grounds antecedently held by Frank Mahovlich (age 35 successful 1973). Marchand's 4 goals successful this bid are the astir successful a Stanley Cup Final by a subordinate property 37 oregon older.

Bennett and Marchand became the 2nd brace of teammates to some people astatine slightest 1 extremity successful each of the archetypal 3 games of a Cup Final. The different duo is Steve Payne and Dino Ciccarelli for the 1981 Minnesota North Stars.

Paul Maurice present has 1,000 vocation wins and is lone the 3rd manager to scope that milestone, joining Scotty Bowman (1,467) and Joel Quenneville (1,090).

Game 3 was the 13th clip some McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held without a constituent successful the aforesaid playoff game; the past 2 person some travel against the Panthers successful Florida (Game 7 of the 2024 Cup Final was the other).

Oilers winger Corey Perry scored his 10th vocation Cup Final extremity successful Game 3, which is the 2nd astir among progressive players (behind Marchand).

Edmonton has had 20 antithetic extremity scorers this postseason, which is tied for the 3rd astir successful a azygous postseason successful NHL history. If a caller extremity scorer tallies 1 successful Game 4 oregon beyond, it volition necktie the all-time mark, presently held by the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers (against the Oilers) and the 2019 Boston Bruins (against the St. Louis Blues).

Scoring leaders

Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers

GP: 20 | G: 14 | A: 6

Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

GP: 19 | G: 6 | A: 25

Best bets for Game 4

Evan Bouchard implicit 3.5 full shots connected extremity (+125): After registering 7 and 8 successful Games 1 and 2 respectively, the Oilers' astir productive defenseman fired 9 shots connected extremity successful Monday's losing effort. Only Connor McDavid has enactment shots connected nett much often for Edmonton this postseason altogether.

Sergei Bobrovsky implicit 26.5 full saves (-135): While Bobrovsky's prevention benchmark was bound to emergence eventually, upwards of 26 remains palatable enough. After stopping 42 of 46 done some overtime battles successful Edmonton, Florida's No. 1 denied 32 of 33 -- including a bully fig of high-danger chances -- successful Game 3. Keep successful mind, that contention devolved into a absorption connected fisticuffs successful lieu of scoring successful the 3rd period. The Oilers are bound to travel retired firing often successful a crippled they fundamentally request to triumph to support a changeable astatine emerging victorious successful this series.

Brad Marchand implicit 0.5 plus/minus (+145): The astir beloved caller subordinate of the Panthers is riding a four-game constituent streak comprising 4 goals versus Edmonton, positive an assistance from Florida's last contention with Carolina. All told, he's plus-four done 3 games this Stanley Cup Final.