The 2025 Stanley Cup final is now set, and that means it’s time for one last playoff prediction. In the third round, we went 0-2 with our picks, but overall this post-season, we’ve gone 8-6. Could be better, could be worse. With that out of the way, here’s this writer’s educated guess on the showdown between the NHL’s two best teams: FLORIDA PANTHERS VS. EDMONTON OILERS Season series: 2-0 Florida Why Florida will win: The Panthers haven’t always looked like the defending champions, particularly against the Toronto Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto], who extended their second-round series to the full seven games. But against the Tampa Bay Lightning [http://thn.com/tampabay] in Round 1, and against the Carolina Hurricanes [http://thn.com/carolina] in the Eastern Conference final, Florida looked like world-beaters, winning both those series in five games. And they did it with overwhelming offense, as they scored five or more goals in all four of their wins against the ‘Canes. Which Oilers player will pick up the minutes of the injured Zach Hyman? Meanwhile, against the Bolts, Florida scored six goals in two of their wins and another four goals in one of their other two victories. No defence corps has been able to contain the Panthers [http://thn.com/florida]’ waves of pushes into the offensive zone, and Florida has spread out the scoring, with 10 Panthers players generating at least 11 points, and eight players posting at least four goals. When you have that type of depth, it’s no wonder you can poke holes in your opponent’s back end. And given that Edmonton isn’t renowned for their stifling defense, it’s safe to say that Florida will get plenty of opportunities to continue that trend. Goaltending is going to be a key in this Cup final series, and the edge in net has to be given to Panthers star Sergei Bobrovsky, if only because he’s got the pedigree that comes with making big saves in high-stakes situations. Unless Bobrovsky’s counterpart, Stuart Skinner, can stifle Florida’s point producers, the Panthers are going to be a handful for Edmonton. And we could well see Year 2 of a modern-day dynasty in Florida. Why Edmonton will win: Like the Panthers, the Oilers [http://thn.com/edmonton] have bent without breaking in this post-season, losing two games to the Los Angeles Kings [http://thn.com/la] in the opening round before steamrolling two very good teams in the Vegas Golden Knights [http://thn.com/vegas] and Dallas Stars [http://thn.com/dallas] in the second and third round respectively, with both of those series wins coming in just five games. The Oilers have the top two players remaining in the current post-season in superstar centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but Edmonton’s supporting cast has also been excellent, as nine Oilers players have at least four goals, and their top seven players have combined to post an astounding 118 points. The Oilers won’t have one of those players available in the final, with star right winger Zach Hyman out for the season. But with McDavid and Draisaitl combining for 51 points, they don’t need their secondary scorers to carry the bulk of the load. Dmitry Kulikov and Leon Draisaitl (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4a26c6e3-c18f-424a-afe8-c6cea56cf35c.jpeg] Dmitry Kulikov and Leon Draisaitl (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images) Skinner has gotten better as the playoffs have unfolded, allowing one goal or less in three of Edmonton’s five games against the Stars. We’re still not sure about the Oilers’ defense corps compared to the Panthers’ group of blueliners, but now that rugged veteran D-man Mattias Ekholm is back in the lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/edmonton-oilers-survive-without-mattias-ekholm-but-he-could-be-the-final-puzzle-piece], Edmonton is going to put up a seriously fierce battle against Florida’s high-octane offense. And that could well mean this year’s Cup final will have a very different result from last year’s. PREDICTION: OILERS IN SIX GAMES We’ve got to own it – we haven’t been high on the Oilers for the bulk of the playoffs, but we’ve seen enough now, and Edmonton deserves its due. When you have arguably the two best players on planet Earth in Draisaitl and McDavid, and you’re getting clutch contributions from forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Brown and Corey Perry, plus blueliner Evan Bouchard, you’re going to be about as close to unbeatable as it gets. That doesn’t mean we see the Panthers getting demolished. But Florida hasn’t had to come up against an opponent with as much depth, drive and desire as the Oilers have this spring. Do we see the Panthers winning at least a couple games? Absolutely. But given how Edmonton disposed of the Stars – our pre-season pick to win it all – the Oilers should have enough left in the tank to outlast Florida and bring the Cup to Canada for the first time since 1993. It feels like Edmonton is a team of destiny, and like most all-time greats, McDavid and Draisaitl have learned from past defeats and appear fully ready, willing and able to win the first championship of what could be many. The Panthers are going to be a worthy opponent for them, but the Oilers have the juice and jam to carve out their names on sport’s toughest trophy to win. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
