2025 Stanley Cup Final: Preview for Panthers-Oilers Game 4
After two tight games to start the 2025 Stanley Cup Final — each requiring overtime to determine a winner — Game 3 was a lopsided affair, with the Florida Panthers winning 6-1 over the Edmonton Oilers.
Can the Oilers even things up prior to the series heading back to Edmonton for Game 5? Or will the Panthers move one victory away from a Stanley Cup repeat?
Here are notes on the matchup from ESPN Research, as well as betting intel from ESPN BET:
More from Game 3: Recap | Grades
Matchup notes
Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers
Game 4 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT/Max
Prior to Game 3, the Stanley Cup odds were quite close, with the Panthers -115 and Oilers -105. After Florida’s clobbering of Edmonton in Game 3, the Panthers are now -260 favorites, compared to +215 for the Oilers. Sam Bennett also jumped from +400 to +120 in the odds for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). Connor McDavid (+240), Brad Marchand (+550) and Sergei Bobrovsky (+650) round out the top four.
When a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final has started 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 23-7. The Panthers have a 3-1 series record when leading 2-1 in a best-of-seven series; their lone series loss was in the 2012 conference quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils.
The Oilers have won their past three series when trailing 2-1: 2024 second round against the Vancouver Canucks, 2024 Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars, and the 2025 first round against the Los Angeles Kings.
Florida is the sixth team in Stanley Cup playoff history to score five or more goals in a game 11 times in a single postseason, and the first since the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. Four of the previous five won the Stanley Cup.
With a goal in Game 3, Marchand (37) became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final, breaking the record previously held by Frank Mahovlich (age 35 in 1973). Marchand’s four goals in this series are the most in a Stanley Cup Final by a player age 37 or older.
Bennett and Marchand became the second pair of teammates to both score at least one goal in each of the first three games of a Cup Final. The other duo is Steve Payne and Dino Ciccarelli for the 1981 Minnesota North Stars.
Paul Maurice now has 1,000 career wins and is only the third coach to reach that milestone, joining Scotty Bowman (1,467) and Joel Quenneville (1,090).
Game 3 was the 13th time both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held without a point in the same playoff game; the past two have both come against the Panthers in Florida (Game 7 of the 2024 Cup Final was the other).
Oilers winger Corey Perry scored his 10th career Cup Final goal in Game 3, which is the second most among active players (behind Marchand).
Edmonton has had 20 different goal scorers this postseason, which is tied for the third most in a single postseason in NHL history. If a new goal scorer tallies one in Game 4 or beyond, it will tie the all-time mark, currently held by the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers (against the Oilers) and the 2019 Boston Bruins (against the St. Louis Blues).
Scoring leaders
GP: 20 | G: 14 | A: 6
GP: 19 | G: 6 | A: 25
Best bets for Game 4
Evan Bouchard over 3.5 total shots on goal (+125): After registering seven and eight in Games 1 and 2 respectively, the Oilers’ most productive defenseman fired nine shots on goal in Monday’s losing effort. Only Connor McDavid has put shots on net more often for Edmonton this postseason altogether.
Sergei Bobrovsky over 26.5 total saves (-135): While Bobrovsky’s save benchmark was bound to rise eventually, upwards of 26 remains palatable enough. After stopping 42 of 46 through both overtime battles in Edmonton, Florida’s No. 1 denied 32 of 33 — including a good number of high-danger chances — in Game 3. Keep in mind, that contest devolved into a focus on fisticuffs in lieu of scoring in the third period. The Oilers are bound to come out firing often in a game they essentially need to win to maintain a shot at emerging victorious in this series.
Brad Marchand over 0.5 plus/minus (+145): The most beloved new member of the Panthers is riding a four-game point streak comprising four goals versus Edmonton, plus an assist from Florida’s final contest with Carolina. All told, he’s plus-four through three games this Stanley Cup Final.