The Panel Previews Oilers vs Panthers in Stanley Cup Game 2

Our Oilers vs Panthers Game 2 Picks

The Stanley Cup Final Game 2 is on tonight as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers battle again (8:00 pm, ESPN).

Florida remain the favorite with sports betting sites to go up 2-0 in the series. Game 1 felt weirdly different. The Panthers employed a sort of less is more philosophy. It worked almost too well.

Florida scored on the first shot of the first and second periods. Then, Sergei Bobrovsky took over in net, making 32 saves.

The Panthers and Oilers almost looked like they switched places. Edmonton was the relentless team that kept attacking, while Florida counterpunched effectively.

Both power plays had a power outage of sorts as the penalty kill reigned supreme.

Edmonton’s duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl generated countless scoring chances with the rest of the team. Can they break through in game number two?

Our team at The Panel has checked out the stats, guides, and key players ahead of Game 2 to believe in the following three betting predictions.

Florida To Keep Counter Punching In Game 2

The Florida Panthers can beat teams in various ways. While the Panthers dominated the New York Rangers at even strength, there were times when the Rangers had the upper hand. Now, the Panthers purr into Game 2 as -135 favorites to take a 2-0 series lead.

After shutting out Edmonton in Game 1, the Panthers have to feel a little uneasy. Florida did win but was considerably outplayed at times.

The last time they felt like this was after Game 3 versus New York. Florida went on to win three consecutive games to close out that series in six.

Aleksander Barkov led that counterattack effort with two primary assists on Saturday night. Bobrovsky saved 3.66 (adjusted to 4.25) goals above expected in Game 1 for all situations. Florida hopes he will not have to do that again in Game 2.

Florida did take five penalties in Game 1, but none in the third period. That discipline needs to happen more going forward.

The expectation is that Edmonton will get at least a puck or two across the goal line on Monday night. Florida will need to get its offense in gear. No one expects 17 shots on goal from them in Game 2.

NHL betting sites continue to tilt toward Florida, expecting a more relentless attack from lines not named the Barkov one.

The other question may be how much Bobrovsky is in the heads of players like Zach Hyman, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Florida must get Edmonton to chase the puck more often. Edmonton’s top-ranked power play will score at some point. The Panthers will need to continue to win the special teams battle or keep it even.

As we mentioned, there was an element of considerable luck on Saturday night. Florida was +200 live for the 1.5-goal spread. Could that happen on Monday, too? Keep an eye on this, as the pre-game number lies around +185.

The Panel feels Game 2 may be a bit of a wild ride but Florida expects to find a way once again. Pick the Panthers to go on the prowl against the Oilers in Game 2.

Florida Panthers To Win Game 2 @ -135 With DraftKings

Evan Bouchard To Help The Power For The Oilers

This will seem like a bad move on the surface, but consider how close the Edmonton Oilers were to scoring at least two power play goals in Game 1. Only Bobrovsky's play and a few well-timed blocked shots thwarted the Oilers.

On both sides, There figured to be more opportunities on the man advantage. Maybe those materialize again in Game 2.

The Oilers showed they could move the puck around and get in and out of the high-danger areas well. It may be one of the few ways to make a decent in that second-ranked penalty kill of Florida’s.

Consider the talented Edmonton defenseman with a fast shot. Bouchard racked up 64 assists and 82 points in 81 games this season. He has added 27 points and 21 assists in the playoffs.

With 12 power play points in the postseason, Bouchard becomes a sensible option to rebound in Game 2 besides the more obvious duo.

Our pick for Monday night is taking Bouchard to at least get a helper or even a goal on the man advantage.

Evan Bouchard Over 0.5 Power Play Assists @ +155 With BetMGM

Oilers To Get More Helpers From Their Friend

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final series saw the firepower get stifled considerably from the Edmonton side. Who could have predicted a shutout that way?

Both teams created their fair share of scoring chances, but Edmonton had the ice tilted their way. Florida was the team that seemed more sloppy at most times in the contest.

Score effects took over in the third period but the Oilers were the more dominant team despite the 3-0 loss.

McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins do not get blanked twice in a row. McDavid has six points in three games after being shut out in a playoff contest (two goals, four assists). The center also has a playoff leading 26 assists in the postseason.

One gets the sneaking suspicion multiple assists may be on the horizon for Game 2.

Given the talent on both rosters, expect a few helpers from McDavid this Monday night.

Connor McDavid 2+ Assists @ +180 With FanDuel