The 2025 Stanley Cup Final moves to Amerant Bank Arena, where the defending champions Florida Panthers will host Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. The series stands tied at one game apiece, with Edmonton winning the opener 4-3 in overtime and Florida claiming Game 2 by a 5-4 double overtime score.
Brad Marchand gave Florida a 4-3 lead with a short-handed goal in the second period, finishing the night with two goals including the second overtime winner at 8:05. This marks Marchand’s fifth playoff overtime goal, placing him third all-time along with teammate Carter Verhaeghe and Edmonton’s Corey Perry. Florida’s defenseman Seth Jones contributed a goal and an assist, while Anton Randell and Nate Schmidt each added two assists. Sam Bennett, leading all playoff scorers with 13 goals, netted his fourth goal in the last three games.
For Edmonton, defenseman Evan Bouchard scored once and assisted twice, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Connor McDavid set up three goals. McDavid leads all players in postseason points with 31 and has tallied multipoint games in five straight contests, 11 overall in these playoffs. Draisaitl is also notable this postseason with multiple points and has approached his career-best multi-point game total set last year.
Florida’s Nate Schmidt notched two assists in Game 2 and has six multi-point games in the Stanley Cup Final, the most in the last 60 seasons. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Corey Perry tied Edmonton’s score with just 18 seconds left in the third period, becoming one of the few NHL players to score goals past age 40 in the final. Edmonton aims to become the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, while Florida seeks to join the 1979 Canadiens and 1985 Oilers as teams that won back-to-back championships after overcoming a series deficit in the final.
Key player betting props for Game 3 include:
– Carter Verhaeghe (Panthers) as a goal scorer at any time (+220, FanDuel), with six goals this postseason including two in each of the first three series.
– Alexander Barkov (Panthers) with 1+ assists (+100, DraftKings), who has tallied 11 assists this postseason and made an impact in recent playoff rounds.
– Corey Perry (Oilers) with 0.5 points or more (+110, BET365), who has 12 points this postseason and scored in several games last year’s Stanley Cup Final.
– Brad Marchand (Panthers) with 1+ points (+102, FanDuel), second on his team with 17 points and scoring in multiple consecutive games.
For more predictions and insights, check out Sportsline’s Projection Model for all Stanley Cup Playoff games.
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Fan Take: This thrilling back-and-forth Stanley Cup Final showcases the blend of veteran skill and young talent, making it must-watch hockey for fans. The intense competition could redefine legacies and underscore the evolving dynamics of the NHL’s championship race.
