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Jun 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) looks on during the third period against the Florida Panthers in game three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

4 Keys to an Oilers’ Game 6 Win vs. the Panthers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jackson Scherger | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 10:05 AM ET

The season will be on the line Tuesday night for the Edmonton Oilers. After a rough ride in Game 5 in front of their home crowd, the team will look to redeem themselves and keep their Cup dreams alive. It certainly won’t be an easy task against a Florida Panthers team that has a well-balanced lineup and is a proven winner.

The Oilers will need to show up on all fronts if they have any hopes of pulling out a big road win and forcing a seventh game. Let’s look at the four major keys to a Game 6 victory for Edmonton.

Hot Out of the Gate

Simply put, if the Oilers once again don’t show up in the first period, their season will end in heartbreak yet again. They have allowed the Panthers to jump out to an early lead in what feels like every game so far, and it has forced them to play from behind most of the time. Momentum swings early in favour of Florida, and they feed off of it pretty much every time. They have outscored the Oilers 11-4 in the first period so far this series, with all four of Edmonton’s goals coming in the first two games.

The Oilers seem to come out swinging on their first couple of shifts. They’re always throwing hits and generating a couple of chances. However, after just a few minutes, the intensity tapers off, and Florida is quick to pounce. Edmonton has to come out hot and stay hot. They have to be able to put the Panthers on their heels and keep them there for an extended period of time. The first goal in Game 6 will be massive, especially with the Oilers on the road.

Superstar Power

The Stanley Cup Final certainly has no shortage of star players involved in it, but we’re still looking for another gear from the two best ones. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are no doubt noticeable out there and can flip a game on its head when they need to, but there seems to be another level they can climb to to vault this team over the top.

McDavid has seven points through five Cup Final games, while Draisaitl has eight points in the same time. Most players would love to be producing at this level; however, there is a different set of standards for generational talents like these two. Game 6 and a possible Game 7 have big legacy implications for these two players. If they want to be put in the conversations with some other legends of the game, the end of this series needs to be the greatest games they have ever played. They need to be the leaders and superstars everyone knows they are.

Stay Disciplined

The Oilers did a great job of staying out of the box in their tough loss in Game 5. They recorded just two minor penalties, which were both killed off. This should be considered a big win for a team that has been penalized an awful lot in this final series, many of those penalties being very avoidable. And it’s hard to forget the chaos of Game 3 when 10-minute misconducts were being handed out like free samples.

The Panthers’ power play is very dangerous and will make you pay dearly if given too many opportunities (or any opportunities for that matter). Edmonton needs to keep their sticks down and, most importantly, skate away from the antics by Florida after the whistle. They are the masters of drawing penalties after the fact.

A Rock Between the Pipes

Whether it be Calvin Pickard or Stuart Skinner in charge of the crease for Game 6, the Oilers absolutely need that player to be rock solid. This isn’t to say the starter needs to stop 40 shots and stand on his head; they just need him to manage the game. Florida will be hungry to finish things off at home, so the Edmonton net needs to hold up.

The team is usually alright as long as they get good goaltending, but also support their goalie as well. The Oilers certainly don’t have the showstopper-type that the Panthers do in Sergei Bobrovsky, so the whole team needs to support the guy in net to be successful.

The Panthers have not been a great team on home ice these playoffs, not to mention how the Oilers have been able to respond throughout the playoffs to bad performances. Game 7 is a real possibility; now is the time to execute and drag them back to Edmonton.