Oilers vs. Panthers: Game 5 Information, Line Combinations, Starting Goaltenders, and More

The Stanley Cup Final has shifted back to Edmonton.

Following a brutal 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 3, the Oilers bounced back with a much-needed overtime victory in Game 4.

The two teams have split the first four games of this series, so we’re now down to a best-of-three with the Oilers holding home-ice advantage. Let’s get set for Game 5.

Oilers vs. Panthers Game 5 Information

• Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
• Start Time: 6:00 PM MT
• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Venue: Rogers Place
• Watch: CBC/SN (Canada), TNT (USA), Fubo (Stream)

Projected Line Combinations

• Oilers: Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher came into the lineup for Edmonton in favour of Viktor Arvidsson and John Klingberg in Game 4. Both Skinner and Stecher will be in the lineup again in Game 5, while Arvidsson will draw back in for Kasperi Kapanen. During Edmonton’s morning skate on Saturday, Connor McDavid had Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor Brown on his wings, while Leon Draisaitl centred a line with Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry. The third line of Jeff Skinner, Adam Henrique, and Trent Frederic remained intact, while Evander Kane and Arvidsson joined Mattias Janmark on the fourth line.
• Panthers: There haven’t been many changes made by Florida during the Stanley Cup Final. Wingers Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues switched spots after the Panthers dropped Game 1, and A.J. Greer came into the lineup in favour of Jesper Boqvist after missing the first two games. Otherwise, we’ve seen head coach Paul Maurice stick with consistent forward lines and defensive pairs throughout the series.

Projected Starting Goaltenders

• Oilers: Stuart Skinner got the nod for Edmonton in Game 4 after getting shelled for five goals in Game 3. After Skinner allowed three goals on 17 shots in the first period, the Oilers again pulled him in favour of Calvin Pickard, who led the team to a comeback overtime victory with 22 saves on 23 shots. Though Skinner has been excellent for the Oilers late in series in the past, it’s hard to argue against going with Pickard’s hot hand.
• Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky had his worst outing of the Stanley Cup Final in Game 4, allowing five goals on 35 shots. He had posted a .928 save percentage between Games 1 and 3 before putting up a .857 save percentage in Game 4. Bobrovsky has played every minute of the playoffs thus far for the Panthers and that isn’t going to change now that the Cup Final is a best-of-three.

Thoughts and Notes Going into Game 1

• This year’s Stanley Cup Final rematch has been as exciting as anybody could have imagined, with three of the four games thus far going to overtime. The most games to go to overtime in a single NHL playoff series is five. It’s happened three times: The 1951 Cup Final between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, the first round of the 2011-12 playoffs between the Chicago Blackhawks and Phoenix Coyotes, and in the first round in 2016-17 between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Oilers had four overtimes in a second-round series win over the L.A. Kings in 1990-91 and during a first-round series loss to the Dallas Stars in 2000-01.
• With the series back in Edmonton, we’ll surely see head coach Kris Knoblauch utilize home-ice advantage to mix and match his forward lines. The McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Brown line was shut down by the Panthers in Game 4, generating only five scoring chances over 11 minutes at even strength. Draisaitl’s line with Podkolzin and Perry was excellent in six-and-a-half minutes together, burying two even-strength goals. With the advantage of having the last change, the Oilers can get more shifts with McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together. The Dynamic Duo played three minutes with Corey Perry in Game 4 and a couple of shifts with Connor Brown. Jeff Skinner could be an option to get some time with McDavid and Draisaitl in Game 5, given the skill and creativity he brings in the offensive zone.
• Calvin Pickard’s six-game playoff winning streak was put on pause when he suffered an injury in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. Pickard had taken over the net after the Oilers dropped Games 1 and 2 against the Los Angeles Kings. He led Edmonton to four consecutive wins to eliminate the Kings and then helped them get out to a 2-0 lead against the Golden Knights. Stuart Skinner was fantastic for the Oilers when Pickard was on the shelf, but he wasn’t able to get the job done in Games 3 and 4 in Florida, so it’s Pickard’s net again. Not far removed from being signed to be the starting goalie in the American Hockey League, Pickard has an opportunity to lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup, which would be a perfect ending to an incredible story.