The Florida Panthers are on the cusp of repeating. That’s hard to do. They know how injured Matthew Tkachuk is. Paul Maurice can say he’s playing better, but for how long? I think the Panthers will put in a massive push in this game. I think they learned from last year.  

The Edmonton Oilers will start Stuart Skinner. That is my belief. Why? Calvin Pickard did not lose that last game for his team. The team in front of him was awful. Does Kris Knoblauch trust Skinner?  

BOB has a .908 save percentage at home this season. That’s not stellar, but I believe he will be dialed in to fend off the early attack by the Oilers. I think there will be more than a few goals traded back and forth in this game. I think that’s almost a given.  

Brad Marchand has been the difference-maker. Not Connor McDavid. Not yet. That doesn’t mean McDavid has played below standards; it just means that Marchand has dialed back his game to 2011. 

Has Knoblauch overcoached his team at times? Yes, will he dial that back for this game? Unlikely. Is it his gut feeling or the analytics department, or both? I’m not sure, but it’s been working for him up until this point.  

I am struggling to find a lot of ways the Oilers can extend the series. They’ve done it before, but I think Florida has learned from that. We will know tonight, and that’s going to tell the story. Follow me on Twitter @Sportsology. This should be a fun night one way or the other. 

Stanley will be in the building.