Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Gets Panthers Fans Hyped for Game 1 As Only He Could

June 9, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

Wearing a white Florida Panthers jersey, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made a special appearance at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

McDaniel led the Panthers’ pregame festivities by banging the drum and encouraging the sellout crowd to chant “Let’s go Panthers!” ahead of the puck drop. It went about as you’d expect.

Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel bangs the drum for the Florida Panthers ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. 🏈🏒🥁 pic.twitter.com/GFzh4TjopK

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024

CHECK YOUR PULSE IF YOU’RE NOT FIRED UP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XAbgxwRQjk

— Bally Sports Florida: Panthers (@BallyPanthers) June 9, 2024

McDaniel’s pregame efforts appeared to pay off, as the Panthers scored first on a goal by center Carter Verhaeghe just four minutes into the game. They scored again two minutes into the second period for a 2–0 lead when center Evan Rodrigues lit the lamp for his fourth goal of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

Game 1 wasn’t McDaniel’s first time banging the drum at Amerant Bank Arena. He also did it last May before the Panthers’ Game 4 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final—which they won 4–3 to advance to the 2023 Stanley Cup final.

McDaniel will be able to enjoy the rest of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup run, as his Dolphins wrapped up organized team activities and mandatory minicamp last week.

6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Oilers vs. Panthers NHL Expert Prediction and Odds for Stanley Cup Final Game 1

The Edmonton Oilers are four wins away from ending Canada's Stanley Cup drought. The country is seeking its first NHL Championship since 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens were able to win it all.

Standing in their way is the Florida Panthers, a state that has now won five-straight Eastern Conference Finals, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning two Stanley Cups along the way.

Game 1 is set to take place on Saturday night and I'm here to break down everything you need to know to bet on the opening stanza.

Odds listed are via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Oilers Injury Report

Panthers Injury Report

Edmonton Oilers

Stuart Skinner: All eyes will be on Connor McDavid, but I would argue the most important player in this game is the Oilers' goaltender, Stuart Skinner. When he brings his "A" game, the Oilers are near unbeatable, but he hasn't done that at times. Edmonton almost lost to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round almost solely due to poor play from Skinner. Whether or not they win the Cup may just come down to his performance.

Florida Panthers

Carter Verhaeghe: Carther Vergaeghe enters the Stanley Cup Final as the Panthers' leading scorer in the playoffs with nine goals. If the Panthers want to beat the Oilers, they need to find ways to score goals on a consistent basis and Verhaeghe may be the key to that happening.

I'm backing the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup and I like them to win the first game of the series, but my best bet is on the total. I like the UNDER 5.5.

The Oilers deployed a defensive style of play that helped them win Game 5 and Game 6 against the Dallas Stars. They sacrificed offensive rushes to stay home and while the puck was in their own end, they play a tight zone that forced the Stars to take low-quality shots from the perimeter. That helped Stuart Skinner as they prevented the Stars from getting high-danger scoring opportunities.

If they use the same strategy against a Panthers team, that plays a similar style to the Stars, we could be in for a low-scoring series.

Let's also remember the Panthers were one of the best defensive teams in the NHL during the regular season. They allowed just 2.39 goals per 60 minutes, the best mark in the entire league, while also giving up only 10.68 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes, which ranked seventh.

I'll take the Oilers and the UNDER in Game 1.

Pick: Oilers (+114) and UNDER 5.5 goals (-104)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

13 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Top Shelf Picks: Best NHL Bets Today (A Side, Total, and Prop Bet for Game 3)

After two days off, the Stanley Cup Final is set to resume on Thursday night when the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers face-off in Game 3 with the Panthers holding a 2-0 series lead.

If you're looking for some bets to place for tonight's game, you've come to the right place. I have a bet locked in on the side, total, and a player prop. Let's jump right into them.

All odds listed in this article are via BetMGM Sportsbook

Oilers -135 vs. Panthers

I'm going to bet the Oilers to get the job done and keep this series alive. They have been fantastic on their home ice throughout the postseason with a 6-3 record and an average goal differential of +0.99 per game. We've already seen they can dominate the Panthers between the blue lines. Despite losing Game 1, they were the better team from start to finish and had the advanced metrics heavily in their favor.

If they can repeat their Game 1 performance and find a way to pop a few goals, they'll be in a great spot to win tonight.

UNDER 5.5 (-115)

I've bet the UNDER in the first two games and I see no reason to back away from that. It's hit in both games and the advanced metrics so far this series have supported the idea both teams are playing a defensive style of hockey.

The Oilers have an expected goals mark of 2.4 per 60 minutes while the Panthers are at 2.33 per 60 minutes. That's a combined expected goals of just 4.73 per game, well below the set total for Game 3 of 5.5. Both teams are also averaging fewer than 10 high-danger scoring chances per game.

Connor McDavid OVER 3.5 shots on goal (-105)

Big players make big plays in big game and that's what I expect from Connor McDavid tonight. He has recorded at least five shots in four of his last six games and he needs to put his team on his back tonight if he wants to get them back in this series.

I'll bet him to record at least four shots on goal tonight.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

What’s the Furthest the Florida Panthers Have Ever Gone in the NHL Playoffs?

The Florida Panthers are once again making a deep run in the NHL playoffs in 2024, continuing the franchise's chase for its first Stanley Cup title.

Florida was established as an NHL expansion franchise in 1993 and made its first playoff appearance in '96. Over 30 seasons, the Panthers have made 10 playoff appearances—including their current streak of five straight seasons—and have won nine postseason series as they battle the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Panthers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in two of those 10 playoff appearances in 1996 and 2023, coming up just short of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup both times. Here's a look back at the Panthers' two runs to the Stanley Cup Final:

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Avalanche 3, Panthers 1
Game 2	Avalanche 8, Panthers 1
Game 3	Avalanche 3, Panthers 2
Game 4	Avalanche 1, Panthers 0

The 1995–96 Panthers made the most of their first playoff appearance in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in five games, the Philadelphia Flyers in six and the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven for a chance to play on hockey's biggest stage.

The 1996 Stanley Cup Final featured a matchup between two franchises attempting to win their first league title, as the Colorado Avalanche battled through the Western Conference bracket. The 1995–96 campaign was the Avalanche's first in Colorado, as the franchise formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver after the 1994–95 season.

The series was all Colorado from the start. Goaltender Patrick Roy stopped 147 of the 151 shots he faced, and Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic tallied five points apiece as the Avalanche swept Florida in four games.

The Panthers wouldn't make another appearance in the Stanley Cup Final until nearly 30 years later in 2023.

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Golden Knights 5, Panthers 2
Game 2	Golden Knights 7, Panthers 2
Game 3	Panthers 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4	Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
Game 5	Golden Knights 9, Panthers 3

The Panthers' run through the 2023 playoffs was quite a roller coaster. As the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Florida found itself trailing the Boston Bruins 3–1 in the opening round but battled back to win the last three games of the series 4–3, 7–5 and 4–3 to advance. Florida defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

Florida's momentum stopped against Vegas, however. Golden Knights forward Mark Stone scored a series-high five goals and Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP after tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) in the Stanley Cup Final.

After making the playoffs for three straight years from 2019 to '22 and winning the Presidents' Trophy in the 2021–22 campaign, the Panthers reconstructed their roster and traded top scorer Jonathan Huberdeau and three other assets to the Ottawa Senators for Matthew Tkachuk. The gamble paid off, as Tkachuk led them back to the Stanley Cup Final, but a championship still proved to be illusive for the franchise that calls Sunrise, Fla., home.

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Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Gets Panthers Fans Hyped for Game 1 As Only He Could

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Jimm Sallivan