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The first three games of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final saw the Florida Panthers build a 3-0 lead, dominating most aspects of play against the Edmonton Oilers.

Games 4 and 5 were a different story entirely, as the Oilers charged back with two straight wins, with four points in each contest for superstar Connor McDavid.

Will the Cats close it out in Game 6? Or will the series continue to Game 7? Our experts are here to break down all the big questions heading into Friday’s game (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).

What changed for the Panthers in Games 4 and 5?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Just an overall lack of consistency. For the majority of the first three games, the Panthers were a metronome. They were a threat to score in every period. Even when their defensive structure had its challenges, they still received consistent goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky in a manner that made up for those miscues.

What’s happening now appears to be a systemic breakdown in a variety of areas. Game 5 reinforced that belief. The Panthers limited the Oilers to just 23 shots, 10 scoring chances and 3 high-danger scoring chances. Those metrics are strong — yet the Panthers allowed four goals, not counting an empty-netter at the end. Again, it’s a lack of consistency or at least a disconnect.

Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: Aside from the “McDavid factor,” and that Bobrovsky appears more beatable than he has essentially all postseason, earning 11 penalties through two games hasn’t helped. Not only since three of them led to Oilers power-play goals, but also because, as by design, it’s more difficult to score in one’s own favor when down a player — unless you’re on the Oilers: Mattias Janmark did so in Game 4 and Connor Brown tallied one in Game 5.

We can add the latter of those to the list of reasons we’re even discussing a Game 6 back in Edmonton at all. If Brown didn’t open with that shorty five-ish minutes in, I’m not sure the Panthers wouldn’t already be parade-planning.

Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Bobrovsky becoming human and McDavid becoming superhuman. More human than human, even. For Bob, that’s nine goals allowed against in the past two games, with .688 and .826 save percentages, respectively. Bob needs to transform back into the best version of Playoff Bob, like he had been (against McDavid especially) previously in this series.

Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Florida’s special teams went from impenetrable to vulnerable in a snap. The Panthers had allowed just two power-play goals in their previous 16 outings going into Game 4 — where Florida gave up three goals on the man advantage and two shorthanded.

Those are back-breaking totals in tightly contested times like these, and it just handed more momentum to the suddenly surging Oilers. Yes, McDavid is otherworldly and Bobrovsky showed he can be average, too. But Florida’s collective downfall was losing those battles they’d been winning handily throughout the postseason.

Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: These are all symptoms of the primary problem: The Cup was in the building, twice. The Panthers have sworn up and down that it didn’t matter, but Carter Verhaeghe let the mask slip before Game 5: “It’s a little different with the Cup in the building.”

Paul Maurice framed it — as Paul Maurice does — as the ultimate goal suddenly moving from after the game to being in front of it. Now your friends and family are in a building in Edmonton, waiting to see the Cup. And they’re all in Sunrise, plus all your fans, waiting to see the Cup. Florida’s starts in Games 4 and 5 are absolutely the byproduct of that tension. The Panthers are so much better when the expectations aren’t on them, and they’re punching from underneath. That might be the case in Game 6.


Connor McDavid will score ____ points in Game 6.

Clark: Three points; one goal, two assists.

Matiash: Two. A goal of his own and a power-play assist on Leon Draisaitl‘s first since forever ago (May 29).

Öcal: Three points total.

Shilton: Four points again; one goal, three assists.

Wyshynski: One goal and two assists to move two points behind Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record for points in a single postseason.


If the Panthers win Game 6, who wins the Conn Smythe?

Clark: It’s hard to ignore Connor McDavid for reasons that have everything and nothing to do with McDavid. One of the considerations Conn Smythe voters will likely weigh when it comes to any Panthers player is their consistency over the series. After Game 3, it appeared as if Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov were either the top two favorites or among the top three favorites.

Since then, Bobrovsky has struggled to stop shots while Barkov went from scoring four points and being on the ice for zero goals against through the first three games to going pointless while being on the ice for four goals against (2 power-play goals, 1 shorthanded and 1 5-on-5) in the past two games. By comparison, McDavid has had eight points in the past two games and has embodied how the Oilers went from struggling to find a grip to having a firmer grasp going into Game 6.

Matiash: McDavid could wrap up Game 6 minus-five while losing to the Panthers 7-0 and he’s still walking away with it. Hey, this is coming from someone who has been all over Barkov for the award up until recently.

Heading into Game 6, this generation’s Wayne Gretzky/Mario Lemieux has 20 more points than the most productive Panther (Matthew Tkachuk). We’re going to be referencing this performance for years and years.

Öcal: Connor McDavid, and it’s not even close. It’s a playoffs award not a Stanley Cup Final award. But even if it was, No. 97 broke two No. 99 records in the past two games. To ignore one of the greatest individual postseason performances in NHL history would be silly at this point. It’s already McDavid’s award.

Shilton: What is the Conn Smythe? An award for the player most valuable to his team in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Are we even discussing Game 6 probabilities without Connor McDavid? Would Edmonton be in the Cup Final at all if McDavid weren’t having an actual historically productive postseason?

Sergei Bobrovsky deserves all the accolades for what he has given the Panthers; there’s no doubt he has had an MVP-worthy playoffs, too. But, even his stellar run isn’t on par with what McDavid has done.

Wyshynski: The guy I said had an undeniable case to win the Conn Smythe whether or not his team captures the Stanley Cup, and that was before he posted his second straight four-point game.

Unless the voters have this unwavering commitment to the idea that a player from the losing team in the Final can’t win an award for most valuable player of the entire postseason — a rather daft notion, considering it has happened five previous times — then McDavid wins the Conn Smythe even if he doesn’t lift the Cup. He has led his team deep enough to justify it. He has shattered Gretzky’s record for assists in a single postseason and is poised to become the only player other than The Great One in 1987 to have a hand in over 50% of his team’s goals.

Forget the hockey context: This is one of the most dominant individual efforts in sports history. Of course it’s Connor McDavid.


The final score of Game 6 will be ______.

Clark: 4-3, Florida. Generating 26 shots over the final two periods of Game 5, along with the fact they outshot the Oilers 10-4 in the third period, was the most active the Panthers have looked in the past two games. We’ve talked a lot about how finding any sort of breakthrough could be a sign. Maybe this can be that for the Panthers.

And if it’s not? Then, we’re going to be asking if the Oilers are about to pull off the greatest comeback in NHL history, if not the best in the history of North American professional sports.

Matiash: 5-3 Panthers. Florida rides the momentum of what they did right in Game 5. Happy to be wrong here though, as I’m salivating at the thought of a Game 7 on Monday.

Öcal: 4-2, Oilers. Bring on Game 7!

Shilton: 5-4, Florida. The Panthers won’t lose three in a row. Florida was all over Edmonton in the third period of Game 5 (just like the Oilers took it to their opponent in the third frame of Game 3) and it will set a tone for how they start in Game 6. This is the Panthers’ time.

Wyshynski: 4-3 Florida. As noted above, Game 5 felt very much like Game 3 in the sense that one team took the win and the other team took some confidence away in their loss. For about 25 minutes, the Panthers looked like themselves again, and Tkachuk looked like the guy we saw in 2023.

His line with Sam Bennett and Evan Rodrigues will generate multiple goals, Sam Reinhart adds one himself and the power play finally converts. Bobrovsky doesn’t fumble the bag and the Panthers hang on in the final minute to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

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SMU clinches ACC title berth in debut season

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SMU clinches ACC title berth in debut season

SMU clinched a spot in the ACC championship game after a 33-7 win over Virginia on Saturday, becoming the first team in league history to make the title game in its first season.

The Mustangs do not have an opponent yet. Miami (10-1, 6-1) must beat Syracuse next weekend to clinch its spot. A loss means Clemson, which has already finished league play at 7-1, would make it to Charlotte.

SMU came into the league off great success in the American Athletic Conference, winning the league a year ago. But no team has done what the Mustangs have done in Year 1, making the transition from Group of 5 to Power 4.

The ACC championship game has been around since 2005, and now in the 20th anniversary of the game, SMU has made history.

“It’s hard to win 10 games, it’s hard to do something that’s never been done before,” coach Rhett Lashlee said. “No one’s ever moved from a small conference to a power conference and gone to the championship game in their first year. Just really proud of our guys.”

SMU joined the ACC in its quest to return to a power conference, and in doing so, agreed to take no television revenue from the ACC for nine years. They were a team on a mission from the very start, eager to prove they belonged on this level.

SMU has been a different team since turning to Kevin Jennings as its starting quarterback after three games. Jennings is 8-0 as a starter and has helped SMU to a 7-0 ACC record — the only team that is undefeated in league play. Against Virginia, Jennings went 25-of-33 for 323 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Lashlee signed a contract extension with the school Friday, reaffirming his commitment to being with the Mustangs for the long term. Despite its ACC dominance, SMU remains on the outside looking in, based on the latest College Football Playoff selection committee rankings.

If SMU wins the ACC, the Mustangs would be a lock to make it into the CFP. Another loss could mean the end of their playoff hopes. SMU closes the regular season against California next Saturday.

Lashlee grew emotional discussing how far his team has come this season.

“I’m really proud of them. I had this thought Friday, I’m going to miss a lot of these guys,” Lashlee said before pausing to gather himself. “It’s a fun group. They love playing together. They love playing for each other. They love playing for SMU. They don’t care who gets the credit. I think that’s why they win. It’s special. I’m just a lucky guy who gets to be their coach.”

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Pittsburgh QB Holstein (leg) taken to hospital

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Pittsburgh QB Holstein (leg) taken to hospital

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with an air cast on his left leg in the first quarter of Saturday’s game at Louisville.

Holstein appeared to have his leg rolled up on when Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte sacked him on the second drive of the game.

Nate Yarnell, who started when Holstein missed last week’s game against Clemson with a concussion, replaced him Saturday.

Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, won the starting quarterback job over Yarnell during fall practice and helped lead the Panthers to a 7-0 start.

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TD with :04 left lifts No. 24 Illinois to 8th win

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TD with :04 left lifts No. 24 Illinois to 8th win

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run 40-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.

Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short.

After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07.

Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown.

Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards.

Altmeyer put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24.

Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Monangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining.

Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the unexpected win.

Kaliakmanis was 18-for-36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards.

Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery‘s 8-yard TD run, setting up the roller-coaster finish.

The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown, and the officials called penalties on both schools.

Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 yards on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark.

The great finish keeps the Illini in line for their first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season.

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