Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.
Jun 21, 2024, 11:30 PM ET
The Stanley Cup was in the building again, ready to be awarded to the Florida Panthers if they won Game 6.
They did not.
The Edmonton Oilers scored the first three goals of the game en route to another dominant win, this one 5-1. In the process, they became just the third team in NHL history to come back from 0-3 in the Stanley Cup Final to tie it 3-3. The 1945 Detroit Red Wings came back but lost in Game 7, while the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off the reverse sweep.
We break it all down for you. Here are our grades for both teams, along with takeaways that stuck out most, key players to watch and the big questions left unanswered prior to Game 7 on Monday (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+).
Panthers grade: C-
The Panthers have no one to blame but themselves. They lost three straight games just twice in the regular season and are on the brink of letting a Stanley Cup slip away. Florida should have had a parade by now. Instead, it is returning with Edmonton back to the Sunshine State to see if there’s anything left in the tank to finally finish off an extremely worthy opponent.
The Panthers have been listless out of the gate since Game 3, allowing the Oilers to take leads they don’t relinquish. Florida’s previous commitment to all-around defensive play is rapidly evaporating and leaves Sergei Bobrovsky vulnerable. Florida’s special teams haven’t been clicking, either. The Panthers stars are (mostly) nonexistent, and all the yelling from coach Paul Maurice can’t shake anything loose to help Florida get over the hump.
Now, the Panthers are in a do-or-die position. And it feels like Edmonton is in far better shape to handle Game 7 better than Florida.
Oilers grade: A
The Oilers have acted as a collective, taking away time and space as a five-man unit. That dedication resulted in just two shots on goals for the Panthers in the first period, and the five goals came from players not named Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl (though the latter had a superb assist on the game’s opening goal). Edmonton previously showed it could survive in tight situations and exhibited bounce-back ability in the Western Conference finals. It has gone from allowing eight goals in Games 2 and 3 in the Finals to just five goals over the past three games.
These have all been flash points that added to the belief that the Oilers might be the most complete team in the NHL.
Those traits weren’t as visible to open the series, but they were in Game 6. And while there were times when the Panthers pushed back, if the Oilers replicate their Game 6 performance in Game 7 it could see them go from a free fall to start the season to raising the Cup for the first time since 1990.
What we learned in Game 6
Florida’s absent stars are an issue
Listen, when the Panthers had just two shots at even strength from forwards through the first two periods of Game 6, it was clear why they were trailing 3-0. At that point, Edmonton had scored 17 of the past 21 goals in the Cup Final, and it kept making Florida look average.
Where were Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov to lift the Panthers out of this rut? Granted, Barkov’s second-period goal was called back for Reinhart being offside — and he lit the lamp again for Florida’s only goal in the third period — but Florida’s captain cannot carry the load alone.
play
0:45
Aleksander Barkov cuts into Panthers’ deficit with slick wrister
Aleksander Barkov weaves through traffic around the net and sneaks a quick shot past Stuart Skinner to get the Panthers within two scores.
The Panthers’ special teams are atrocious
It’s not just that Florida can’t score on special teams. Its power play can hardly generate a shot. Florida is 0-for-11 on the power play through its past three games, and during a critical third-period opportunity in Game 6, didn’t put up a single shot on Stuart Skinner.
Meanwhile, the Oilers were buzzing on their chances and making it difficult for Florida with the man advantage. Edmonton breathed life back into itself through special teams opportunities in Games 4 and 5; the Panthers’ failure to match has been a massive downfall. A series like this can be lost on special teams alone, and that’s the direction Florida is trending.
It wasn’t just one thing; it was several for the Oilers
It started with Kris Knoblauch’s decision to move Warren Foegele to the second line as a way to help generate some offensive consistency for Leon Draisaitl. That led to Draisaitl setting up Foegele for the game’s opening goal in Game 6. The Oilers also have the sort of structure that’s allowed them to find rush goals, including three of them in sequence.
Later, there was the successful coach’s challenge of Barkov’s goal that was a major momentum swing. And as it’s been stated several times during the playoffs, the Oilers won games without needing goals from Draisaitl or McDavid. For years, the concern surrounding the Oilers was whether or not they had enough options beyond those two. But as they showed in Game 6, they have several options that proved to be too much for the Panthers.
play
1:05
Panthers coach Paul Maurice livid after goal overturned
Panthers coach Paul Maurice lets the officials hear it after Florida’s quick score was overturned against the Oilers.
The Oilers keep placing opposing star players in a defensive black hole
Even though Barkov scored, the struggles he and Matthew Tkachuk have had are part of a larger narrative about how star players are struggling against the Oilers in this postseason.
The Oilers held Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar, who has more than 1,200 career points, without a point over four games. Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller had 103 points in the regular season, but held without a point in three of seven games in the second round. While Jason Robertson scored a hat trick in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, the Oilers kept him without a point for the last three games of the series and four games overall.
Entering Game 6, Barkov and Tkachuk each had three Cup final games that saw them fail to record a point. The Oilers are forcing the Panthers’ depth options to beat them — and it’s been an effective strategy for the past three wins.
What McDavid has been to Edmonton, so has Bobrovsky been to Florida. And ultimately, whether the Panthers succeed or fail at winning the Cup will hinge on him.
Why? Because to this point in elimination games, Florida simply has not produced a dominant skater capable of taking over and single-handedly securing a victory. The only player the Panthers can rely on to do that — in a crunch-time situation — is Bobrovsky. He’s been their most consistent postseason performer, and the Panthers have been right to invest as much faith in him being a difference-maker. That will never be more pronounced or critical than in Game 7.
Draisaitl made it clear after the morning skate Friday he wasn’t happy with the way he was playing and that he hadn’t found his game yet. His assist that gave the Oilers a 1-0 provided him a quick start that had been elusive.
Although he hasn’t scored a goal, he finished with three shots, while also drawing a penalty in the third period that slowed the Panthers for two more minutes. Draisaitl has had four games during the Cup Final in which he has finished with three shots. Could Game 7 provide him with the breakthrough to score his first goal since Game 4 of the Western Conference finals?
Big questions for Game 7
Are the Panthers championship material?
Nitpick any part of the Panthers game. It doesn’t matter at this stage. All that stands between Florida and closing out a series that could have been finalized a week ago is its ability to prove that the 16th win is within its grasp — that the Panthers themselves are made to be champions.
Florida has failed in three straight opportunities to send Edmonton packing. The lack of killer instinct goes against everything Florida showed until this point. Now it will be harder than ever to get the job done because Edmonton has all the momentum and every reason to believe it is on track to finish the job. Can the Panthers notch just one last victory?
Where would an Oilers Game 7 win rank among all-time comebacks?
Let’s say for the sake of discussion, they do win the Stanley Cup. Could it be the greatest comeback in NHL history and potentially the greatest comeback in the history of North American professional sports?
There’s the famed 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs who remain the only NHL team to win a Stanley Cup after a 3-0 deficit. The only other team in either a Major League Baseball or NBA playoffs series to achieve the feat was in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox rallied from a three-game hole to beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
And while the NFL has a single-elimination format in the playoffs, the New England Patriots pulled off the largest comeback in Super Bowl history when they overcame a 28-3 hole in the second half to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime in Super Bowl LI.
If Edmonton pulls it off, this comeback will certainly have a strong case in the all-time debate.
After the New Jersey Devils saw their season end in double overtime Tuesday night, goaltender Jacob Markstrom wanted to express his frustration via his stick. He thought about boomeranging it to the boards. Instead, he swung it hard against his goalpost, breaking it in half.
Sebastian Aho‘s goal at 4:17 of the second overtime in Game 5 gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 5-4 win and a 4-1 series victory over the Devils. It was the first puck Markstrom had fly by him in 37 consecutive shots on goal, dating to the second period. That included 18 saves he made in overtime, as Carolina marauded a short-handed and exhausted Devils defense but couldn’t solve the 35-year-old goalie.
“That was one of the better goaltending performances that I’ve witnessed,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Markstrom, who finished with 49 saves. “He let in a few early that he’d like to have back. But once he got dialed in, you’re thinking it’ll have to bank off somebody, because we’re not beating him.”
Markstrom’s frustration wasn’t just with the overtime goal. The Devils built a 3-0 lead in the first period. Carolina scored three times in the first 5:40 of the second period to erase it. New Jersey responded with a Nico Hischier goal, only to have Aho knot the score at 4 moments later.
“We put up four goals on the road,” Markstrom said. “We should have brought it home. It should have been enough.”
But as his teammates noted, Markstrom’s effort in the overtimes should have been enough to win Game 5.
“We were under siege. He was outstanding. We were reeling,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.
“He played unbelievable. Marky kept us in that first overtime,” Hischier said. “I feel bad for him because he battled his ass off.”
Markstrom was acquired by the Devils last offseason in a high-profile deal with the Calgary Flames that was intended to fix the team’s goaltending, which ranked 30th in 2023-24. He won 26 times in 49 games with a .900 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. He was outstanding, for the most part, in the playoffs: .911 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in five games.
But Markstrom couldn’t overcome two things in the postseason for the Devils. The first were their injuries. Already without star center Jack Hughes, who had season-ending shoulder surgery, the Devils saw defensemen Luke Hughes, Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon leave the series with injuries, with defensemen Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton playing at less than 100%.
“We had a few guys go down in the series. A few guys step up and battle. We’ve got to get better. We don’t like the result,” forward Timo Meier said.
The other factor was the Devils special teams. Their power play was officially 0-for-15. Their penalty kill allowed six goals on 19 Carolina power plays.
“That’s why we lost the series for sure. We couldn’t get the power play going. That’s on those guys, including me, that are on the ice. That’s definitely frustrating,” Hischier said.
But the Devils gutted out the series, pushing Carolina to double overtime in an elimination game despite those deficiencies.
“There’s a lot of will in this room,” Markstrom said. “It sucks right now.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — Everything came together in the same game for two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers batters.
Texas had a much-needed offensive breakout while deGrom struck out seven over six scoreless innings for his first win in more than two years, though he had pitched well enough to win in several other starts this season.
“When was the last one, ’23? Yeah, it’s been a while,” deGrom said after the Rangers’ 15-2 win over the Athletics on Tuesday night.
“He earned it. He had great stuff tonight, he kept us on our toes,” second baseman Marcus Semien said. “We were just talking about how the time of possession was. You know, we were hitting for a long time and he’s getting quick outs. So usually that’s a good recipe.”
The 36-year-old deGrom (1-1) had gone 737 days since also beating the A’s on April 23, 2023, then made only one more start in his debut season with Texas before Tommy John surgery.
He scattered four singles and didn’t walk a batter in a 65-pitch outing (47 strikes). It was only that short since the right-hander didn’t return after an eight-run outburst in the Rangers sixth that matched their previous season high for runs in an entire game and put them up 12-0.
So just how efficient was deGrom? The right-hander honestly thought he was “probably in the 70s or something to 80,” as did catcher Jonah Heim.
“A lot a strikeouts that I feel like he just overpowered a lot of hitters, which is who he is. He’s got that electric fastball,” Heim said.
“My mechanics were pretty good,” said deGrom, a meticulous worker who was feeling good after a side session the day before the game. “I’m constantly trying to perfect it and get in the best positions that I can get based on performance and health.”
Texas entered the night last in the majors with 91 runs scored, and only 12 combined the previous six games. DeGrom had gotten only nine runs of support in his first five starts.
The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak while setting season highs for runs, hits (18) and walks (nine). They had three bases-clearing doubles in the same game for the first time in team history – Adolis García and Wyatt Langford each had one during a four-batter stretch in that big sixth, and Kyle Higashioka added his three-run double in the eighth.
Their offensive outburst came after the full squad was required to be on the field for batting practice before the game.
“Good to see you guys break out and have a good game. … Some success, it’s contagious,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “You’re hoping this is something these guys can build on, build some confidence.”
For deGrom, he improved to 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA in his 15 starts for the Rangers since signing a $185 million, five-year contract in December 2022. He is 85-58 in 224 career starts, the first 209 with the New York Mets from 2014-2022.
“He was really good tonight. You know, I said when season started, it’s just going to get better with him as he builds up his strength and stamina,” Bochy said. “Really good command tonight, really good stuff. And it’s just getting better with him.”
New York started the bottom of the first of its March 29 game against Milwaukee with three homers in a row. In that game, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Judge needed only three pitches to hit three homers.
The Yankees added a fourth home run later in the first inning of both that game and Tuesday’s game, making them the first team to belt four in the first inning twice in a season.
On Tuesday night, the Yankees hit three of the game’s first five offerings out to right field.
“Grish got it going for us and set the tone for us early on,” Judge said after the 15-3 win. “When he goes up there and … sends one to Eutaw Street, it’s pretty impressive and gets you going.”
It was an ugly return to the majors for the 37-year-old Gibson, who made 30 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals last season before Baltimore signed him to a $5.25 million, one-year contract in late March. He’d been working in the minors since then before being called up before Tuesday’s game. He was finally pulled with two outs in the fourth after allowing nine runs and 11 hits.
“He gave up four homers in the first inning. That’s kind of a telling sign,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “At that point I’m just trying to figure out how we’re going to get through the game.”
After Rice’s home run made it 3-0, Gibson retired Goldschmidt on a grounder before Bellinger also homered. Anthony Volpe‘s RBI double made it 5-0 before the first inning was over.
Rice homered again in the second to make it 6-0. Austin Wells hit New York’s final home run — all six came with nobody on — with two outs in the ninth.
“It just shows that we’ve got a lot of depth in the lineup,” Rice said.
Not all the news was great for the Yankees, however. Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game with right flank discomfort in the first inning.
Chisholm, who is hitting .181 with seven home runs this season, appeared to have hurt himself while he was batting. After being checked on, he stayed at the plate and hit a double, advancing to third on an error by right fielder Ramon Laureano.
Chisholm said he wasn’t worried about needing to go on the injured list.
“I’m really not as concerned as everybody else,” Chisholm said. “I tore my oblique before. I know it’s not torn or anything.”
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.