The latest on the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers as they prepare for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, five veterans whose careers could be ending, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
STANLEY CUP NOTEBOOK
MIAMI HERALD: The Florida Panthers are keeping their emotions in check following their blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday. They hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and can wrap things up with a win in Game 5 on Tuesday.
THE SCORE: Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk believes there were lessons to be learned from that loss. “We gave up eight goals, and zero of them were the goalies’ fault,” said Tkachuk. “So, a lot to learn from. Yeah, a lot to learn from.”
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov believes his teammates need to manage the losses. “Obviously, it only counts as one win. It doesn’t matter how much you lose, 2-1 or 8-1, so just obviously we need to bounce back. We need to recover now and think about the next one.”
Barkov dismissed the notion that being poised to win the Stanley Cup in Game 4 distracted the Panthers. “The Cup is going to be in the building at some point anyway,” he said. “So we have to be ready for that.”
SUN-SENTINEL.COM: The silver lining in the Panthers’ loss in Game 4 is their fans now have an opportunity to witness the club’s first Stanley Cup championship win on home ice in Game 5.
Meanwhile, the Panthers have been pushing to grow the game in Florida’s Latino communities with help from the NHL. The Panthers Learn To Play initiative introduces boys and girls to hockey while reducing barriers to entry for the sport.
Hispanic and Latino participation in the Learn to Play initiative increased 15 percent from 2023 to 2024. The club’s recent on-ice success has also helped increase their popularity.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Build and maintain a playoff contender, reach out, and be active in the community, and you’ll grow your fanbase and garner strong, sustained support from them.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Oilers captain Connor McDavid believes the pressure is off his club following their lopsided Game 4 victory over the Panthers. He thinks they need to build on what they achieved in that contest. “We’re still in a hole but there’s no pressure on us, really. We just need to find a way to get a win in Game 5 and go from there.”
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Third-liners Mattias Janmark, Adam Henrique and Connor Brown played a big role in the Oilers’ win in Game 4. Their efforts gave their club an early 2-0 lead that became the foundation for their victory in that contest.
SPORTSNET: Oilers winger Evander Kane missed Games 3 and 4 with a nagging sports hernia. He could be ready to play in Game 5.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton must be prepared for a more motivated effort by Florida in Game 5. If the Oilers take Game 5, it could change the course of this series.
IN OTHER NEWS…
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski and Colorado Avalanche winger Zach Parise have indicated they’ve played their final NHL games. Five other notable veterans, including Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, could find it tough to continue their playing career following this season.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor was officially connected last week. The target for completion of the bridge is September 2025.