Game #6 of the Stanley Cup Final: 5 things to watch out for

Dose
Crédit: Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Just because it won’t be below 20 degrees Celcius next night doesn’t mean we won’t be watching hockey on our Québécois TVs tonight. On the contrary, the Stanley Cup could come out of its box around 11:00 p.m. to be handed over – for the second time in as many springs – to the Florida Panthers… in Florida!

Are you near Fort Lauderdale and want to attend tonight’s game? The cheapest ticket is currently selling for almost $800 Canadian on StubHub.

Remember, if the Oilers ever manage to upset the Panthers tonight, they’ll force an ultimate Game #7 on Friday in Edmonton. That would be INCREDIBLE for the NHL and their broadcast partners. Renaud Lavoie Louis-Philippe Neveu dreams about it at night, I’m told..

So far, each game of the final series broadcast on TVA Sports attracts an average of 100,000 more viewers than at the same time last year.

What questions should we be asking ourselves as we approach Game 6 between the Panthers and Oilers?

1. Who will win the Conn-Smythe Trophy if the Panthers lift the Stanley Cup tonight?

The NHL’s top three playoff scorers are Oilers players: Leon Draisaitl (33), Connor McDavid (33) and Evan Bouchard (23). Sam Bennett (22) is fourth, but has 15 goals, the highest playoff total.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Would the NHL award a second playoff MVP trophy to a guy on the losing team?

Would Sam Bennett have done enough to top the Oilers’ two-headed monster?

Would Sergei Bobrovsky (15-7, 2.26, .912) have been influential enough to be named MVP?

If the Oilers win tonight and Friday, I think we’re all ready to give Leon Draisaitl the Conn-Smythe. But if the Panthers win, we’re in the doldrums..

2. Who will get tonight’s start, Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard?

Stuart Skinner (7-6, 2.99 and .899) and Calvin Pickard (7-1, 2.85 and .886) aren’t having a great spring, let’s put it that way. Skinner has been chased from his net in his last two starts, but Pickard didn’t fare much better in Game #5.

Skinner is the #1 goalie and he practiced as a starter yesterday. Smells like Skinner..

3. Who will change teams next season?

Brad Marchand, Tomas Nesek, Sam Bennett, Nico Strum, Nate Schmidt, Aaron Ekblad and Vitek Vanecek will all be eligible for full autonomy in July. For the Oilers, Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Frederic and John Klingberg will also be able to choose their new team for next season. Many will not be returning to their current teams.

Will Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett play their last game with the Panthers? Possibly, in Marchand’s case..

Will Corey Perry, who has already mentioned he wants to play again next season, lose a fifth final in six seasons? That would be something.

Will Kasperi Kapanen, entrenched in the (minor) turmoil of Game #5, be back in the line-up?

We’ll see.

4. Can Connor McDavid afford to lose tonight?

Wayne Gretzky made history.

Mario Lemieux has written his story.

Sidney Crosby has written his story.

When a generational player arrives in the NHL, we expect to see him win Stanley Cups to protect his legacy once his career is over.

What will we be saying about them in 20 years’ time?
(Credit: Getty Images)

Connor McDavid will play the final season of his contract next year, before he is granted full autonomy. There’s no telling when he’ll get another chance to play in a Stanley Cup Final, as he turns 30 in 19 months’ time.

McDavid doesn’t want to become a Joe Thornton; he’s desperate for a Stanley Cup ring. This week could be his last chance. You never know if there’ll be a next time..

5. Brad Marchand will be the..

If the Panthers ever lift the precious trophy tonight, when will Brad Marchand be called upon to take the trophy in his arms?

From Gary Bettman to Aleksander Barkov, then directly to Brad Marchand? To Matthew Tkachuk first? To Seth Jones first?

overtime

– Of note.

– The Canadian Grand Prix is in Montreal to stay, but…

– The issue continues to be the talk of the town.