Tag: Evander Kane

Stanley Cup Final Game 3: Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers best prop bet picks and predictions

Here are the 4 best prop bets for Thursday’s Stanley Cup Final Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.

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The Florida Panthers travel to meet the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of 2024 Stanley Cup Final Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we break down FanDuel Sportsbook’s Stanley Cup Final Game 3 prop bet odds and lines, and tab the 4 best Panthers vs. Oilers prop bets to make among SportsbookWire’s expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Stanley Cup Final series shifts to Alberta for Game 3, with the Panthers holding a 2-0 series lead. The Oilers have managed to slip just 1 goal past Sergei Bobrovsky in the first 2 games of this series, as the Panthers have outscored Edmonton by a 7-1 margin.

The Under has cashed in both games in South Florida, as Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner have done a decent job limiting the opposition to this point. In fact, the Under has cashed in 5 straight games for the Panthers, and 10 of the previous 11 outings for Florida.

The total has gone low in 4 in a row for the Oilers, while cashing at a 9-2-1 clip in the previous 12 postseason games. So, it’s unlikely we’ll spend much time analyzing the Anytime Goal Scorer options at this time. There are plenty of other areas of focus, however.

Game 3: Best Panthers at Oilers prop bet picks

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:21 p.m. ET.

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First to 5 shots on goal — OILERS (-134)

The Oilers are in an 0-2 series hole, and it’s time to get a little desperate. Edmonton has cobbled together just 1 single goal of offense in the first 2 games of this series against Bobrovsky. However, it should feed off of the energy of the crowd, and it would really help if the Oilers could get an early goal to get the fans out of their seats early.

Edmonton managed just 19 shots on goal in Game 2, which was not what they needed. If it is going to beat Bobrovsky, and get him out of his comfort zone, the Oilers need to fire pucks at him, and a lot of them.

With the shift in venue, the Oilers should have some energy, and an early power play wouldn’t hurt, either.

Player to record 1+ points — PANTHERS C CARTER VERHAEGHE (-138)

Verhaeghe rolled up 34 goals and 72 points in the regular season, and he has 10 goals and 18 points in 19 postseason games, picking up the pace even more.

He has proven to be a big-time offensive producer when it matters most. Verhaeghe opened the scoring in Game 1 just 3:59 into the contest, with helpers to C Aleksander Barkov and C Sam Reinhart.

We’re not quite looking for Verhaeghe to light the lamp, we just need a goal, an assist, etc. If the Panthers get some offense going in Edmonton, Verhaeghe is likely to be right in the middle of things.

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Player to record 2+ shots — OILERS LW EVANDER KANE (-110)

Playing this prop takes a little bit of a leap of faith. Kane needs to get more involved for the Oilers, as he has been invisible for a while now.

Kane hasn’t recorded a single shot on goal (SOG) in the first 2 games of this series. He also went without a SOG in the series clincher in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars. In fact, Kane has just 2 total SOG in his past 5 postseason games.

Returning home, however, should get Kane going. This is a guy who scored 24 goals in the regular season. He also had 9 SOG in the first 2 games of the Western Conference Final against the Stars, and he has 44 SOG in 20 postseason outings. Kane needs an early shot to get his confidence and swagger back, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get to 4 or 5 SOG.

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Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky OVER 24.5 saves (-125)

The Oilers are going to be desperate, or at least they should be. This is a must-win game for Edmonton, as it cannot afford to fall into an 0-3 series hole.

The Oilers fired 32 shots in Game 1, with Bob equal to the task every time. In Game 2, the Panthers gummed up the neutral zone, making it tough for Edmonton to get anything going.

Edmonton should be closer to 30 SOG in Game 3, as it’s now or never. The Oilers need to get the offense going, especially the vaunted power play. Edmonton is 0-for-7 on the man advantage, and that needs to change in a hurry.

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The NHL has no choice but to suspend Evander Kane after reckless cross-check to Alex Pietrangelo’s face

Evander Kane has made yet another undisciplined play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Evander Kane is once again in hot water after yet another undisciplined play and the NHL has no choice but to act this time.

On Monday, during Game 3 of the Edmonton Oilers’ second round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kane took a run at Alex Pietrangelo at the end of the first period. After the horn blew to signal time, Kane finished his check into Pietrangelo, cross-checking the Golden Knights’ defenseman in the face with this stick.

Kane was assessed a two-minute minor for cross-checking to give the Golden Knights a power play to start the second, as the play was as unnecessary as it comes.

While the officials on the ice gave Kane a minor penalty for the infraction, the Oilers’ forward has been stirring the pot all series long for Edmonton. In Game 2, Kane received a double minor and a 10-minute misconduct for roughing after this brutal scrum where he landed multiple body blows to a defenseless player on the ice.

Kane’s response to the Game 2 kerfuffle?

“When you want to [expletive] around, sometimes you gotta find out.”

Well, considering Kane has been at the center of two reckless plays in two games, surely now is when he finds out about consequences? Yes, the referees on the ice penalized Kane for the dangerous cross-check, but enough should be enough for him at this point.

Here’s how NHL fans reacted to Kane’s dangerous cross-check to the head of Pietrangelo.

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The NHL needs to suspend Evander Kane for his dirty and disgusting hit on Nazem Kadri

Evander Kane’s season should be over.

The Edmonton Oilers are now a game away from having their season come to an end as they trail the Avalanche 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals after Saturday night’s 4-2 loss to Colorado.

The season should be over right now, though, for Oilers left winger Evander Kane who needs to be suspended for his dirty hit on Nazeem Kadri that could have led to a much more serious injury than the one that has already knocked Kadri out of the rest of this series and maybe longer.

Kane hit Kadri with a cross check from behind in the first period that sent Kadri flying head first into the boards. This can’t happen:

Avs coach Jared Bednar had this to say after the game:

“The hit is the most dangerous play in hockey. It puts him in headfirst from behind, 8 feet off the boards. I’ll leave it at that.”

Kane provided this lame explanation:

“I was just coming around on the backcheck. Puck went wide, kind of dribbled into the corner. I know he likes to reverse it. I was just trying get a bump on him. That’s all I did. Unfortunately, he went into the boards awkwardly and hurt his hands. But that was unfortunate.”

The NHL need to send a message and give Kane a lengthy suspension.

Twitter had reactions.

Evander Kane should be out of chances in the NHL after Sharks terminate his contract

Evander Kane is out in San Jose.

It seems the clock has struck midnight for Evander Kane.

On Saturday, the San Jose Sharks announced that the team would be placing Kane on “unconditional waivers with intent to terminate his contract”, putting an end to the 30-year-old’s tumultuous tenure with the team. This has been a long time coming for Kane, who exits the Sharks due to a breach of his NHL contract while also violating the AHL’s COVID-19 protocols after being waived to the minors in late November.

This is the second time since October that Kane has been disciplined for breaking COVID protocols, as he was suspended 21 NHL games for faking a vaccine card near the start of the season.

Now that Kane’s contract will be terminated by the NHL, the other 31 teams across the league will soon be free to sign the winger to a contract, if they so please. And it seems tempting to do so from a pure stats perspective. Kane has the potential to be an annual 30-goal scorer in a full season, a mark he’s hit twice in his 12-year NHL career.

But we’ll stop that train of thought there. After everything he’s done, Kane should be out of chances to earn a NHL contract.

Why? Well, outside of violating COVID protocols twice, Kane was sued by a lender for $15 million on charges of fraud after he declared bankruptcy in early 2021 to the tune of nearly $27 million. Kane also had alarming sexual assault and battery allegations levied against him from his ex-wife, though those could “not be substantiated” by the NHL during their investigation.

The NHL also cleared Kane of allegations from his ex-wife that he gambled and bet on his own games.

Outside of seemingly never-ending legal issues, it’s also been reported that several Sharks did not want Kane back on the team this season after disrespecting team rules and generally being a difficult person to deal with.

So yeah, there’s a lot going on with Kane outside of his possible value as a hockey asset and teammate. And even that’s been called into question too.

Look, it’s clear Kane needs help of some kind. Outside of being in debt, Kane also lost out on $22.8 million as a result of this contract termination, a huge blow after being bought out of his seven-year deal. While I desperately wish that no NHL team decides Kane’s worth taking a flyer on, I also hope he gets the help he needs and starts doing the work to become a better person.

Until he proves himself — if he proves himself at all — this should be the last time we see Kane in the NHL for a very, very long time.

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As always, players of color are leading the way for the NHL

What’s evident are the serious growing pains of fledgling activism within the NHL community.

On Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks staged a wildcat strike, pushing the NBA and most of the sports world into collectively using their labor power to focus attention on Jacob Blake, a Kenosha man who was shot 7 times in the back by a police officer.

It was a sudden move, but other NBA players quickly rallied to their side, realizing the power of collective action. Games across the NBA were postponed because players had decided to strike. The rest of the sports world, with the exception of one league, quickly took notice. The WNBA, consistent leaders in advocating for social justice, decided to strike, as did players from a few MLB teams and the MLS.

It was a historic night in sports as players across the athletic spectrum withheld their labor in an organized manor towards a collective goal, but missing from the list of teams last night was any representation from NHL. The NHL was the only league that continued to play, without any teams deciding to strike, and most players hardly registering the importance of the moment.

In a post game interview, Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said the team didn’t have time to process the situation.

“It was so close to our game that we were just getting ready,” Chara said. “After our pregame meal, we took naps and then we were on the bus, so I don’t think any of us were watching the TV until we got to the rink. And at that point, obviously, it was too close to the game to start any discussions or try to move the games to different dates. We were basically following the schedule the NHL provided to us.”

Without meaning to, Chara showed how disconnected NHL players, specifically white players, have been from the events of the past few days since Blake’s shooting. While Black athletes have been using their media time to fight for change, and plead for the country to understand their pain, NHL players, in a literal and figurative bubble, have been able to nap, and focus only on their playoff games.

Wednesday night was an embarrassment for the sport made worse by the NHL’s last minute nod to recognize the Blake shooting with a paltry, 40 second “moment of reflection” before puck drop in the Toronto bubble.  It was almost universally panned on social media by fans and, in a rarity, NHL media alike.

The only counter to the league’s lack of action and the player’s lack of urgency, were the voices of Black and POC NHL players. As always, Matt Dumba and Evander Kane were left to shoulder the burden for fighting for racial justice in their sport.

Dumba went on Sportsnet 650 and spoke frankly about the lack of action from the hockey world.

“It’s kind of sad and disheartening for me and for members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance — and I’m sure for other guys across the league,” Dumba said. “But if no one stands up and does anything, then it’s the same thing: that silence. You’re just outside looking in on actually being leaders and evoking real change when you have such an opportunity to do so.”

Kane was as vocal, calling the NHL’s response “insulting.”

If there’s any silver lining to be found in all this, it is that league and players did finally, after much public outcry, listen.

On Thursday the Hockey Diversity Alliance, lead by Black/POC NHL players, including Kane and Akim Aliu, officially requested the NHL postpone playoff games for teams and players to be able to reflect on the events of the past few days.

In a rare move, Thursday night’s playoff games have been postponed and the movement has been entirely player lead. Per media reports that were confirmed by Kane, several NHL players reached out the HDA for guidance on the issue and over a 100 players attended a conference call to discuss sitting out for games.

In many cases, the NHL —teams, players, the league —comes up a day late and a dollar short.  The initial apathy of Wednesday will be hard to overlook even in the face of Thursday’s rallying cry.  It’s encouraging that players were able to unify over a protest, but it came far, far after many others had already done the work. The Bucks took the initial risk, not knowing who would stand by them at all.  By comparison, NHL players are risking nothing. They already know public opinion will be on their side if they decide to take collective action. Frankly, they risk looking even more out of touch if they don’t sit out games. Their hand has been forced, and it’s only after the league’s players of color shoved a megaphone in their faces asking them to take some kind of action.

What’s evident in the past 24 hours are the serious growing pains of fledgling activism within the NHL community. There are teams and players who are slowly, slowly trying to do the work but this moment demands urgency and passion. It can not be met with timidity and half-attention that many show. Wednesday night was a chance for any NHL player to be bold, any team to be proactive in deciding to stand with Black athletes. They did not rise to the moment. Instead, they were caught napping.  That stain won’t fade quickly and it will undoubtedly color Thursday’s postponements as reactionary.

The complications of a strike, if that’s what players did intentionally do, show just how hard activism is. It is not something that can be dipped in and out of, but rather requires consistent engagement. The NHL has too long taken a hands off approach until the crescendo of public opinion becomes too loud to ignore.

It’s clear that the hockey community has much catching up to do, and that they must have been sleepwalking through the past few months to be caught so off guard. The bulk of NHL players seem like they want to do the right thing, but have yet to do the “learning and listening” that they vowed to do. Instead, they place even more burden on already weary shoulders, asking much of Dumba, Kane and the members of the HDA.

Taking an active stance and joining with the leagues who will not play on Thursday night is a start, but white players specifically need to address the reasons they are not playing. Are they standing in solidarity? Are they making real requests for change? Are they willing to engage in the difficult conversations around policing in this nation? No one hesitates to ask Black/POC players about these issues. These players have lifted the majority white league onto their backs, trying to carry them into relevancy. If things change in the NHL, it will be because of they refused to take no for an answer.

Evander Kane calls for athletes ‘like Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby’ to speak out against racism

“We need so many more athletes that don’t look like me speaking out about this.”

Protests in major cities across the country sparked by the killing of George Floyd have continued to pop up over the last few days. Floyd, a black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer put his knee into his neck for over eight minutes.

As more people have begun to take to the streets, more athletes and celebrities are lending their voices and resources to those people in an effort to support their clause and accentuate their plight.

One of those athletes has been San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane. Kane has always been vocal about the mistreatment of black people, but he’s been particularly active on social media and different platforms since Floyd’s killing.

And now, he’s calling on other white athletes to join him.

In an appearance on First Take on Friday, Kane said he hopes that more athletes who aren’t people of color to speak out about these injustices across the country.

“We need so many more athletes that don’t look like me speaking out about this, having the same amount of outrage that I have inside. And using that to voice their opinion, to voice their frustration. Because that’s the only way it’s going to change. We’ve been outraged for hundreds of years and nothing’s changed. It’s time for guys like Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby and those type of figures to speak up about what is right and, clearly in this case, what is unbelievably wrong. Because that’s the only way we’re going to actually create, unify anger to create that necessary change. Especially when you talk about systematic racism.”