The Edmonton Oilers beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Friday's Game 6 to force a winner-take-all finale for the 2024 Stanley Cup.

Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, and Zach Hyman combined to give the Oilers a 3-0 advantage entering the third period. Aleksander Barkov scored early in the final frame to give the Panthers hope before Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse put the contest away with empty-netters.

The Panthers had a goal called back in the second period after an offside challenge.

Connor McDavid was held without a point for the first time since Game 1 of the series. He also failed to record a shot on goal for the first time since Game 1 of the second round.

It's the first time in McDavid's career that the Oilers have won without him recording a point or shot in the contest.

Stuart Skinner made 20 saves in the contest, while Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 19 shots.

Skinner moves to 10-0 in Games 4-7 this postseason with a .940 save percentage.

The Oilers are the third team in Cup Final history to extend a series to seven games after facing a 3-0 deficit and the first since 1945. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to complete a reverse sweep in the Final.

"Honestly, we're just having fun," McDavid told Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "We really believe, we really believe in each other, we believe in this group. And we're having fun with it."

A Game 7 will decide the Stanley Cup winner for the first time since the St. Louis Blues were victorious in 2019.

Game 7 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET in Florida. Edmonton is aiming for its sixth Stanley Cup and first since 1990, while the Panthers will be looking to claim their first title in franchise history.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Pascal Vincent, the team announced Monday.

Vincent was named Blue Jackets bench boss before the season after Mike Babcock resigned. Vincent, 52, was previously an associate coach with Columbus for two seasons.

"As I spent time with Pascal over the past few weeks, I found him to be an outstanding person and smart hockey coach who worked very hard last year under trying circumstances, but I believe a change behind the bench is in our team's best interest," general manager Don Waddell said. "On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Pascal for his work ethic, professionalism, and contributions during his three seasons with the Blue Jackets."

Columbus hired Waddell as GM and president of hockey operations in May.

The Blue Jackets went 27-43-12 in 2023-24 and finished last in the Metropolitan Division. They ranked 27th in goals and 31st in goals against. Columbus also had the second-worst power play and a bottom-10 penalty kill.

Vincent is the 11th head coach to be fired this NHL season.

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The Florida Panthers moved one win away from capturing the Stanley Cup with a 4-3 victory in Thursday's Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Panthers surged in the second period with goals from Vladimir Tarasenko, Sam Bennett, and Aleksander Barkov in a 6:19 span.

Philip Broberg and Ryan McLeod scored in the third period as Edmonton's comeback bid fell short.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves and allowed more than two goals for the first time since Game 3 of the conference finals versus the New York Rangers. Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots.

Bobrovsky's most important stop came late in the contest when he denied McLeod of the tying goal from point-blank range.

"They're a very skillful offensive team," Bobrovsky told theScore's Jolene Latimer postgame. "They're smart guys, and they're going make plays. It's just (about focusing) on each and every moment. It's a fun challenge to play against them because they bring (their) best and they make smart plays."

Panthers captain Barkov understands the series is far from over.

"We know (Game 4) is gonna be the hardest game, for sure," Barkov said. "Obviously, we don't take anything for granted. Every single day is one day at a time, one thing at a time. Whether it's one period, one shift, we take it one at a time. That's how we've been the whole year."

Florida hasn't won the Stanley Cup in its 30-season history.

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl remains without a point in the final. He had 10 goals and 28 points in 18 playoff contests entering the series.

"It's very frustrating, of course," Draisaitl said. "I pride myself on being good in the playoffs and playing well. Just can't seem to get anything going. Obviously, have to look in the mirror and try to be better."

The last sweep in a Stanley Cup Final was in 1998 when the Detroit Red Wings dispatched the Washington Capitals.

Game 4 is Saturday in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET.

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Utah's NHL team unveiled logos and jerseys Thursday for its inaugural season.

The former Arizona Coyotes franchise will be called the Utah Hockey Club for its first season. Here's a look at the team's branding:

A fan vote goes through June 20 to determine Utah's team name for the beginning of the 2025-26 season onward. The final six options are the Blizzard, Hockey Club, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti.

The NHL's board of governors approved the sale and relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City in April. Smith Entertainment Group officially closed the deal Thursday, the team announced.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are mutually working with Patrik Laine to trade the 26-year-old forward, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Wednesday's edition of "Insider Trading."

"That's the goal from everyone involved. ... (Laine) would like to move on," LeBrun said. "His agent has had conversations with the Blue Jackets about it, and both sides are gonna work together to try and get that done. He wants a fresh start. Hasn't been a good time in Columbus."

Laine entered the player assistance program on Jan. 28 and remains in the program, LeBrun added.

The Finnish sniper tallied six goals and nine points in 18 games this season. He missed nine contests due to a concussion in October before sustaining a broken clavicle on Dec. 14 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Laine has two years left on his contract with an $8.7-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. He also has a 10-team no-trade list.

The Blue Jackets acquired Laine with Jack Roslovic from the Winnipeg Jets for Pierre-Luc Dubois and a third-round pick in January 2021.

Laine has accrued 64 goals and 138 points in 174 games over four seasons in Columbus. He's missed 117 contests since 2021.

The 2016 second overall pick burst onto the scene in Winnipeg with three straight 30-goal seasons to commence his career, including a 44-goal campaign as a sophomore. Laine hasn't eclipsed the 30-goal mark since 2018-19.

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The Calgary Flames hired former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen as an assistant, the team announced Tuesday.

Larsen, 46, was the Blue Jackets' bench boss for two seasons. He was fired by Columbus in April 2023 and didn't coach last year.

"Brad is a great addition to our coaching staff, adding valuable recent experience as an NHL head coach, as well as a longtime player," general manager Craig Conroy said in a statement. "He's a good communicator with a tremendous work ethic and provides a wealth of knowledge, having worked in every situation as a coach over the course of his career."

Columbus went 62-86-16 with Larsen as head coach. He was an assistant for seven seasons with the Blue Jackets beforehand.

"I'm super excited to be joining the Flames organization and appreciative of the opportunity to work alongside Ryan Huska," Larsen said. "I've had so much respect for this organization for a long time, its history, and reputation around the league."

Assistant coach Marc Savard mutually parted ways with the Flames in May after one season with the team.

Larsen's hiring completes Huska's staff for the 2024-25 campaign. Assistants Dan Lambert and Cail MacLean return from last season.

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Superstar Connor McDavid believes the Edmonton Oilers' 3-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday may have been due in part to some karma.

"Maybe it was the hockey gods getting us back for that Game 6 where we probably didn't deserve to win," McDavid quipped.

The Oilers won Game 6 against the Dallas Stars 2-1 with only 10 shots on goal to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Stuart Skinner made 33 saves in that contest.

Edmonton dropped Game 1 of the final on Saturday despite outshooting the Panthers 32-18.

"Tonight, maybe we deserved at least one goal or maybe two goals, and we don't find a way to get them," McDavid said. "This group will stick with it, bounce back. That's what we take a lot of pride in doing. We'll gear up for a big one on Monday."

Zach Hyman believes the Oilers will be just fine if they continue to play like they did in Game 1.

"We had our looks. I thought we played pretty well, overall," Hyman said. "(Sergei Bobrovsky's) a good goalie over there. He made some good saves. But I liked our game."

Hyman added: "I think we're right there. We're very confident in our group, we've been in positions like this before. They're a good team. We're a really good team."

The Oilers had 18 high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, more than double Florida's six. It's only the third time the Panthers have been outshot this postseason.

Game 2 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves as the Florida Panthers shut out the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 on Saturday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers fired 18 shots on goal. It's only the third time Florida has been outshot in the postseason.

This is the first time in franchise history that the Panthers have held a series lead in the final.

Bobrovsky, 35, is the oldest goalie to post a shutout in the Stanley Cup Final since Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas in 2011. It's also the first Game 1 shutout in a final since 2011, when the Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo blanked the Bruins.

The win is Bobrovsky's 13th in this playoff run, setting a new franchise mark for a Panthers goaltender in a single postseason. Bobrovsky and John Vanbiesbrouck shared the previous record of 12, setting it last year and in 1996, respectively.

"Everything you want in a teammate, especially a goalie," star forward Matthew Tkachuk said, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring four minutes into the first period of Saturday's game. Evan Rodrigues put the Panthers up 2-0 in the second, and Eetu Luostarinen sealed the victory with an empty-netter.

Oilers superstar Connor McDavid played 25:19 in his final debut. He recorded six shots and was a minus-2.

"Lots to like," McDavid said of the Oilers' performance, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. "We didn't give up too much, what we did give up was dangerous. Not a ton of puck luck around their net."

Edmonton had an 18-6 edge in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game 2 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

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Boston and Montreal were named host cities for the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off next season, the league announced Saturday.

Both locations will host round-robin games before the one-game final is played at TD Garden.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will consist of seven total games between Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States from Feb. 12-20, 2025.

Here's the full schedule:

Each country will play three round-robin games. Teams will earn three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout victory, one in an overtime or shootout loss, and zero for a regulation loss. The two nations with the most points advance to the single-game final.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is at the helm for Team Canada, while Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin will handle roster-building duties for the U.S.

The first six players from each roster are expected to be announced June 28.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is the first best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. It's the first with Canada and the United States at full strength since the 2014 Olympics.

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The NHL and NHLPA announced an $88-million salary cap for the 2024-25 season Saturday.

The new ceiling is a $4.5-million increase from last year's $83.5-million salary cap. It's the biggest jump in one offseason since the cap rose by $4.5 million before the 2019-20 campaign.

Commissioner Gary Bettman said in December that the cap was expected to rise to $87.7 million.

The cap had increased by $1 million before each of the past two seasons. It was at a stagnant $81.5 million in 2020 and 2021.

The new cap floor is $65 million. Eleven teams are currently under that limit, according to CapFriendly. Utah has to spend over $20 million to reach the minimum payroll.

Top pending unrestricted free agents include Sam Reinhart, Jake Guentzel, and Steven Stamkos. Restricted free agents such as Lucas Raymond and Seth Jarvis are also in need of new contracts.

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