The Edmonton Oilers have two things they didn’t have in last year’s Stanley Cup Final: home-ice advantage and a lead in the series.

The Oilers’ 4-3 overtime win in Game 1 means the Florida Panthers will need to come back if they’re going to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Game 2 is Friday night.

‘We learn more from adversity than we do from winning,’ Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe told reporters on Thursday.

The Panthers blew a second intermission lead for the first time in the playoffs in three years under coach Paul Maurice. They were outshot 14-2 in the third period as Edmonton tied the game and won in overtime on Leon Draisaitl’s power-play goal.

‘They dictated more of the game than we did,’ forward Matthew Tkachuk said. ‘It is what it is. Back to the drawing board. Just try to play better than them (Friday).’

Florida has lost two in a row only once this postseason but rallied to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the second round.

‘We just need to be ready for it, that they are going to be better,’ Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.

Here’s what to know about Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, including how to watch:

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 2? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 2 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 2

Date: Friday, June 6
Location: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Edmonton Oilers’ nuclear option

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch will put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together later in games if Edmonton needs an offensive boost.

“It’s nice to know when those two get together mid-game that the results are pretty good,’ he said.

But Knoblauch doesn’t do it all game long so he can spread the offense out.

The two used to go out together on the shift after a penalty kill, but McDavid has started killing penalties.

A.J. Greer injury update

The Panthers forward is tracking toward a return but will sit out a second consecutive game on Friday. ‘We think if he tracks out, he’ll be available for Game 3,’ coach Paul Maurice said.

Jesper Boqvist has taken Greer’s place on the fourth line.

Tomas Nosek on Game 1 overtime penalty

Panthers forward Tomas Nosek said it was ‘tough’ after the Oilers scored in overtime on the power play after his delay of game penalty.

‘You don’t want to be the one guy who cost us the game, but obviously everybody can make a mistake,’ he said, adding, ‘It’s in the past and now looking forward to just keep doing my job and focusing on tonight’s game.’

He said his teammates were ‘very helpful’ and supportive of him.

‘Most of the guys came to me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ‘ he said, according to TSN.

Paul Maurice comments on Pete DeBoer firing

Panthers coach Paul Maurice was asked Friday about the Dallas Stars’ firing of coach Peter DeBoer. Maurice and DeBoer are friends.

‘He’ll be all right. He’s a good coach. I think elite teams, you’ve got to push them real hard to get them where they get to, then at some point,’ he said, trailing off. ‘You get a summer off, pick your spot, he’s going to be OK.’

2025 Stanley Cup Finals schedule

All times Eastern; (x-if necessary)

Game 1: Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (OT) | Story
Game 2: Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV
Game 3: Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV

Stanley Cup Final Game 2 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

All odds via BetMGM (as of Friday, June 6)

Spread: Oilers (-1.5)
Moneyline: Oilers (-110); Panthers (-110)
Over/Under: 6.5

Odds to win 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final

Oilers -235
Panthers +190

Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber was originally scheduled to pitch for the Akron RubberDucks in a rehab assignment, but that won’t be happening for the time being.

Bieber was at one point slated to pitch in Double-A on Thursday, June 5 as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. That was moved back a day to Friday, June 6. Now, it has been delayed entirely, as Bieber reported soreness following a bullpen session.

Bieber met with team doctors and Dr. Keith Meister, who performed Bieber’s elbow surgery in April 2024. Meister recommended that Bieber not throw for one week. He will be re-examined next week to determine his readiness to continue his return to pitch progression, the Guardians said in a release on Friday. 

Bieber, 29, won the 2020 AL Cy Young award but has managed just 70 starts since 2021.

Shane Bieber contract

This offseason, as he recovered from the procedure, Bieber signed a one-year deal to return to Cleveland that included a player option for the 2026 season. He has thrown only two starts since the beginning of the 2024 season.

The Women’s College World Series crowns the 2025 NCAA softball champion on Friday, but fans don’t have to wait until 2026 to see high-level softball. The Athletes Unlimited Softball League begins Saturday with the inaugural games in the new professional league.

Athletes Unlimited has been around since 2020 but announced its intentions to launch a traditional softball league in 2025, starting with four teams. MLB also purchased an equity stake in the AUSL, in which Kim Ng, the former general manager of the Miami Marlins, is commissioner. 

The new softball league is set for a 24-game season at a handful of cities around the country. And while professional softball has had numerous leagues over the years, none have quite stuck. But, none of those other leagues had the backing of Major League Baseball, either.

AUSL is launching with four teams – Bandits, Blaze, Talons, Volts – for its first season, and some of softball’s biggest legends are serving as advisors for the league, including Olympic medalists Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley. As for the players, the league includes some big names who have played in Athletes Unlimited in the past few years after shining at the collegiate level, as well as graduating college stars.

The AUSL plans to become a city-based league in 2026, but the inaugural 2025 season will be played on a touring basis, with the four teams traveling to 10 different cities. See the full schedule below:

AUSL regular-season schedule

June 7: at Rosemont, Illinois

Talons vs. Bandits, 3 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 7: at Wichita, Kansas

Volts vs. Blaze, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv

June 8: at Rosemont, Illinois

Talons vs. Bandits, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 8: at Wichita, Kansas

Volts vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 9: at Wichita, Kansas

Volts vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 10: at Rosemont, Illinois

Talons vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | ESPN2

June 12: at Sulphur, Louisiana

Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | ESPN2

June 13: at Chattanooga, Tennessee

Talons vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 13: at Sulphur, Louisiana

Volts vs. Bandits, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 14: at Chattanooga, Tennessee

Talons vs. Blaze, 12 p.m. | ESPNU

June 14: at Sulphur, Louisiana

Volts vs. Bandits, 7:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv

June 15: at Chattanooga, Tennessee

Talons vs. Blaze, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 17: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 17: at Wichita, Kansas

Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 18: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

June 18: at Wichita, Kansas

Blaze vs. Volts, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 20: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

June 20: at Norman, Oklahoma

Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 21: at Norman, Oklahoma

Talons vs. Volts, 5 p.m. | ESPNU

June 21: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Blaze, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv

June 22: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Blaze, 5 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 22: at Norman, Oklahoma

Talons vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

June 23: at Wichita, Kansas

Bandits vs. Blaze, 6:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

June 23: at Norman, Oklahoma

Talons vs. Volts, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

***Break – International Competitions***

July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois

Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2

July 7: at Rosemont, Illinois

Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois

Blaze vs. Bandits, 4:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 8: at Rosemont, Illinois

Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois

Blaze vs. Bandits, 11:30 AM vs. MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 9: at Rosemont, Illinois

Volts vs. Talons, 2 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 11: at Omaha, Nebraska

 Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

July 11: at Seattle

Blaze vs. Volts, 10 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 12: at Omaha, Nebraska

 Bandits vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv

July 12: at Seattle

Blaze vs. Volts, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 13: at Omaha, Nebraska

 Bandits vs. Talons, 1 p.m. | ESPN2

July 13: at Seattle

Blaze vs. Volts, 4 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 16: at Salt Lake City

Blaze vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

July 17: at Austin, Texas

Bandits vs. Volts, 7 p.m. | ESPN2

July 17: at Salt Lake City

Blaze vs. Talons, 9:30 p.m. | MLB Network, MLB.tv

July 18: at Austin, Texas

Bandits vs. Volts, 8 p.m. | ESPNU

July 18: at Salt Lake City

Blaze vs. Talons, 9 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 19: at Salt Lake City

Blaze vs. Talons, 6 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 19: at Austin, Texas

Volts vs. Bandits, 8 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 20: at Austin, Texas

Volts vs. Bandits, 7 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 22: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

July 22: at Rosemont, Illinois

Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

July 23: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Volts vs. Talons, 7 p.m. | ESPNU

July 23: at Rosemont, Illinois

Blaze vs. Bandits, 8:30 p.m. | MLB.com, MLB.tv

AUSL Championship schedule

July 26: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m. | ESPN2

July 27: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 4 p.m. | ESPN2

July 28: at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed, 7 p.m. | ESPN2

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The Dallas Stars fired head coach Pete DeBoer after three seasons in which he led the team to three consecutive NHL Western Conference finals appearances, the team announced Friday.

The move comes after the Stars were eliminated in five games by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference finals last week, despite having home-ice advantage. In Game 5, DeBoer was questioned for benching goalie Jake Oettinger after he gave up two goals in the first seven minutes and admitted he didn’t talk to Oettinger about his decision making.

‘If you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton, and we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game,’ DeBoer said. ‘It was partly to spark our team and wake them up and partly knowing that status quo had not been working. That’s a pretty big sample size.’

General manager Jim Nill said the Oettinger situation was ‘a component’ of the decision but said there were other things that happen during the season. ‘It wasn’t the final (reason) we made this decision,’ he said.

DeBoer has a year left on his contract. He finished his Dallas tenure with a 149-68-29 record.

‘After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,’ Nill said. ‘We’d like to thank Pete for everything that he has helped our organization achieve over the past three seasons and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.’

The Stars had made major moves to put them in position for a championship run, including a March trade that landed them forward Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes received a haul in the exchange, which included forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.

Rantanten, who had nine goals and 13 assists during the 2025 playoffs, was immediately signed to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension.

DeBoer, 56, has taken three different teams to the conference finals in the last seven seasons, including the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, who lost to the Stars and the San Jose Sharks in 2019.

All of the NHL coach openings have been filled after the hirings of the Penguins’ Dan Muse and the Bruins’ Marco Sturm.

Nill said he will be open-minded about who he hires to replace DeBoer.

‘There are some good young coaches out there,’ he said.

One year removed from leading Stanford to back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances and winning the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, NiJaree Canady has single-handedly pitched No. 12 Texas Tech to Oklahoma City while continuing to be the best pitcher in the country.

The 6-foot junior right-hander has delivered on every dollar of her record-breaking NIL deal with Texas Tech. She has taken the Red Raiders on a historic run, leading the program into the Women’s College World Series championships series for the first time.

Texas Tech looks to become the first program since Florida State in 2018 to be crowned a first-time WCWS national champion on June 6 in Game 3 of the WCWS championship series against No. 6 Texas. The Red Raiders and Longhorns are scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET first pitch on June 6 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

Here’s what to know about Canady’s NIL situation at Texas Tech ahead of the Women’s College World Series:

How much does NiJaree Canady make at Texas Tech?

Before Game 3 of the WCWS championship series, ESPN reported on June 6 that Canady and The Matador Club came to an agreement on another seven-figure NIL deal for the upcoming 2026 season. On3’s Pete Nakos reported on June 6 that Canady’s new NIL deal is for at least $1.2 million.

‘Nija Canady is the most electrifying player in softball. She’s box office and she goes out every day and competes,’ Canady’s manager, Derrick Shelby, told ESPN on June 6. ‘The decision to stay at Tech was not difficult. This program has taken care of her. They have showed how much she is appreciated. The entire staff, her teammates, the school in general have been great. Tonight she is playing for a national championship and she is making history. Everything she wants from this game she can get here at Texas Tech.’

NiJaree Canady Texas Tech NIL situation, explained

When Canady entered the transfer portal last July, it caused some shock waves throughout college softball, mainly because she excelled at Stanford and made the Women’s College World Series in back-to-back seasons with the Cardinal.

Canady choosing Texas Tech was also a bit of a shock.

The Red Raiders had just hired a new head coach in Gerry Glasco after his predecessor, Craig Snider, resigned. The sport’s biggest brands — Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee, to name a few — were also involved in the Canady sweepstakes. But with name, image and likeness dominating all college sports, the Red Raiders had a life-altering package for Canady.

On top of Glasco, the two catalysts behind Texas Tech’s negotiation efforts with Canady were Tracy and John Sellers, former Texas Tech athletes who are two of the Red Raiders’ biggest boosters. Tracy Sellers played softball at Texas Tech from 2001-03 and made 89 starts while totaling 58 hits.

‘My message was: We’re talking about Bo Jackson. We’re talking about Herschel Walker,’ Glasco told ESPN on what he told the Sellers. ‘We’re talking about a once-in-a-generation player that’s already made a name all over America. She’s a folk hero in our sport and she’s a sophomore.’

Canady then came down to Lubbock, Texas, for a visit with the Red Raiders.

‘We look at it as they deserve it just as much (as male athletes). She worked so hard to be the No. 1 pitcher in the country. … I left that meeting and thought, this is who I would love to put a lot of effort into because of who she is,’ Glasco told ESPN regarding Texas Tech’s financial commitment to Canady.

So, how did the nation’s best pitcher and reigning USA Softball Collegiate Pitcher of the Year hit the open market? According to The Athletic, Canady’s family approached Stanford’s NIL collective, Lifetime Cardinal, seeking a new NIL deal for her during her freshman season.

Stanford and Lifetime Cardinal did not give a new deal to Canady that season. The NIL collective also didn’t give Canady a new NIL contract last season, when she was named the best player in college softball, until the last day the NCAA portal was open.

Stanford was prepared to follow up its initial offer to Canady with a ‘much larger offer’ that would have been ‘within shouting distance’ of Texas Tech’s offer to Canady, per The Athletic. However, once Canady took her recruiting visit to Texas Tech, the odds of her returning to Stanford took a turn for the worse.

The Red Raiders also let Canady do something she was unable to at Stanford: hit. In 55 games this season, Canady has posted a .312 batting average with a slugging percentage of .720 and an on-base percentage of .454. She has recorded 34 RBIs, 29 hits and 11 home runs.

The Red Raiders checked all the boxes for Canady while making her a $1 million arm.

NiJaree Canady stats

Canady enters the Women’s College World Series with the nation’s best ERA (0.89) in 205 innings of work. She’s struck out 279 batters and recorded a 30-5 record.

Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Canady’s collegiate stats:

2023 (Stanford): 17-3 record in 33 appearances (10 complete games) with a 0.57 ERA, 218 strikeouts and four saves in 135 innings of work. She allowed 64 hits and 13 runs (11 earned runs).
2024 (Stanford): 24-7 record in 41 appearances (29 complete games) with a 0.73 ERA, 337 strikeouts and five saves in 230⅔ innings of work. She allowed 116 hits and 37 runs (24 earned runs).
2025 (Texas Tech): 30-5 record in 40 appearances (33 complete games) with a 0.89 ERA, 279 strikeouts and two saves in 205 innings of work. She’s allowed 107 hits and 37 runs (26 earned runs).