The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off in the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row. The Panthers will now look to defeat the Oilers again to become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.
However, the Panthers know that the Oilers are going to be an extremely tough challenge. Edmonton has an incredible roster and is entering the Stanley Cup Final red-hot. Thus, if the Panthers hope to defeat them, they need these three things to happen.
Panthers Need To Shut Down Connor McDavid & Oilers' Stars
If the Panthers hope to knock out the Oilers, they going to need to shut down Connor McDavid and the rest of their top stars. McDavid has been excellent this post-season, recording six goals and 26 points in 16 games. Leon Draisaitl has 25 points in 16 games, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard are also producing at an over a point-per-game pace.
Besides their top stars, the Oilers are also getting strong production from players like Evander Kane, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown. With all of this, the Panthers need to be on their A-game defensively if they hope to get by the Oilers.
Panthers Need Sergei Bobrovsky To Outplay Stuart Skinner
A major reason for the Panthers' success this post-season has been the play of Sergei Bobrovsky. The 36-year-old currently has a 12-5 record, a 2.11 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage. However, after a tough start to the playoffs, Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner has also been excellent. Skinner has recorded three shutouts and a .966 save percentage or better in five out of his last seven games.
With how hot Skinner is playing right now, the Panthers are going to need Bobrovsky to thrive against Edmonton. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has shown that he is capable of stepping up in the playoffs, and it will be fascinating to see if he does that against Edmonton from here.
Panthers Need Offense To Continue To Shine
The Panthers' offense has been excellent this post-season, and another notable reason why Florida is back in the Stanley Cup Final. Besides getting strong offensive production from their top stars, their depth guys have also been stepping up big time. For example, Eetu Luostarinen has a notable 13 points in 17 games. In addition, the Panthers have had 19 different goal-scorers this playoffs.
The Oilers' are an offensively-dominant team, so the Panthers will need their top players, like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett to step up for them.
All games are posted in Mountain Time. Italics are used for games that will only be played if necessary. Bold denotes home games.
Game 1: June 4 (Wednesday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM
Game 2: June 6 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM
Game 3: June 9 (Monday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM
Game 4: June 12 (Thursday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM
Game 5: June 14 (Saturday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM
Game 6: June 17 (Tuesday) - Edmonton at Florida - 6 PM
Game 7: June 20 (Friday) - Florida at Edmonton - 6 PM
3 Stanley Cup Final Series Predictions
A new series needs a new series of predictions. This might be the second year that these teams are facing each other, but this is not last year’s Edmonton Oilers.
Here are my three major series predictions:
Oilers Won’t Go Down 0-3
The Oilers have not lost more than two games in a row for this entire playoff run. Since losing their first two games against the Los Angeles Kings, they have only lost two total games.
They have demonstrated a calmness and maturity that they didn’t have last year. Those attributes will serve them well in the Cup Final. And there is no way that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl allow their team to be put in the same unfortunate situation.
Evander Kane Will Be Evander Kane
It’s time for the Oilers to raise some Kane…that is, Evander Kane.
Last year, Kane was virtually invisible in the series against the Panthers. He only played two games (Games 1 & 2), recording two hits and one block in 25 total minutes of ice time.
That’s not going to be good enough this year.
Kane seemingly took a backseat during the Dallas Stars series. I suspect he might have struggled to find a way to get physically engaged. There should be no struggles to get physically engaged with the likes of former Calgary Flames forwards Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.
Stanley Cup Final Prediction:#Oilers defeat the Panthers in 5 Games, hoisting the Stanley Cup in Edmonton.
My final prediction: the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup. There is enough different about this year’s Oilers that they won’t fail in the final twice. Oilers in five.
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Frank Seravalli said on Wednesday on Daily Faceoff Live that Marchessault is reportedly "open to the idea of being traded this offseason," with Montreal being a desired location. Marchessault is from Quebec City.
He had spent the majority of his career in Vegas, picked up by the team in the 2017 Expansion Draft from the Florida Panthers. Marchessault made a name for himself as a Golden Knight, playing 514 games, recording 417 points and winning the 2023 Stanley Cup and Conn Smyth Trophy.
When his contract expired at the end of the 2023-24 season, Marchessault expressed that he didn't want to leave Vegas and wanted to finish his career as a Golden Knight.
“I’ve done everything I can to stay here,” Marchessault said to local media on May 15, 2024. “I would love to stay. This is my home. I’ve been part of the guys that started this. It’s the most proud thing I’ve done in my life."
Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon cited the length of Marchessault's desired contract, five years, and his age by the time it'd expire, 38 years old, as the reasons why Vegas didn't resign him.
Marchessault and Steven Stamkos' signing as free agents made the Predators look like a preseason playoff favorite, but the offense never really clicked.
Marchessault finished with 56 points in 78 games, 13 points behind his 2023-24 total. Stamkos finished with 53 points in 82 games, 28 points behind his previous season's total.
The Predators finished with a 30-44-8 record, finishing sixth in the Central Division.
If Marchessault was traded, and depending on who the Predators would receive, offloading his contract could open up a ton of space in the salary cap. This would allow Nashville to shop for some big-name free agents come July 1, potentially.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is expected to be the hottest free agent on the market this summer. He just finished a six-year, $65.41 million contract.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final matchup is set, and it might look a little familiar. That’s because it will be a rematch of the 2024 Cup Final.
Six former Anaheim Ducks will take part in the second consecutive Florida Panthers-Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final, though only three of those players were involved in last season’s affair.
Adam Henrique and Corey Perry were on the losing side for the Oilers while Dmitry Kulikov marked his return to the team that drafted him by playing a crucial role in their run to their first ever Stanley Cup.
Now, Max Jones and John Klingberg have joined Henrique and Perry on the Oilers’ end. Defenseman Jaycob Megna has done the same with Kulikov and the Panthers.
Perry, 40, scored goals in consecutive games to help the Oilers knock off the Dallas Stars in five games. Henrique put the finishing touches on Game 4’s victory and Klingberg has proven to be a dependable option on the blue line for head coach Kris Knoblauch since returning from an injury that kept him out for most of the regular season.
Most of Kulikov’s ice time in this year’s playoffs has come on his off-side, playing alongside fellow left-hander Nate Schmidt as the Panthers’ de-facto third pair. Head coach Paul Maurice has utilized all three of his pairs efficiently, creating matchups that he can use in any situation.
Jones and Megna have been on the outside looking in for their respective teams, acting as reserves. Neither of them have appeared in a single game this postseason and both are unlikely to barring catastrophic injury circumstances.
Regardless of the result, a former Duck will hoist Lord Stanley again. Last season, it was Kulikov, Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Montour and Josh Mahura who got the glory. Henrique and Perry will look to exact revenge after coming one game away from reaching the peak of the National Hockey League.
Featured image caption: May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry (90) reacts after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Peter DeBoer stuck the knife in his goalie's back. And then, the Dallas Stars head coach twisted it around for good measure.
How else to describe DeBoer's decision to not only yank Jake Oettinger seven minutes into a must-win game against the Edmonton Oilers — but then blame his goalie for once again coming up short in the Western Conference final.
Chances are this one is going to haunt DeBoer all summer long. And it could lead to him losing his job.
"Anytime you pull a goalie, the reasoning's always to try and spark your group," DeBoer said following a 6-3 loss to the Oilers in Game 5 on Thursday. "So that was the No. 1 reason.
"We had talked endlessly in this series about trying to play with the lead. And obviously, we were in a 2-0 hole right away. I didn't take that lightly and I didn't blame it all on Jake. But the reality is if you go back to last year's playoffs, he's lost six of seven games to Edmonton, and we gave up two shots on two goals in an elimination game.
"So it was partly to spark our team and wake them up. And it was partly knowing that status quo had not been working. That's a pretty big sample size."
It's one thing to pull your goalie to try to spark your team. It's another to throw him under the bus when the move doesn't work.
And let's make one thing clear: this was not the right decision. Not by a long shot.
For one, Oettinger wasn't at fault for either of the goals he allowed. The first goal was scored on the power play, with Edmonton's Corey Perry connecting on a pass from Connor McDavid in front of the net. The second goal was scored on a breakaway.
Nobody was blaming Oettinger for allowing those goals. Certainly no one was thinking he would be pulled after facing just two shots. That included Oettinger, who started to skate back to his crease after DeBoer called a time out, only to have DeBoer call him back to the bench so that he could be replaced with backup goalie Casey DeSmith.
Not that DeSmith was any better.
Less than a minute after DeSmith came into the game, Edmonton scored again to take a 3-0 lead. DeSmith finished the game having allowed three goals on 20 shots. Again, the way the Oilers have been playing, it would not have mattered who was in net.
And yet, it does matter who was in net for the Stars.
Say what you want about Oettinger's play against the Oilers in the past two conference finals — he allowed 16 goals in six games against Edmonton last year and another 16 goals in five games this year — he is the Stars' No. 1 goalie. And after signing an eight-year contract extension worth $66-million in October, he will remain the Stars' No. 1 goalie for the foreseeable future.
The same cannot be said of DeBoer, whose post-game comments may have hinted that he knows he has coached his last game in Dallas.
Since being hired by the Stars, DeBoer has brought the team to the conference final in each of the past three years. After three straight losses, it might be time for someone else to try and get Dallas over the hump.
After all, this wasn't the first time DeBoer has made a controversial decision regarding a star goalie. Back in 2021, when he was coaching the Vegas Golden Knights, DeBoer decided to sit Vezina Trophy winner Marc-Andre Fleury in favor of Robin Lehner en route to the conference final. It was a decision that didn't sit well with Fleury, who was dealt to Chicago the following summer, or with Fleury's agent, who tweeted out a picture of his client with a sword sticking through his back, emblazoned with DeBoer's name on the blade.
We'll have to see what the fallout looks like after this decision. But already, fans and teammates were quick to come to Oettinger's defense.
Oettinger may have had a rough series against the Oilers, but you could say the same thing about nearly everyone on the Stars' roster. Mikko Rantenen, who led the Stars in scoring with nine goals in the first two rounds, had no goals and three assists in the conference final. Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene, Mason Marchmen and Jamie Benn combined for just two goals.
“We got to step up,” Dallas winger Jason Robertson, who had two goals in Game 5, told reporters. “It’s unacceptable for us to hang him out like that.
“I mean, all playoffs he’s been our guy, all season. It’s just unacceptable from us.”
Doug Cifu, a minority owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers whose name is engraved on the Stanley Cup, remains in the league’s penalty box.
Cifu was suspended by the NHL over his social media activity after Game 4 of the Panthers’ second-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 11. When asked via email by Sportico Thursday if he’ll be able to attend the Stanley Cup Finals games against the Edmonton Oilers, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote, “He is not currently permitted to attend games as a function of his suspension. So I guess the answer is no.”
Cifu responded to a Leafs fan on the social media platform X who, noticing Israeli flags in the owner’s bio, wrote that Israel was “using starvation as a weapon to win a war” in Gaza. In a subsequent back-and-forth, Cifu used explicit language and called the fan a “51st state anti semite loser”—the last part of the message an apparent reference to President Donald Trump suggesting Canada join the U.S.
The NHL suspended Cifu indefinitely from having any involvement with the club or the league. In addition to his minority share, Cifu serves as the Panthers’ vice chairman and is its alternate governor for league matters.
“Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media,” Cifu told Florida Hockey Now in a statement after his suspension was first announced. “My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.”
The Panthers did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Cifu is the CEO of Virtu Financial, a high-frequency trading company that he co-founded with Vincent Viola in 2008. He purchased a minority share in the Panthers when Viola bought the franchise in 2013.
The Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year where they’ll face the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of last year’s final. With the Oilers having home-ice advantage, Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) would be played in Sunrise, Fl.
The Stanley Cup Final begins on June 4 in Edmonton.
And now, he’s heading towards his first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Walman’s puck-moving skills, physicality, and dedication to putting everything on the line to win have made him a match made in hockey heaven for the Oilers.
Walman is excellent at breakout passes. This has served the Oilers well because he can dish the puck to the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and others. Oilers fans caught a glimpse of this in his first game with the Oilers, where he made two incredible stretch passes.
One connected with Zach Hyman, who then scored. The other lead to a great scoring opportunity. This trend has continued during the playoffs.
Brought Physical Game To The Playoffs
Walman has been throwing hits and clearing the net after whistles like his life depended on it. In 16 games, he’s recorded 24 hits.
However, it’s his ability to clear the net that’s been very evident. Walman has not been afraid to muck it up after whistles, ensuring that no opposing player is taking liberties with his new teammates.
The Oilers are different this year, and Walman has joined that group, eager to win himself.
So eager, that he is putting his body on the line every single night. Walman has blocked 43 shots during the playoffs. He’s ranked first on the Oilers in this stat and second in the NHL, behind the Dallas Stars defender Esa Lindell (44 blocks).
Effective breakout passes, clearing the net on the defensive side of the puck, and sacrificing his body have made Walman the ideal addition for the Oilers during this playoff run.
With the Stanley Cup Final beginning on Wednesday, June 4th, look for more of the same from Walman in the days and weeks to come.
This shoe appears taylor made for the Oilers.
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The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a one-year, $1 million contract extension, it was announced Thursday.
Mukhamadullin, who joined the Sharks in the deal that saw Timo Meier head to the New Jersey Devils, split this season between the NHL and AHL. In 21 games with the San Jose Barracuda, Mukhamadullin collected nine assists while scoring two goals and adding seven assists for nine points in 30 games with the Sharks.
Drafted by the Devils in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Mukhamadullin has played in 33 career NHL games, putting up two goals and eight assists for 10 points. Prior to making his way to North America full time, Mukhamadullin spent parts of four seasons in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
With Mukhamadullin signing an extension, he has clearly played himself into the Sharks future plans. An effective defender who uses his long reach to shut down scoring chances as well as contribute offensively, Mukhamdullin will be an important piece for San Jose as they look to continue building on the road back to contention.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was candid during his end-of-season media availability on Thursday, offering an honest assessment of the team’s shortcomings – including his own moves from the past year.
Specifically, he was open about the team’s performance and the risks that didn’t pay off, including the swing-and-miss that was defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
“In Jani's case, we knew going into the summer and talking to him that there was risk,” Treliving admitted. “We went through that process, and we took a swing, and it didn't work out. But we'll always continue to look at if there's times to take swings, we're going to try to take swings. It didn't work out.”
Treliving on Hakanpaa: "There was always risk. We took a swing and it didn't work out."
The Maple Leafs signed Hakanpaa to a one-year, $1.47 million deal last offseason with the hope that his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame would bolster a blueline looking to become tougher and more physically imposing.
On paper, the fit was there. But on the ice, Hakanpaa barely had the chance to make an impact.
He played just two games for Toronto, the last coming on November 16 against the Edmonton Oilers. He underwent minor knee surgery in hopes of returning in the second half of the season, but was placed on LTIR on December 2 and never returned to game action.
The 33-year-old also played two conditioning games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies but failed to register a point in any of his four total outings. He was initially named to Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster but had to withdraw due to his recovery timeline.
Concerns about his health were well-documented during the long process it took to finalize his contract.
According to a report from Postmedia's Steve Simmons at the time, Hakanpaa’s knee was essentially “bone-on-bone with not much knee left.”
Now an unrestricted free agent, the Finnish defender’s time in Toronto is almost certainly over – his lone season ultimately amounting to a costly rehab stint.
Forward Depth. Where does it stand?
While Hakanpaa was one of the more obvious examples of a miss, Treliving’s evaluation of the roster extends far past the backend. With the season officially in the books, Toronto’s front office now turns its attention to offseason decisions, many of which lie within the team’s forward group, particularly the bottom six.
The general manager spoke heavily about a change of identity on Thursday, and although likely referring to the ‘Core Four,’ that shake-up could also come in the bottom six with a list of players who are questionable to be back in the blue and white next season.
Three names that Treliving discussed as question marks heading into the summer and their future: Pontus Holmberg, Calle Jarnkrok, and Nick Robertson.
“The future we'll see, right? I'll do a little bit of different things. I like them,” said Treliving.
Starting with Holmberg, the 26-year-old Swede recorded seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 68 regular-season games. As a pending restricted free agent and arbitration-eligible, he’s coming off a quietly strong season under head coach Craig Berube.
His ability to play up and down the lineup made him a useful utility option, especially in the playoffs, where Holmberg appeared in 12 of 13 games.
“Pontus sort of bounced around, we've got to determine if he is a center or is he a winger, what that contract looks like. I like the kid. He's got some heaviness. I mean, he doesn't get pushed out of heavy games in the playoffs,” said Treliving.
Holmberg’s qualifying offer sits at $866,250, and while he’s likely due for a raise from his two-year, $1.6 million contract, the Leafs must determine where he fits long-term – both in position and in the budget.
Jarnkrok, meanwhile, is entering the final year of a four-year, $8.4 million contract he signed in 2022. The 33-year-old missed most of the 2024-25 season due to groin and sports hernia issues but returned in early March. He managed just one goal and six assists in 19 regular-season games and a single assist in 12 playoff appearances.
“Calle, When did Calle start playing? The last six weeks of the season, maybe or something like that. It was a tough year for him. He was out all year. So it's a hard one to really evaluate,” said Treliving. “Jarny's a smart player."
He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. There were rumblings last summer that the club might try to move off Jarnkrok’s deal to free up cap space. It’s a possibility that could resurface again, but we’ll see.
Then there’s Robertson, whose situation remains complex.
After requesting a trade in June 2024, he returned to Toronto on a one-year, $875,000 deal and went on to post career highs in games played (69), goals (15), and average ice time (12:00). Yet despite clear growth and improved two-way play, the 23-year-old never quite earned consistent trust under Berube. He was scratched for 10 of Toronto’s 13 playoff games, recording two points (1G, 1A) in the postseason.
“I give Robbie a lot of credit,” Treliving said. “He gets stretches. He can shoot the puck. His challenge is just becoming a regular. You can always debate that. Is it opportunity? And then it comes, or do it more regularly to get more opportunity.”
Robertson is also an arbitration-eligible RFA. His qualifying offer is $918,750, and while a return isn’t off the table, a trade or bridge deal also seem like realistic options. However, it’s unclear whether either side sees a clear future in Toronto.
“Those are all three guys we've got to kind of determine,” Treliving said when asked about all three depth forwards. “All three players, where do we go for it? Again, not to be elusive. I don't know.”
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Although he may not always be one for the prying public eye, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will hit fans' TV screens in a different format than what they're used to this fall.
It was announced Thursday that Crosby - along with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Dallas Stars superstar Mikko Rantanen, former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and more - will be featured in season two of Amazon Prime's original series titled, "Faceoff: Inside the NHL."
"Faceoff" gives a candid, unfiltered glimpse into the everyday lives of NHL players both on and off the ice, from their training regimens all the way to their personal lives.
So, in a rare opportunity, fans will get the chance to see - firsthand - a day in the life of Crosby, the game's biggest name and biggest star for the better part of the last two decades. It is quite a change of pace for the notoriously private Crosby, as the cameras were following him around for most of the 2024-25 NHL season as well as for the 4 Nations Face-off tournament in February.
Season 2 will also follow Fleury - first overall draft pick by the Penguins in 2003 - during what was his final NHL season.
Pittsburgh's GM and POHO Kyle Dubas is conducting in-person interviews this week, and - according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic - a final decision could come as soon as the end of this week.
The schedule has been set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will be Wednesday, June 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Florida’s first two home games will be on Monday, June 9 and Thursday, June 12.
Interestingly, the NHL strayed from its usual setup of one day between games in the same city and two days between games that require travel.
That’s likely due to the NBA Finals having a game already scheduled for Wednesday, June 11.
As a result, the NHL apparently decided in lieu of extending the series an extra day, there would only be one day off between Game 4 in Sunrise and Game 5 in Edmonton.
All games will air on TNT in the United States and each has an 8 p.m. puck drop.
Photo caption: Dec 16, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers defensemen Dmitry Kulikov (7) tries to tie up Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
On Thursday, the Oilers chased starting goalie Jake Oettinger after scoring two goals on their first two shots of the game. Then, shortly after, Jeff Skinner scored his first career playoff goal.
As the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars on Thursday in a 6-3 Game 5 victory, they advanced to the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year. This confirms a Cup final rematch from last season between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers.
Last season’s Cup final was one for the ages. After Florida took a 3-0 series lead, Edmonton pushed back and won three games in a row, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7. The Panthers went on to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
However, the Oilers get a shot at redemption this time around, and history suggests they have a pretty good chance at being the first Canadian team to win the Cup since 1993.
The last time the NHL saw a finals rematch was in 2008 and 2009 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings got the best of the Penguins in their first matchup, winning the series in six games. In the following season, the Penguins defeated the Wings in seven games, and both teams won their respective Cups on the road.
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby won his first Cup in their rematch against Detroit, leading the NHL with 15 goals in those playoffs. His 31 points in 24 games were the second-most in the post-season, with only teammate and Conn Smythe winner Evgeni Malkin had more with 36 points.
Wayne Gretzky won his first Stanley Cup in the same fashion as Crosby did, and Connor McDavid could potentially do the same this year.
From 1980 to 1983, the New York Islanders won the Cup four straight times, and the Oilers were the last team they beat during that dynasty. The next season, the Oilers had another crack at the Isles to stop them from winning their fifth straight championship.
The Oilers were successful in the rematch and were awarded the 1984 Stanley Cup. Gretzky scored 13 goals and 22 assists, recording 35 points in 19 playoff games.
It fits the script if McDavid wins his first Cup the same way Crosby and Gretzky did, but we will just have to see what happens when the Oilers and Panthers face off in Game 1 on June 4.
The 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the series so nice we’re playing it twice.
That’s the result of the two conference finals that ended over the past couple evenings.
First, it was Florida punching their ticket to the Final with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday night in Raleigh.
Then on Thursday, the Oilers completed their five-game series win over the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory at American Airlines Center.
As if last season’s seven-game marathon wasn’t entertaining enough, now we get to do it all again, and it’s very possible that both teams are even better this year than they were in 2024.
During the regular season, the Panthers and Oilers met twice, once in the other’s barn.
Florida won both games, a pair of exciting, one-goal affairs.
The first meeting was in Edmonton back in December, a 6-5 Panthers win, and then again in Sunrise in late February by a final score of 4-3.
In the first game, Florida came back from a 4-2 second period deficit, scoring three goals in the third while breaking a pair of ties to earn the two points.
There was no comeback needed when the two Finalists met in South Florida a couple months later, as Florida scored first and never trailed, again outscoring the Oilers in the third period en route to the win.
Leading the Panthers in points during the two games against Edmonton was Anton Lundell, with a goal and four assist.
Each of Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad each logged three points against the Oilers: Verhaeghe scored twice and Reinhart once, while all of Ekblad’s points were assists.
Looking at how each team has done so far during the postseason, it’s no big surprised they are facing each other again.
The Cats and Oilers are the two highest scoring teams in the postseason, with Edmonton averaging 3.93 goals per game and Florida putting up 3.88.
Defensively, Florida has been the stingiest team in the playoffs, allowing just 2.29 goals per game. Edmonton isn’t far behind, giving up 2.80.
The power plays for each team are ranked 1-2, with the Oilers executing at a 29.0% success rate and the Panthers holding a respectable 23.2%.
Florida’s penalty kill is now the top unit in the playoffs, having successfully wiped-out 87.9 percent of their opponents power plays.
Edmonton’s kill hasn’t been nearly as effective, operating at a 66.7% success rate.
We’ll see how all this plays out when the Stanley Cup Final begins next week.
Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
