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Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers takes place Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada.
It is the second straight season the Oilers and Panthers have been matched up in the Stanley Cup Final. Last season, the Panthers won their first championship in franchise history.
The Panthers won that series in seven games but were on the verge of one of the biggest collapses in sports history.
The Panthers went up 3-0, but the Oilers won three consecutive games and forced Game 7, which the Panthers held on and won, 2-1.
Despite the loss, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, the award given to the most valuable player of his team in the playoffs.
It was just the sixth time in NHL history that a player on the losing team was given the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch is the 12th time in NHL history that two teams have met in the final in consecutive seasons. The last time it happened was when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings played in 2008 and 2009.
The Red Wings won in 2008, while the Penguins won in 2009.
The Panthers hope to become the first team to defeat the same opponent in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals since the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins in 1977 and 1978.
Below is a preview of this year’s matchup between the two powerhouses.
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How they got here
Panthers
The Panthers finished third in the Atlantic Division with 98 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the division with 108 points, while the Tampa Bay Lightning were second with 102 points.
In the playoffs, the Panthers bounced both of those teams. In the first round, they defeated the Lightning in five games in the “Battle of Florida.”
The second round was not nearly as easy as the Panthers fell behind in the series, 2-0, to the Maple Leafs before they rallied and won four of the next five games and defeated Toronto in seven games.
In the Eastern Conference finals, the Panthers dominated the Carolina Hurricanes. They took a commanding 3-0 series lead, with the combined score 16-4 in favor of the Panthers in those games.
The Hurricanes avoided being swept with a Game 4 victory, but the Panthers won Game 5, 5-3, to advance to their third straight Stanley Cup Final.
Oilers
The Oilers finished third in the Pacific Division with 101 points. The Vegas Golden Knights won the division with 110 points, while the Los Angeles Kings were second with 105 points.
The Oilers, like the Panthers, knocked out both teams that finished ahead of them in their division from the playoffs.
In the first round, the Oilers dispatched the Kings in six games. In the second round, they beat the Golden Knights in five games.
In the Western Conference final, the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in five games and eliminated them in the conference final for the second consecutive season.
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Each team’s key contributors
Panthers
The Panthers have gotten production from a large part of their roster during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, as 10 players have scored at least 10 points in the team’s 17 playoff games.
Center Sam Bennett leads the team with 10 goals, while Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are tied for second on the team with six goals apiece.
Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are tied for the team lead with 11 assists each, while trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand and Evan Rodrigues are tied for second on the team with 10 assists.
Barkov leads the team with 17 points.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has started all 17 games in the playoffs and has shined, going 12-5 while allowing 2.11 goals per game with a save percentage of .912%.
Oilers
The Oilers have not gotten as much production throughout the entire lineup as the Panthers have, but they have two of the best players in the sport who have carried the load for them.
Edmonton has seven players who have scored at least 10 points in the playoffs compared to the Panthers’ 10 players.
Throughout his career, McDavid has elevated his game in the playoffs, and these playoffs have been no different.
In 16 games, McDavid has 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) while Leon Draisaitl has 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists).
Draisaitl and 40-year-old Corey Perry are tied for the team lead with seven goals apiece in the playoffs for Edmonton.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is third on the team in scoring with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists), with defenseman Evan Bouchard just behind him with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
Unlike the Panthers, the Oilers have not gotten consistent goaltender play. Both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard started games in the playoffs for Edmonton.
Skinner is 6-4 in 10 games started with a 2.53 goals-against average with a .904 save percentage, while Pickard is 6-0 in six starts with a 2.84 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage.
The Oilers turned to Skinner in their series against the Stars.
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What the stars are saying
McDavid said the Oilers’ crushing Stanley Cup Final loss served as a “learning experience” for the team.
“I think we’re better for going through last year. It’s a great learning experience, and it’s really driven us all year,” McDavid said after the Oilers wrapped up their second Western Conference title in a row. “This run has felt different than last year. It’s felt very normal. … I don’t want to say boring because it’s not boring at all. It hasn’t been as emotional.”
“We haven’t had the highs and we haven’t had the lows. It’s just kind of been steady,” McDavid said. “I think that does put us in a good position. You know those games can be emotionally draining. We’re not drained. … You know, we’ve got as good a chance as they do.”
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said the team has been preparing for this playoff run since their Game 7 loss last season.
“I think we spent seven months getting ready for this playoff run. Like, I think it was on our minds since we lost that last game,” Knoblauch said. “A long, tough summer and training camp, regular season, and it was just kind of punching our card, showing up, wanting the playoffs, just having another opportunity.”
Draisaitl said it would be nice to have a chance to get revenge.
“I mean, we know what they’re about. We played them seven times, and they’re a good team,” Draisaitl said. “We’re really a good team as well. Obviously, it’s nice to get a shot at, you know, getting some revenge, but a long ways from that.”
The Panthers expect the Stanley Cup final to be a battle once again.
“It’s going to be an incredible battle again,” Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said via NHL.com. “They’re playing, obviously, some pretty dominant hockey, so we’re excited for the challenge. We’ve got to be ready for it.”
“They’re a really good team,” Verhaeghe said via NHL.com. “They’ve been to the Final. They’re definitely a hungry team. It’s not easy to go to the Final two times in a row, so they want it bad. So, it’s for us to kind of play our game, and we’re going to be ready, too.”
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said the Oilers are better at what they do now.
“I think both teams are still pretty consistent with their identity and their style of play. They’re a year further into their program now, and so are we. They’ve had three great years. They just didn’t get to the Final three years ago, but they’ve had long playoff runs. I think they’re better at what they do now, and we are as well.”
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Injury report
Panthers
Three forwards did not practice with the team on Saturday. Anton Lundell and AJ Greer did not skate and Eetu Luostarinen skated on his own.
Maurice said the “only question mark” is Greer, per NHL.com. Maurice said the team will list him as day-to-day.
Lundell and Luostarinen are “fine,” according to Maurice, and should be in the lineup for Game 1.
Oilers
The Oilers are mostly healthy, as Mattias Ekholm and Connor Brown both returned during the Western Conference finals.
However, the team will likely be without forward Zach Hyman for the duration of the Stanley Cup Final. Hyman was injured in a collision in Game 4 against the Stars and underwent surgery on the upper-body injury.
Hyman’s absence is a big one, as the forward had five goals and six assists in 15 playoff games.
Game times and dates
Last year, the Panthers held the home-ice advantage, but this time around the Oilers have home ice.
Below are the times and dates for the series (* indicate if the game is necessary).
Game 1 – Wednesday, June 4, 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 2 – Friday, June 6, 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 3 – Monday, June 9, 8 p.m. ET, Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 4 – Thursday, June 12, 8 p.m. ET, Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 5* – Saturday, June 14, 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Place, Edmonton
Game 6* – Tuesday, June 17, 8 p.m. ET, Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Game 7* – Friday, June 20, 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Place, Edmonton
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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