Current:Home > FinanceFlorida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers facing off in Stanley Cup Final. What to know -TradeWisdom
Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers facing off in Stanley Cup Final. What to know
View
Date:2025-04-18 06:04:15
The Stanley Cup Final will have a real 1993 vibe to it.
That's the year that the Florida Panthers played their first season in the NHL and they are still seeking their first championship. That's also the last time that a Canadian team (Montreal Canadiens) won a Stanley Cup title.
Regardless of whether the Panthers or Edmonton Oilers win the best-of-seven series that opens Saturday in Sunrise, Florida, a long drought will end.
Both teams overcame 2-1 series deficits in the conference final to advance.
"We always believed in ourselves and each other and knew that putting ourselves in this position was always a possibility and it feel goods to have done that," Oilers star Connor McDavid said.
Here is a breakdown of the Stanley Cup Final:
Florida Panthers (Atlantic 1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (Pacific 2)
Regular-season records: Panthers - 52-24-6, 110 points. Oilers - 49-27-6, 104
How Panthers got here: Beat Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, beat Boston Bruins 4-2, beat New York Rangers 4-2.
How Oilers got here: Beat Los Angeles Kings 4-1, beat Vancouver Canucks 4-3, beat Dallas Stars 4-2.
Season series: 2-0 Panthers, with Florida outscoring Edmonton 10-4
Expected goaltending matchup: Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky (12-5, 2.20, .908) vs. Oilers' Stuart Skinner (11-5, 2.50, .897)
About the Florida Panthers
The Panthers and coach Paul Maurice are making their second consecutive trip to the Final. They lost last season to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. But the Panthers are deeper and healthier than last season. They added three defensemen, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, in the offseason to help them cope while Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad recovered from surgery. They also signed forward Evan Rodrigues and added former Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo at the deadline.
The Panthers come at you in waves. Their forechecking make it difficult for opponents to go up the ice. Captain Aleksander Barkov won a second career Selke Trophy as top defensive forward. Sam Reinhart, a 57-goal scorer, finished fourth in Selke voting. Sam Bennett is a hard hitter who scores clutch goals. Feisty leading scorer Matthew Tkachuk is familiar to the Oilers from his days with the Calgary Flames.
Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) candidates: Barkov, Bobrovsky
About the Edmonton Oilers
This is McDavid's first trip to the Final and the Oilers' first trip since 2006, when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. They won championships in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988 with Wayne Gretzky and in 1990 after he was traded.
This team is known for its offense. The Oilers hold four of the league's top five places on the NHL playoff scoring before Tkachuk comes in at No. 6. McDavid, who recorded a rare 100 assists in the regular season, leads the way with 31 points. Leon Draisaitl has 28 points and Evan Bouchard is the top defenseman with 27. Zach Hyman has a league-best 14 goals.
This season started poorly and Jay Woodcroft was fired with a 3-9-1 record. Kris Knoblauch, the Rangers' American Hockey League coach, came in and improved the team's all-around play. They had a 16-game winning streak this season. The penalty kill is perfect in the last 10 games. Knoblauch is willing to make tough decisions. He benched Skinner for two games and his play improved after his return.
Conn Smythe candidates: McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard, Hyman
Panthers vs. Oilers statistical breakdown
Goals per game: Oilers - 3.50 vs. 3.24
Goals against per game: Panthers - 2.29 vs 2.61
Five-on-five play: Panthers - 1.29 vs. 1.03
Power play: Oilers - 37.3% vs. 23.3%
Penalty kill: Oilers - 93.9% vs. 88.2%
Hits: Panthers - 739 vs. 563
Blocked shots: Oilers - 305 vs. 267
veryGood! (76179)
Related
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy will meet in Iowa for a ‘family discussion’ on politics
- U.S. business leaders meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping
- AP PHOTOS: Beef’s more than a way of life in Texas. It drives the economy and brings people together
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- A secret revealed after the tragic death of former NHL player Adam Johnson
- 'The Dukes of Hazzard' cast reunites, Daisy Duke star Catherine Bach hints at potential reboot
- Karma remains undefeated as Deshaun Watson, Browns finally get their comeuppance
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Wisconsin’s annual gun deer season set to open this weekend
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Private detective who led a hacking attack against climate activists gets prison time
- Eight Las Vegas high schoolers face murder charges in their classmate’s death. Here’s what we know
- Old Navy's Early Black Friday 2023 Deals Have Elevated Basics From $12
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Leonid meteor showers peak this week. Here's where they'll be visible and how to see them.
- Tesla didn’t squelch United Auto Workers message when it cracked down on T-shirts, court says
- Andrea Kremer, Tracy Wolfson, other sports journalists criticize Charissa Thompson
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Wisconsin wildlife officials won’t seek charges against bow hunter who killed cougar
AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa
Swedish dockworkers are refusing to unload Teslas at ports in broad boycott move
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Review: Death, duty and Diana rule ‘The Crown’ in a bleak Part 1 of its final season
Northwestern president says Braun’s support for players prompted school to lift ‘interim’ label
US and Philippines sign a nuclear cooperation pact allowing US investment and technologies