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Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final betwixt the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers takes spot Thursday astatine 8 p.m. ET astatine Rogers Place successful Edmonton, Canada.
It is the 2nd consecutive play the Oilers and Panthers person been matched up successful the Stanley Cup Final. Last season, the Panthers won their archetypal title successful franchise history.
The Panthers won that bid successful 7 games but were connected the verge of 1 of the biggest collapses successful sports history.
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Florida Panthers halfway Aleksander Barkov talks to Edmonton Oilers halfway Connor McDavid astatine the extremity of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, June 24, 2024, successful Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Panthers went up 3-0, but the Oilers won 3 consecutive games and forced Game 7, which the Panthers held connected and won, 2-1.
Despite the loss, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, the grant fixed to the astir invaluable subordinate of his squad successful the playoffs.
It was conscionable the sixth clip successful NHL past that a subordinate connected the losing squad was fixed the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch is the 12th clip successful NHL past that 2 teams person met successful the last successful consecutive seasons. The past clip it happened was erstwhile the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings played successful 2008 and 2009.
The Red Wings won successful 2008, portion the Penguins won successful 2009.
The Panthers anticipation to go the archetypal squad to decision the aforesaid hostile successful consecutive Stanley Cup Finals since the Montreal Canadiens bushed the Boston Bruins successful 1977 and 1978.
Below is simply a preview of this year’s matchup betwixt the 2 powerhouses.
Edmonton prima Connor McDavid is shown with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly arsenic they clasp the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl aft Game 5 of the Western Conference finals connected May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
How they got here
Panthers
The Panthers finished 3rd successful the Atlantic Division with 98 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the part with 108 points, portion the Tampa Bay Lightning were 2nd with 102 points.
In the playoffs, the Panthers bounced some of those teams. In the archetypal round, they defeated the Lightning successful 5 games successful the "Battle of Florida."
The 2nd circular was not astir arsenic casual arsenic the Panthers fell down successful the series, 2-0, to the Maple Leafs earlier they rallied and won 4 of the adjacent 5 games and defeated Toronto successful 7 games.
In the Eastern Conference finals, the Panthers dominated the Carolina Hurricanes. They took a commanding 3-0 bid lead, with the combined people 16-4 successful favour of the Panthers successful those games.
The Hurricanes avoided being swept with a Game 4 victory, but the Panthers won Game 5, 5-3, to beforehand to their 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup Final.
Oilers
The Oilers finished 3rd successful the Pacific Division with 101 points. The Vegas Golden Knights won the part with 110 points, portion the Los Angeles Kings were 2nd with 105 points.
The Oilers, similar the Panthers, knocked retired some teams that finished up of them successful their part from the playoffs.
In the archetypal round, the Oilers dispatched the Kings successful six games. In the 2nd round, they bushed the Golden Knights successful 5 games.
In the Western Conference final, the Oilers bushed the Dallas Stars successful 5 games and eliminated them successful the league last for the 2nd consecutive season.
Florida Panthers halfway Aleksander Barkov, left, and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly airs with the Prince of Wales trophy astatine the extremity of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals connected May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Each team’s cardinal contributors
Panthers
The Panthers person gotten accumulation from a ample portion of their roster during their tally to the Stanley Cup Final, arsenic 10 players person scored astatine slightest 10 points successful the team’s 17 playoff games.
Center Sam Bennett leads the squad with 10 goals, portion Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are tied for 2nd connected the squad with six goals apiece.
Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are tied for the squad pb with 11 assists each, portion commercialized deadline acquisition Brad Marchand and Evan Rodrigues are tied for 2nd connected the squad with 10 assists.
Barkov leads the squad with 17 points.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has started each 17 games successful the playoffs and has shined, going 12-5 portion allowing 2.11 goals per crippled with a prevention percent of .912%.
Oilers
The Oilers person not gotten arsenic overmuch accumulation passim the full lineup arsenic the Panthers have, but they person 2 of the champion players successful the athletics who person carried the load for them.
Edmonton has 7 players who person scored astatine slightest 10 points successful the playoffs compared to the Panthers' 10 players.
Throughout his career, McDavid has elevated his crippled successful the playoffs, and these playoffs person been nary different.
In 16 games, McDavid has 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) portion Leon Draisaitl has 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists).
Draisaitl and 40-year-old Corey Perry are tied for the squad pb with 7 goals apiece successful the playoffs for Edmonton.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 3rd connected the squad successful scoring with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists), with defenseman Evan Bouchard conscionable down him with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists).
Unlike the Panthers, the Oilers person not gotten accordant goaltender play. Both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard started games successful the playoffs for Edmonton.
Skinner is 6-4 successful 10 games started with a 2.53 goals-against mean with a .904 prevention percentage, portion Pickard is 6-0 successful six starts with a 2.84 goals-against mean and an .888 prevention percentage.
The Oilers turned to Skinner successful their bid against the Stars.
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Edmonton Oilers close helping Corey Perry, right, celebrates with halfway Connor McDavid aft scoring during the archetypal play of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals connected May 29, 2025, successful Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
What the stars are saying
McDavid said the Oilers' crushing Stanley Cup Final nonaccomplishment served arsenic a "learning experience" for the team.
"I deliberation we’re amended for going done past year. It’s a large learning experience, and it’s truly driven america each year," McDavid said aft the Oilers wrapped up their 2nd Western Conference rubric successful a row. "This tally has felt antithetic than past year. It’s felt precise normal. ... I don’t privation to accidental boring due to the fact that it’s not boring astatine all. It hasn't been arsenic emotional."
"We haven't had the highs and we haven’t had the lows. It’s conscionable benignant of been steady," McDavid said. "I deliberation that does enactment america successful a bully position. You cognize those games tin beryllium emotionally draining. We’re not drained. ... You know, we’ve got arsenic bully a accidental arsenic they do."
Oilers caput manager Kris Knoblauch said the squad has been preparing for this playoff tally since their Game 7 nonaccomplishment past season.
"I deliberation we spent 7 months getting acceptable for this playoff run. Like, I deliberation it was connected our minds since we mislaid that past game," Knoblauch said. "A long, pugnacious summertime and grooming camp, regular season, and it was conscionable benignant of punching our card, showing up, wanting the playoffs, conscionable having different opportunity."
Draisaitl said it would beryllium bully to person a accidental to get revenge.
"I mean, we cognize what they’re about. We played them 7 times, and they’re a bully team," Draisaitl said. "We’re truly a bully squad arsenic well. Obviously, it’s bully to get a changeable at, you know, getting immoderate revenge, but a agelong ways from that."
The Panthers expect the Stanley Cup last to beryllium a conflict erstwhile again.
"It's going to beryllium an unthinkable conflict again," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said via NHL.com. "They're playing, obviously, immoderate beauteous ascendant hockey, truthful we're excited for the challenge. We've got to beryllium acceptable for it."
"They're a truly bully team," Verhaeghe said via NHL.com. "They've been to the Final. They're decidedly a bare team. It's not casual to spell to the Final 2 times successful a row, truthful they privation it bad. So, it's for america to benignant of play our game, and we're going to beryllium ready, too."
Panthers caput manager Paul Maurice said the Oilers are amended astatine what they bash now.
"I deliberation some teams are inactive beauteous accordant with their individuality and their benignant of play. They're a twelvemonth further into their programme now, and truthful are we. They've had 3 large years. They conscionable didn't get to the Final 3 years ago, but they've had agelong playoff runs. I deliberation they're amended astatine what they bash now, and we are arsenic well."
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Florida Panthers halfway Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his extremity against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, May 28, 2025, successful Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Injury report
Panthers
Three forwards did not signifier with the squad connected Saturday. Anton Lundell and AJ Greer did not skate and Eetu Luostarinen skated connected his own.
Maurice said the "only question mark" is Greer, per NHL.com. Maurice said the squad volition database him arsenic day-to-day.
Lundell and Luostarinen are "fine," according to Maurice, and should beryllium successful the lineup for Game 1.
Oilers
The Oilers are mostly healthy, arsenic Mattias Ekholm and Connor Brown some returned during the Western Conference finals.
However, the squad volition apt beryllium without guardant Zach Hyman for the duration of the Stanley Cup Final. Hyman was injured successful a collision successful Game 4 against the Stars and underwent country connected the upper-body injury.
Hyman’s lack is simply a large one, arsenic the guardant had 5 goals and six assists successful 15 playoff games.
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Edmonton Oilers halfway Connor McDavid scores against the Stars during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, May 29, 2025, successful Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Game times and dates
Last year, the Panthers held the home-ice advantage, but this clip astir the Oilers person location ice.
Below are the times and dates for the bid (* bespeak if the crippled 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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Ryan Canfield is simply a integer accumulation adjunct for Fox News Digital.
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