It's been nearly a week since the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. And superstar forward Connor McDavid, who has been a catalyst throughout the first three rounds of the postseason, made it clear at Stanley Cup media day that he's ready for the puck to drop.
“I'm excited to get the madness over with,” Edmonton's captain said with a smile at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Friday.
The madness is just beginning, and figures to hit a fever pitch when Game 1 kicks off between the Oilers and Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers on Saturday, who are making their second straight appearance in the sport's ultimate series.
The Cats lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the 2023 SCF — two rounds after the Knights beat the Oilers — and will be looking for better fortune as the franchise aims to capture its first championship ever.
The Oilers won five Stanley Cups in a seven-year stretch between 1984-90, but haven't won since. They last advanced to the Final in 2006, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in a heartbreaking Game 7.
For McDavid, it's his first opportunity to capture Lord Stanley, with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015.
Connor McDavid, Oilers locked in on Stanley Cup Final
Along with Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard, McDavid leads a superstar core that has been contending for years but has never been able to get over the hump.
The Oilers advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2022, but were defeated by the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche in four games. Last year, Edmonton was bounced by Vegas in six in Round 2.
But in 2023-24, the pieces have all come together for a powerhouse Edmonton team. After beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first-round for the third consecutive season, the Oilers squeaked by the Vancouver Canucks in Round 2. They were down 3-2 in the series, but took care of business at home before winning 3-2 in Vancouver in Game 7.
Against the Western Conference's top seed, it was the same story; the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in six games to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nearly two decades. And as it was in 2006, the Oilers will play a team based in one of America's southern states. It was North Carolina then, and will be Florida beginning on Saturday night in South Beach.
It's also the first time a Canadian team has contested a Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. It's now been 30 years without a team north of the border capturing the Cup.
McDavid and his Oilers have a pristine opportunity to bring Lord Stanley back north, but in the way is a terrific Panthers team that can lean on the championship experience they gained last postseason.
It promises to be another phenomenal Stanley Cup Final, and the question of whether the Cats can shut down Connor McDavid will be critical in deciding who wins this series.
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