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The Edmonton Oilers fell painfully short of completing a miraculous comeback versus the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, losing 2-1 in a tension-filled Game 7 in Amerant Bank Arena. They have hung on to that feeling for the last year, and now, following a 6-3 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, they will officially have a chance to rectify it.
Connor McDavid tallied a history-making assist in the beginning of the series-clincher and also scored a goal, Leon Draisaitl posted two points of his own and Evander Kane hammered what essentially proved to be the final nail in Dallas' coffin, squashing the Stars' momentum with a third-period goal. The Oilers will now meet the Panthers in the Final for the second year in a row.
Although the first iteration packed plenty of drama, namely due to Edmonton nearly overcoming a 3-0 hole, most of the games themselves were not competitive. The quality of play will ideally match the compelling narratives this time around.
The NHL-watching world is weighing in on the first championship rematch since the Pittsburgh Penguins squared off with the Detroit Red Wings in 2009.
What the people are saying about Oilers-Panthers II
“Craziest part about this Panthers-Oilers rematch: You can make the strong case that both teams are better than their 2024 counterparts,” @NathanGraviteh posted on X. “Oilers at the top of their game defensively, Panthers with recent {Brad} Marchand and {Seth} Jones acquisitions. This is going to be wild.”
“Bring it home for Canada McJesus,” @robertjeliadis implored. The Oilers still rely on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to set the table for their dynamic offense, but they seem much more defensively dialed-in going into this sequel.
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During Thursday's postgame press conference, Stars head coach Peter DeBoer spotlighted the marked improvement the two-time reigning Western Conference champions have made in that area. It will be interesting to see if Edmonton is better equipped to withstand Florida's overwhelming physicality. That could be the X-factor.
Beyond the on-ice elements surrounding this Stanley Cup Final, there is a growing rivalry that transcends the matchup itself. The tariff-based animosity that existed between the United States and Canada, which spilled into the gripping 4 Nations Face-Off, could come back into focus now that a Canadian team is battling an American squad for the most prestigious prize in the sport.
“The NHL gods are clearly having fun this year,” @edhaberekphd said. “You’ve got {President} Donald Trump repping Florida as the Panthers make the Stanley Cup Finals… and {Prime Minister} Mark Carney, die-hard Edmonton Oilers fan, getting his dream matchup too. Politics aside — this Cup Final feels cosmically arranged.”
Some fans do not care about any of the storylines that are circling this rematch, which consists of two polarizing franchises. “Oilers-Panthers again… we really have to do this again?” @CrystalPepsi98 bewailed. “You literally could not pay me to watch another Oilers vs Panthers SCF,” @hockeyliker remarked.
Regardless of how fans feel about the upcoming series, both teams are gearing up for another hard-fought showdown. Game 1 is Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
