A Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup Final since 1993, back when the Montreal Canadians defeated the Los Angeles Kings. The Edmonton Oilers will have a chance to accomplish that feat this year, as they are set to take on the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers are seeking revenge in their own right, as they fell just short of holding up the Stanley Cup last year. They lost in the championship series to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. In this article, we will explain everything that you need to know before the two opponents go head-to-head on the NHL's biggest stage.
Where is the Stanley Cup Final?
The Panthers will have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final, meaning Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The Oilers, who play their games at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, will host Games 3, 4, and 6.
How to watch Oilers vs. Panthers
Game 1: Oilers @ Panthers on Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 2: Oilers @ Panthers on Monday, June 10 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 3: Panthers @ Oilers on Thursday, June 13 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 4: Panthers @ Oilers on Saturday, June 15 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 5: Oilers @ Panthers on Tuesday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 6: Panthers @ Oilers on Friday, June 21 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 7: Oilers @ Panthers on Monday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Stanley Cup Final storylines
The Panthers and Oilers are both due for a championship. The Oilers have the best player in the league, Connor McDavid, but the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner has yet to accomplish the greatest feat in hockey that would put him in the conversation with other all-time greats. Meanwhile, the Panthers have yet to win the Stanley Cup in their franchise's history, although they've been close on multiple occasions.
Only one of these two teams will walk away as champions, though. While the Panthers have never won the Stanley Cup, the Oilers have historically been one of the best teams in the series. They have seven appearances and five championship wins throughout their existence. Most of that success came in the '80s, though, as the team hasn't won it all since 1990.
Of course, most of the team's success came with Wayne Gretzky on the roster. From a skill perspective, McDavid is one of the few players who has been compared to the greatest player of all time. Now, he has a chance to gain a fraction of the championship success that Gretzky had during his playing days.
McDavid had 132 points in the regular season, and now he leads the playoffs with 31 points. He isn't Edmonton's only star, though. Leon Draisaitl is one of the best players in the league, and Zach Hyman is actually the postseason goal leader with 14 scores.
The Oilers' offense is skilled and relentless, but things won't be easy against the best defensive unit in the league. Florida ranked first in goals against during the regular season (198), and they've already proven that they can limit elite offensive teams in these playoffs. Plus, the team has the experience of playing in the Stanley Cup Final. They will surely be motivated by the fact that they lost in only five games last year.
Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour have been great defensively so far, as has Sergei Bobrovsky, the team's goaltender, who has a goals-against-average of 2.20 in the postseason.
Florida found success against the Oilers in the regular season. They won both of the earlier matchups against the team, scoring five goals in each game. Both teams are well-rounded, but the Oilers' offense is truly elite, and the same could be said for the Panthers' defense. Something has to give. S,o who do you think will end up as champions?
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