2024 Stanley Cup Final Preview

The Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday night with the Florida Panthers hosting the Edmonton Oilers before the series shifts to Alberta for Games 2 and 3. The fun geographical fact of this series is that this is the furthest distance between the two teams, making the extra off days between games a must. 

But that’s not what fans are here for. This series has plenty of stars and plenty of exciting matchups that will determine whether the Panthers will win their first title in franchise history or iif the Oilers will bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.

What You Need To Know

●      The Panthers won the Atlantic Division and had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Come playoff time, they steamrolled the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, defeated the Boston Bruins in six, and then the New York Rangers in six to reach the Final for the second year in a row.

●      The Oilers finished in second place in the Pacific Division but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the best team in the division or conference. After hiring head coach Kris Knoblauch early in the season, they won 46 of their 69 games and played great across the board in the playoffs. They easily beat the Los Angeles Kings in five games, then had a hard-fought seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks, and then beat the Dallas Stars in six.

●      The note on the Oilers is that this is a different team than the ones in the past. Usually, they are led by their stars but the defense has carried them, allowing only 2.61 goals per game in the playoffs with a unit led by Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse.

●      The Panthers have dominated with their defense as well, allowing only 2.41 goals per game this season and taking it up a notch in the playoffs, allowing only 2.29 goals per game. The unit is led by Gustav Forsling, arguably the best defensive defenseman in the league but rounded out by Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad.

●      Both teams have depth but this is a star-studded series. For the Oilers, it’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way while the Panthers have Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov carrying them. The elite players are what will make a difference and make the series exciting.

Key Matchups

The first on-ice matchup that comes to mind is McDavid against Barkov and the top line skaters going at it throughout the series. Both players are exceptional on the offensive end of the ice but they’ve proven why they are two of the best defensive forwards in the game as well. Barkov won the Selke Trophy and patrols the center of the ice while McDavid has the speed to close in on skaters and maintain possession.

The play at the point will take the offenses and put them over the top. The Oilers have their scoring defenseman ready to take over in Bouchard, who has six goals and 21 assists in the playoffs. The Panthers meanwhile have seen both Forsling and Montour make an impact at the blue line, scoring seven goals and 13 assists in the playoffs. Goals will be hard to come by and that spark at the point will make all the difference. 

Similarly, the power play will determine who wins this series. The Panthers have scored 39 of their 55 goals on the power play in the playoffs but the Oilers have killed off 28 penalties in a row, an unpresedented mark. The Oilers meanwhile struggled on the power play but it took over the last two games of the Western Conference Final, scoring on all four opportunities.

Prediction

This is a series that can go either way and has many going back and forth on their prediction (like the one writing this preview). The Oilers look like a team of destiny but the Panthers at the end of the day look like the better team and are well-rounded enough to end up winning it all.

The Panthers will win a few games with their defense and forecheck but they’ll also get help from the point to steal a few games as well. In a series that might very well go the distance, Tkachuk gives the Panthers an edge as a clutch scorer and look for him to net a crucial goal to give seal the title.

Prediction: Panthers in 7