Five things to know about the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup final rematch
The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year, starting with Game 1 in Edmonton on Wednesday. The Panthers won last season's showdown in seven games to collect their first-ever NHL title. Here are five things to look for in the rematch:
SO CLOSE
The Oilers looked down and out in last season's Cup final before rallying from 3-0 down to force a Game 7. And the decisive game came down to the slimmest of margins, with Sam Reinhart's second-period goal standing as the winner in a 2-1 Florida triumph. Had the Oilers managed to complete the comeback, they would have been the first Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup since 1993 and just the fifth team — and second in a Cup final — to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
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HIT PARADE
The Panthers have built their identity around being a hard-hitting team. With the likes of Sam Bennett, Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand patrolling the ice, the physical Panthers lead the playoffs in both hits (812) and penalty minutes (279). The Oilers can also throw the body and sit second in hits with 648. But they will have to make up for the loss of Zach Hyman against Florida. Hyman led the playoffs with 111 hits before undergoing surgery on an unspecified injury.
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GOING DEEP
Bennett leads the playoffs with 10 goals, but the Panthers have had offensive contributions throughout their lineup. Nineteen players on their roster have scored in the post-season, and their defence is responsible for 15 goals in 17 games. But while the Panthers are known for their depth, 19 players have also scored for Edmonton during this playoff run. Not bad for a team once considered too reliant on superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
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ELDER STATESMEN
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The Panthers picked up some playoff grit and veteran savvy when they acquired Marchand, the former Boston Bruins captain, at the trade deadline. Marchand, who turned 37 earlier this month, helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and is heading into his fourth final. Impressive, except when stacked against 40-year-old Edmonton forward Corey Perry. He is heading into his fifth final in six years. While he has come up short in his last four Cup finals, he helped Anaheim win it all in 2007.
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DYNASTY DAYS
The state of Florida has been the undisputed epicentre of NHL success for the last six years. Between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, teams from the Sunshine State have appeared in six straight Stanley Cup finals, winning three so far. But the combined success of the Panthers and Bolts hasn't quite reached the level of the high-flying Oilers of the 1980s, led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and other stars. Between 1982-83 and 1989-90, the Oilers won five Cups and were runners-up another time, creating one of the NHL's legendary dynasties.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2025.
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The Province
17 minutes ago
- The Province
SIMMONS SAYS: What McDavid, SGA are doing, Canadian sports fans may never see again
Simultaneously, Connor McDavid and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are embarking on something Canadian sports fans may never witness again. Photo by Getty Images photos There is no highlight that can compare Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the once-in-a-lifetime series-winning goal that Connor McDavid scored on Thursday night in Dallas. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors There is no natural comparison. Part of that comes from the difference in the games they play. Part of that comes from the singular genius that is McDavid. He does what no one else in his game can do. On occasion, he Secretariats the rest of the field. All Gilgeous-Alexander does is score and win, more than anyone else in basketball, purposefully and artistically leading the best team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the two young Ontario men, born one year apart in Toronto and Richmond Hill, respectively, are championship bound. McDavid leading the Edmonton Oilers to a second straight Stanley Cup final appearance; SGA leading OKC into its first championship series under this new group of players. What a time this is for Canadian sport — the best Canadian hockey player leading the best Canadian team to a possible championship season and the best Canadian basketball player leading the best NBA team to what looks like a certain title. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Steve Nash never played for the NBA championship. McDavid has never won a Stanley Cup. This could — and should — be the year for McDavid's Oilers and certainly for Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder. And that should link their names together, because nothing like this has ever happened simultaneously before. Pretty much everybody in Canada knows McDavid's name. He's all over television. He's everywhere you look. 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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cruz Azul beats the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 for the CONCACAF Champions Cup title
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Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
London Knights redeem themselves with Memorial Cup crown
London Knights' Denver Barkey (right) celebrates with Easton Cowan after scoring during second period Memorial Cup final action against the Medicine Hat Tigers, in Rimouski, Que., on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Photo by Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS They finally wrote their storybook ending. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The London Knights converted last year's Memorial Cup heartbreak into the ultimate comeback tale by scoring the game's first four goals in a 4-1 victory over Medicine Hat to claim the Canadian Hockey League's biggest prize before 4,512 on Sunday at Sun Life Financial Coliseum. They shrugged off an early push from the well-rested and previously unbeaten Tigers, then held them off during a furious finish. You need your best players to rise to the occasion and, after a dud a year ago at Saginaw, got that and more here in Rimouski. The OHL champs won their record-tying third Cup title in their fifth trip to the final in the past 20 years. Dale Hunter equalled Don Hay as the only two coaches with three CHL crowns. The Knights were ready for anything. They didn't let any missed call or lapse in momentum bother them. They were the best team in junior hockey this year and proved it when it mattered most. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a tough tournament,' said London defenceman Sam Dickinson, who earned three assists in the final. 'It's one game. You never know what can happen going into it. I think of last year and how the game went from the flat start to the comeback to 22 seconds left. You can't have any idea of what's going to happen out there.' The Tigers' best player, Gavin McKenna, got the Western champs on the board in the third period. But a second goal by the wunderkind was called back because of a missed high stick with 5:30 left in regulation. It was a break for the Knights and they shut it down from there. Hunter reunited Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey and it turned into a master stroke. Barkey scored twice in the decisive second period and Cowan had another and was named tournament MVP as London built the four-goal lead. Cowan should have had two, as well, in the middle frame but one was snuffed out on a goalie interference call against linemate Sam O'Reilly. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The foundation of the Knights' three-year run of success started with the drafting of Barkey, Cowan and Oliver Bonk in 2021. Once they added Dickinson to the mix the following season, they were on their way. And Sunday, they finished the job. AROUND THE RINK London goaltender Austin Elliott's final won-loss record? He was 55-3 in his last junior season. We won't see that again for a long time, if ever … Cowan entered the final one point shy of his childhood idol Mitch Marner's franchise record 15 points in Cup play and matched it in the second period … Londoner Jacob Julien, the Jets prospect, played his best hockey of the season at this tournament, opening the scoring on a nifty deke … Earlier in the day, Medicine Hat star defenceman Tanner Molendyk described London as the best team he had faced all year. 'They have a lot of skill but when a team works hard and has skill, it's one of the hardest things to beat,' the Nashville Predators first-rounder said. He felt it and the rest of the hockey world saw it up close this week. rpyette@ Editorial Cartoons World Sports Toronto & GTA Toronto Blue Jays
