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CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
5 things to know about the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup final rematch
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the net as Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart (13) makes a shot during the third period of Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Oilers 2-1 to win the Stanley Cup. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
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. — 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. — 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. — ELDER STATESMEN Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 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. — 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola lead Florida Panthers in Game 5 victory to clinch Stanley Cup Final return
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes (via Getty Images) The Florida Panthers made their way to their third consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night with a 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Re-emerging in the spotlight was the comeback of Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, and A.J. Greer — all of whom had missed the previous game due to injury. Florida Panthers sweep Carolina Hurricanes with key players back from injury; Eetu Luostarinen leaves early NHL Game 5 Highlights | Panthers vs. Hurricanes - May 28, 2025 As the Florida Panthers were celebrating the win, it was tainted by an injury as forward Eetu Luostarinen left in the first period after what looked like an injury. Head coach Paul Maurice later confirmed that Luostarinen will be fine in time for the final against either the Edmonton Oilers or the Dallas Stars. Sam Reinhart spearheaded the way of the trio back, playing 21:08 of ice time and having two assists in the third period. The forward had departed Game 2 early following a low blow from Carolina's Sebastian Aho but was in good form in his return. Niko Mikkola, who had endured a tough crash into the boards in Game 3, was back for the game nearly 20 minutes later. Though he played some defensive minutes, a neutral zone miscue brought Sebastian Aho his second goal of the first period for Carolina. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo A.J. Greer, hurt from a Game 3 collision, played limited shifts (4:22) but provided the Panthers with some extra forward depth. Even with the return of important players, the Panthers were forced to readjust after losing Eetu Luostarinen. The forward got hurt during an attempt to hit Carolina's Mark Jankowski and didn't get back onto the ice after the first period. Maurice said afterward that the long break leading up to the Cup Final should be enough time for Luostarinen to heal. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour expressed doubt that either player would return even if the series had gone the distance. 'I was hopeful Chatfield being more day-to-day, but he just still hasn't got in there with us,' Brind'Amour said before the game. 'Until he's out there, I guess practicing with us, he's not an option. Walker, same thing.' With both out of commission, the Hurricanes relied on highly touted prospect Alexander Nikishin, who had his home debut in Game 5. The young blue-line defenseman played 15:36 and had earlier registered his first NHL point with a pivotal assist in Game 4. Also read: Where to buy Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Finals tickets 2025 With the Eastern Conference championship won, the Florida Panthers can now take some time to recharge, recover, and set their sights on a ferocious Stanley Cup Final series. Their depth was challenged, but the return of Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, and A.J. Greer was the push necessary to close out the series — and keep the Panthers' championship dreams alive. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
In Barkov They Trust: The Panthers, led by their captain, are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final
The entire play took eight seconds, and basically summed up why the Florida Panthers have enormous, nonstop belief in Aleksander Barkov. Third period, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, game tied at 3. Barkov picks up the puck in the right corner. He skates around the end boards, as Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov is trying to use his entire 214-pound frame to move Barkov one direction or the other. Orlov had no chance. Barkov stopped on a dime, turned around, ducked back toward the net and slid the puck to a place that only Florida's Carter Verhaeghe could reach. Verhaeghe turned that pass into the winner, and with that, the Panthers were headed back to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. In Barky They Trusted. Again. 'Such a great player,' Verhaeghe said. 'It was such a great play by him. It was all him.' The funny part is that Barkov would hate hearing such praise, and he surely would never say anything like that about himself. He is a most unassuming superstar, someone who doesn't care about the spotlight, someone who was legitimately surprised when fans recognized him last year at a Florida Atlantic basketball game in Boca Raton — about 20 minutes north of where the Panthers play their home games. But he is Florida's best player. And he has led the defending Stanley Cup champions back to the title round for a third consecutive season. 'He's one of the best in the world at that, if not the best,' Florida forward Sam Reinhart said. 'He's got so much strength. Big players make big plays at the biggest moments when you need them, and he's certainly the leader of this team.' Florida moves on to face either Edmonton or Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final. There will be intrigue either way. If the Oilers — who lead the Stars 3-1 in the Western Conference finals — get there, it'll be the 11th title-round rematch in the Stanley Cup era and the first since Pittsburgh and Detroit played for the trophy in 2008 and 2009. If the Stars get there, it'll pit Panthers coach Paul Maurice against Dallas coach Peter DeBoer, his former assistant in the Ontario Hockey League and one of his closest friends. It'll also be the first times Florida and Dallas play each other in the U.S. this season; their two matchups this year were in Finland back in November, the Panthers winning both. 'The most important step is ahead of us,' goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history to make the Stanley Cup Final in at least three consecutive seasons. Barkov became the first Finnish captain to get the honor of having the inaugural hoist of the Cup when Florida won the title last year, and he was there through a lot of lean years for the Panthers. Forget the Cup final; the Panthers couldn't make the playoffs for much of their history. That seems so long ago now. No team has played more postseason games in the last four years than the Panthers, and there's at least four more games this season left to go. 'I think it was a long time coming,' Barkov said. 'Obviously, there's been a lot of work put in by this organization to become better and reach the level where we want to win Stanley Cups, we want compete for Stanley Cups every single year. There are 31 other teams in the league and it's hard every single year. They want to do that too, so it's not easy. But we've managed to do it three years in a row, which is, I think, an incredible achievement so far.' Aaron Ekblad is in his 11th season as a Panther — one behind Barkov — and he remembers those tough times. Florida once missed the playoffs by a point during their tenure; some years, they missed by five or six wins. They weren't terrible. They just weren't that good. But he remembers why he always remained steadfast in the belief that the franchise would get to this point. 'We've always had Sasha Barkov,' Ekblad said. 'So, there was always hope, especially in those down years. We always had Barky to lead the way.' He led then. He led now. And another trip to the final awaits. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
In Barkov They Trust: The Panthers, led by their captain, are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final
The entire play took eight seconds, and basically summed up why the Florida Panthers have enormous, nonstop belief in Aleksander Barkov. Third period, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, game tied at 3. Barkov picks up the puck in the right corner. He skates around the end boards, as Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov is trying to use his entire 214-pound frame to move Barkov one direction or the other. Orlov had no chance. Barkov stopped on a dime, turned around, ducked back toward the net and slid the puck to a place that only Florida's Carter Verhaeghe could reach. Verhaeghe turned that pass into the winner, and with that, the Panthers were headed back to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. In Barky They Trusted. Again. 'Such a great player,' Verhaeghe said. 'It was such a great play by him. It was all him.' The funny part is that Barkov would hate hearing such praise, and he surely would never say anything like that about himself. He is a most unassuming superstar, someone who doesn't care about the spotlight, someone who was legitimately surprised when fans recognized him last year at a Florida Atlantic basketball game in Boca Raton — about 20 minutes north of where the Panthers play their home games. But he is Florida's best player. And he has led the defending Stanley Cup champions back to the title round for a third consecutive season. 'He's one of the best in the world at that, if not the best,' Florida forward Sam Reinhart said. 'He's got so much strength. Big players make big plays at the biggest moments when you need them, and he's certainly the leader of this team.' Florida moves on to face either Edmonton or Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final. There will be intrigue either way. If the Oilers — who lead the Stars 3-1 in the Western Conference finals — get there, it'll be the 11th title-round rematch in the Stanley Cup era and the first since Pittsburgh and Detroit played for the trophy in 2008 and 2009. If the Stars get there, it'll pit Panthers coach Paul Maurice against Dallas coach Peter DeBoer, his former assistant in the Ontario Hockey League and one of his closest friends. It'll also be the first times Florida and Dallas play each other in the U.S. this season; their two matchups this year were in Finland back in November, the Panthers winning both. 'The most important step is ahead of us,' goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history to make the Stanley Cup Final in at least three consecutive seasons. Barkov became the first Finnish captain to get the honor of having the inaugural hoist of the Cup when Florida won the title last year, and he was there through a lot of lean years for the Panthers. Forget the Cup final; the Panthers couldn't make the playoffs for much of their history. That seems so long ago now. No team has played more postseason games in the last four years than the Panthers, and there's at least four more games this season left to go. 'I think it was a long time coming,' Barkov said. 'Obviously, there's been a lot of work put in by this organization to become better and reach the level where we want to win Stanley Cups, we want compete for Stanley Cups every single year. There are 31 other teams in the league and it's hard every single year. They want to do that too, so it's not easy. But we've managed to do it three years in a row, which is, I think, an incredible achievement so far.' Aaron Ekblad is in his 11th season as a Panther — one behind Barkov — and he remembers those tough times. Florida once missed the playoffs by a point during their tenure; some years, they missed by five or six wins. They weren't terrible. They just weren't that good. But he remembers why he always remained steadfast in the belief that the franchise would get to this point. 'We've always had Sasha Barkov,' Ekblad said. 'So, there was always hope, especially in those down years. We always had Barky to lead the way.' He led then. He led now. And another trip to the final awaits. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
