2024 Stanley Cup Last: Panthers-Oilers schedule, stats, extra

From a regular-season batch of 32 groups, to a Stanley Cup playoff discipline of 16, and now down to 2, the NHL’s champion is near being topped for 2024.

A 12 months after dropping within the Stanley Cup Last to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers are out to complete their story and lift the Cup for the primary time in franchise historical past.

For the Edmonton Oilers, a Stanley Cup would silence all of the “yeah, however” conversations relating to superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and etch their names among the many franchise greats from 5 prior Cup groups.

Recreation 1 is Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+). This is every part it is advisable learn about each groups, from key gamers to observe, goaltender confidence scores, and the highest developments for every staff popping out of the convention finals.

Stanley Cup wins: None
How they received right here: Defeated Lightning 4-1, Bruins 4-2, Rangers 4-2

Goalie confidence score: 9 out of 10

Sergei Bobrovsky has been rock stable for the Panthers all through these playoffs. Granted, the staff’s glorious defensive play has aided Bobrovsky. However the veteran’s regular stream of high quality performances provides Florida simple confidence Bobrovsky shall be there to make the large saves.

He has earned a 12-5 document within the postseason, with a .908 save proportion and a couple of.20 goals-against common. The one playoff starter who has averaged fewer objectives towards per sport than Bobrovsky was Boston’s Jeremy Swayman (and Bobrovsky finally received that battle when Florida despatched the Bruins packing of their second-round sequence).

Bobrovsky needed to be the Panthers’ hero throughout final season’s run to the Cup finals, and it wore him down ultimately. This 12 months’s workload has been extra manageable, and that ought to set Bobrovsky up for continued success.

What the Japanese Convention finals taught us concerning the Panthers

Florida is the overall package deal. The Panthers have star energy, scoring depth, elite defensive habits, a top-tier goaltender and — maybe most vital of all — innate killer intuition.

The staff was distinctive within the third interval towards the New York Rangers down the stretch of their sequence, profitable the ultimate three video games by a one-goal margin. The Panthers additionally shut the Rangers down at 5-on-5 in that span, permitting only one even-strength purpose whereas concurrently rendering New York’s once-vaunted energy play utterly ineffective with a stifling penalty kill. And the best way Florida held the Rangers’ elite scorers from producing — Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad mixed for a single purpose by way of six video games — was a byproduct of the Panthers’ full-team buy-in on protection.

On the similar time, Florida will be lethal off the push whereas equally sturdy suppressing these possibilities from going the opposite manner. Their capacity to make New York pay for errors was one other backbreaker for the Rangers, who could not discover the identical alternatives to do harm. Florida not often presents high quality seems, and Bobrovsky stood tall towards essentially the most obtrusive breakdowns.

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Panthers claw down Rangers to advance to second straight Stanley Cup Last

The Panthers deal with enterprise towards the Rangers in Recreation 6 to advance to the Stanley Cup Last for the second 12 months operating.

Gamers who shall be key to the Cup Last

One among Florida’s strengths could also be its protection in a collective sense. However the Panthers’ defensemen will definitely be within the highlight when the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman attempt to get rolling.

Gustav Forsling has had an excellent postseason going up towards a number of the hardest opposing matchups, and he has additionally contributed offensively (4 objectives and 11 factors). Brandon Montour’s physicality and energetic stick breaking apart rush possibilities has been invaluable. Florida defends properly and is aggressive in holding shooters to the skin and limiting motion from the slot.

That shall be essential in stopping the Oilers from operating wild. Aaron Ekblad must also play a key function in steadying Florida from the again finish — and this 12 months he will not be taking part in within the Cup Last with a damaged foot. That is a particular enchancment.

Participant who must step up

Carter Verhaeghe was a drive for Florida early within the postseason. His manufacturing has been dwindling, although. Verhaeghe popped in 5 objectives in 5 video games towards Tampa Bay, however he has simply 4 objectives complete since then. He put solely two photographs on web within the remaining two video games of the convention finals and wasn’t practically as seen for the Panthers in creating alternatives across the web (though Igor Shesterkin did make a notable save on Verhaeghe in Recreation 6).

All of that’s to say, Verhaeghe must recapture his first-series kind within the Cup finals. There shall be a laundry checklist of succesful scorers throughout the ice — and a few clearly elite abilities, too — and the Panthers cannot afford any passengers of their group. Verhaeghe can completely be a difference-maker for Florida and drive its offense. Now’s the time for him to shift gears.

Is there a training edge for the Panthers?

The Cup finals will function two head coaches at reverse ends of the NHL spectrum. Florida coach Paul Maurice has been within the league for 20 years, and he has now reached three Cup finals (two with Florida). Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch hasn’t even coached a whole NHL season but, having changed Jay Woodcroft in November as his first gig within the league. Will expertise be an element for both facet?

The Oilers have responded properly to Knoblauch, and their on-ice success since he took over is abundantly clear. However when evenly matched opponents like Florida and Edmonton conflict, there may be usually an X issue that emerges to separate the edges, one thing extra intangible. Issues akin to a essential line change, or realizing when to take a timeout, or having the ability to learn the demeanor of your staff and regulate accordingly. All of that shall be heightened given the stakes within the Cup finals.

We have already seen within the playoffs how well-timed teaching selections have helped safe wins in tight contests. The margins for error on this sequence shall be slim. The sting might lie not with who’s sitting on the bench, however standing behind it.

Stanley Cup wins: 1990, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1984
How they received right here: Defeated Kings 4-1, Canucks 4-3, Stars 4-2

Goalie confidence score: 9 out of 10

There have been actually questions on Stuart Skinner earlier this postseason. However how he has carried out since Recreation 6 of the second spherical has solely added to what makes the Oilers such an issue within the defensive zone. They enter the Stanley Cup Last permitting simply 25.1 photographs per sport, the third fewest amongst 2024 playoff groups.

With a penalty kill that held the Dallas Stars to zero objectives by way of the convention finals, the Oilers have one of many strongest defensive identities within the league.

Complementing that with a constant model of Skinner — who had a 1.95 goals-against common towards the Stars — solely provides to the argument that the Oilers is perhaps essentially the most full staff within the playoffs.

What the Western Convention finals taught us concerning the Oilers

That anybody who nonetheless believes this staff is simply Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid has not been paying consideration. The trail they took to beat the Stars within the Western Convention finals is proof.

Within the Oilers’ victories in Video games 4 and 5, they acquired key objectives from gamers akin to Mattias Janmark, Ryan McLeod, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Philip Broberg. Their penalty kill was excellent towards the Stars, together with going 3-for-3 within the pivotal Recreation 6.

They’ve developed a two-way identification that has allowed them to play comfortably in one-goal video games, together with the closeout in Recreation 6. They’ve made purpose prevention a severe part to their success, and it has solely added to the looming risk that the Oilers might get away to attain greater than 4 objectives in a sport as properly.

A staff that has been billed as an offensive juggernaut has proven it may be the entire package deal.

Gamers who shall be key to the Cup Last

The Oilers have Draisaitl and McDavid, a pair of elite forwards who’ve 4 Hart Trophies between them. However once more, they’re greater than that.

Zach Hyman has given them a forechecking winger who can management the online entrance. They’ve a puck-moving defenseman in Evan Bouchard, who, together with Mattias Ekholm, provides the Oilers a trusted prime pairing.

This postseason has elevated Nugent-Hopkins’ profile as a two-way participant due to what he has been capable of do at 5-on-5, on the penalty kill and on the ability play; he might be their most vital ahead not named Draisaitl or McDavid.

There’s additionally what Darnell Nurse completed towards Dallas, going from a determine underneath scrutiny to being one of many Oilers’ most constant gamers to shut out the sequence. That features logging greater than 21 minutes with three hits whereas not being on the ice for a purpose towards in Recreation 6. That model of Nurse could be instrumental in serving to seize the franchise’s first title since 1990.

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Oilers have fun advancing to the Stanley Cup Last

The Oilers dangle on to defeat the Stars in a busy end to advance to the Stanley Cup Last.

Participant who must step up

Evander Kane. At his finest, Kane is a bodily energy ahead who could cause issues within the slot and on the web entrance, with a shot that may additionally make him harmful on the perimeter. That has made him one of many NHL’s most constant purpose scorers over his profession, with a run of 9 seasons with greater than 20.

It is also what makes his current scoring drought (six straight video games, going again to Recreation 7 of the second spherical towards the Vancouver Canucks) so puzzling.

Kane opened the convention finals with 9 photographs in his first two video games, solely to then document 4 photographs mixed in Video games 3, 4 and 5. He was moved down from the second line to the third line because of this in Recreation 5, leading to a big decline in his work price in comparison with his first two postseasons with the Oilers.

It is doable Kane might be injured going into the Stanley Cup Last. After delivering a examine early in Recreation 6, he skated to the bench and logged solely 4:39 of ice time through 9 shifts.

Hiring Kris Knoblauch might be the newest transfer in a sure development

Shifting on from Jay Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch not solely saved the Oilers’ season, however allowed them to succeed in the Stanley Cup Last for the primary time in practically 20 years. Whether or not the Oilers win the Cup or not, the transfer raises a debate concerning the expectations for an NHL coach in his first season with a brand new staff.

This development began in 2019, when Craig Berube, who had 161 video games of NHL head-coaching expertise, was made the interim coach of the St. Louis Blues … and received the Stanley Cup in what was his first of five-plus seasons with the membership.

A 12 months later, veteran coach Rick Bowness was an interim who guided the Dallas Stars to the Cup Last.

In 2021, Dominique Ducharme, an interim coach with no earlier NHL head-coaching expertise, guided the Montreal Canadiens to a Cup Last.

Final 12 months noticed Bruce Cassidy, who had 500-plus video games of expertise, win a title in his first marketing campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights.

It is a development that continues with Knoblauch, whose head-coaching roles had beforehand been within the AHL and junior hockey. Knoblauch has the prospect to be the primary coach since Dan Bylsma in 2009 to win the title in his first 12 months behind an NHL bench.