2024 Stanley Cup Finals: Panthers-Oilers schedule, stats, more

From a regular season pool of 32 teams, to a Stanley Cup playoff field of 16, and now down to two, the NHL champions are close to the crown for 2024.

A year after losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers are out to finish the story and raise the Cup for the first time in franchise history.

For the Edmonton Oilers, the Stanley Cup will silence all the “yeah, but” talk about superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and cement their names among the franchise’s greats from five previous Cup teams.

Game 1 is Saturday, June 8 (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+). Here’s everything you need to know about both teams, from key players to watch, goaltender confidence ratings, and the best trends for each team coming out of the conference finals.

Stanley Cup wins: there is none
How they got here: Beat Lightning 4-1, Bruins 4-2, Rangers 4-2

Goalkeeper confidence rating: 9 out of 10

Sergei Bobrovsky has been rock solid for the Panthers during these playoffs. Certainly, the team’s excellent defensive play has helped Bobrovsky. But the steady stream of veterans whose quality performances give Florida undeniable confidence Bobrovsky will be there to make a big save.

He has a 12-5 record in the postseason, with a .908 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average. The only playoff player with a lower average than Bobrovsky is Boston’s Jeremy Swayman (and Bobrovsky ended up winning that battle when Florida dispatched the Bruins in the second-round series).

Bobrovsky was supposed to be the Panthers’ hero last season going to the Cup Final, and he ended up messing it up. The workload this year is more manageable, and that should set Bobrovsky up for success.

What the Eastern Conference finals taught us about the Panthers

Florida is the total package. The Panthers have star power, scoring depth, elite defensive habits, top-tier goaltending and — perhaps most importantly — an innate killer instinct.

The team was outstanding in the third period against the New York Rangers in the series, winning the last three games by a one-goal margin. The Panthers also shut out the Rangers at 5-on-5 in that span, allowing just one power-play goal while simultaneously rendering New York’s already lauded power play ineffective with a stifling penalty kill. And the way Florida held the Rangers’ elite scorers from producing — Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad combined for one goal through six games — was a byproduct of the Panthers’ full-team buy-in on defense.

At the same time, Florida could be dead in a hurry, but it can also reduce its chances of going the other way. The ability to make New York pay for mistakes is another backbreaker for the Rangers, who cannot find the same opportunities for damage. Florida rarely offers quality looks, and Bobrovsky stands tall against the most glaring breakdowns.

Players who will be key to the Cup Final

One of Florida’s strengths is its collective defense. But the Panthers defensemen will certainly be in the spotlight when the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman try to play.

Gustav Forsling had a great postseason against some of the toughest matchups, and he also contributed offensively (four goals and 11 points). Brandon Montour’s physicality and active stick breaking up rush chances have been invaluable. Florida defends well and is aggressive in holding shooters to the outside and limiting action from the slot.

That will be critical to prevent the Oilers from running wild. Aaron Ekblad will also have to play a key role in keeping Florida out of the backfield – and this year he won’t be playing in the Cup Final with a broken leg. It’s an improvement for sure.

Players who need to step up

Carter Verhaeghe was a force for Florida early in the postseason. But his production has dwindled. Verhaeghe scored five goals in five games against Tampa Bay, but has only four goals since then. They put just two shots on net in their last two games in the conference finals and didn’t look like the Panthers when they created opportunities around the net (though Igor Shesterkin saved Verhaeghe in Game 6).

All in all, Verhaeghe needs to reclaim his first series appearance in the Cup Final. There will be a laundry list of capable scorers across the ice — and some obviously elite talent, too — and the Panthers can’t afford any passengers in the group. Verhaeghe could really be a difference maker for Florida and drive the offense. Now is the time for him to switch.

Is there a coaching edge for the Panthers?

The Cup Finals will feature two head coaches at opposite ends of the NHL spectrum. Florida coach Paul Maurice has been in the league for twenty years, and has now reached three Cup Finals (two with Florida). Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch hasn’t coached an entire NHL season, after replacing Jay Woodcroft in November as his first gig in the league. Will experience be a factor for either side?

The Oilers have responded well to Knoblauch, and his success on the ice since taking over has been evident. But when it comes to opponents like Florida and Edmonton, there’s usually an X factor that pops up to separate the sides, something more invisible. Things like critical line changes, or knowing when time is running out, or being able to read your team’s attitude and adjust accordingly. All of that will increase because of the stakes in the Cup Final.

We’ve seen in the playoffs how well-timed coaching decisions help win tight contests. The margin of error in this series will be slim. The edge can lie not with the one sitting on the bench, but standing behind it.

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

Goalkeeper confidence rating: 9 out of 10

There will certainly be questions about Stuart Skinner ahead of this postseason. But how he’s performed since Game 6 in the second half only adds to what makes the Oilers a problem in the defensive zone. They entered the Stanley Cup Finals allowing just 25.1 shots per game, third fewest among 2024 playoff teams.

By killing the penalty held by the Dallas Stars for zero goals through the conference finals, the Oilers are one of the strongest defensive identities in the league.

Complementing that with a consistent version of Skinner — who has a 1.95 average against the Stars — only adds to the argument that the Oilers could be the most complete team in the playoffs.

What the Western Conference finals taught us about the Oilers

Anyone who still believes this team is just Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid hasn’t been paying attention. The path they took to beat the Stars in the Western Conference finals is proof.

In the Oilers’ victories in Games 4 and 5, they got key goals from players such as Mattias Janmark, Ryan McLeod, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Philip Broberg. The penalty kill was perfect against the Stars, including a crucial 3-for-3 in Game 6.

They have developed the identity of both sides that have allowed them to play comfortably in a one-goal game, including a closeout in Game 6. They have made goal prevention a serious component for success, and have only added to the looming. the threat that the Oilers can break out to score more than four goals in the game as well.

A team that has been billed as an offensive juggernaut has shown it can be a complete package.

Players who will be key to the Cup Final

The Oilers have Draisaitl and McDavid, an elite power forward duo who have four Hart trophies between them. But then again, he was more than that.

Zach Hyman has given him a forechecking wing man who can control the front of the net. They have a puck-moving defenseman in Evan Bouchard, who, along with Mattias Ekholm, gives the Oilers a reliable top pair.

This postseason has elevated Nugent-Hopkins’ profile as a two-way player because of what he has been able to do in 5-on-5, in penalty killing and in power play; he might be the most important forward not named Draisaitl or McDavid.

There’s also what Darnell Nurse did against Dallas, going from being a scrutinized figure to being one of the Oilers’ most consistent players to close out the series. That included hauling in over 21 minutes with three hits while not on the ice for a goal in Game 6. That version of Nurse would be instrumental in helping the franchise capture its first title since 1990.

Players who need to step up

Evander Kane. At his best, Kane is a physical power forward who can cause problems in the slot and in front of the net, with a shot that can also be dangerous on the perimeter. That made him one of the NHL’s most consistent goal scorers throughout his career, with nine seasons of over 20.

It’s also what makes his recent scoring drought (six straight games, dating back to Game 7 in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks) so puzzling.

Kane opened the conference finals with nine shots in the first two games, only to record four shots combined in Games 3, 4 and 5. He was moved down from the second line to the third line as a result of Game 5, resulting in a significant decline in the level work compared to the first two postseasons with the Oilers.

It’s possible that Kane can recover to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. After checking out early in Game 6, he ran to the bench and logged just 4:39 of ice time over nine shifts.

The hiring of Kris Knoblauch could be the latest step in a certain trend

Moving on from Jay Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch not only saved the Oilers’ season, but allowed them to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in nearly two decades. Whether the Oilers win the Cup or not, the move raises debate about the expectations for an NHL coach in his first season with a new team.

This trend started in 2019, when Craig Berube, who has 161 games of NHL head coaching experience, became the interim coach of the St. Louis Blues … with the club.

A year later, veteran coach Rick Bowness was the interim leading the Dallas Stars to the Cup Final.

In 2021, Dominique Ducharme, an interim coach with no previous NHL head coaching experience, led Canada to the Cup Final.

Last year saw Bruce Cassidy, who had 500 games of experience, win the title in his first campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights.

It’s a trend that continues with Knoblauch, who was a head coach before his time in the AHL and junior hockey. Knoblauch has a chance to become the first coach since Dan Bylsma in 2009 to win a title in his first year behind an NHL bench.