The 2025 Stanley Cup Closing between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers opens on Wednesday night time in Edmonton. To assist get you prepared for the collection, listed here are 5 of the highest storylines because it approaches.
1. New yr, identical groups
That is the second yr in a row that the Panthers and Oilers have met within the Stanley Cup Closing, making it the fifth time within the post-expansion period (since 1967) that the identical two groups have met within the closing in back-to-back years.
The rundown of the earlier 4:
- 1967-68 and 1968-69: Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues. Montreal received each championships towards an growth Blues group.
- 1976-77 and 1977-78: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins. The Canadiens received each collection as a part of their Nineteen Seventies dynasty that noticed them put probably the most dominant groups in league historical past on the ice.
- 1982-83 and 1983-84: New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers. The Islanders, the dominant dynasty of the early 80s, received the primary collection to finish their four-peat. The Oilers got here again the next season to win their first championship and kick off their late 80s dynasty
- 2007-08 and 2008-09: Detroit Purple Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins. The Purple Wings received the primary collection in six video games, solely to lose their quest for back-to-back championships the next yr. It was further satisfying for Pittsburgh because it not solely defeated the Purple Wings, but in addition Marian Hossa after he left them for Detroit in free company.
2. Connor McDavid’s quest to get his title on the Cup
McDavid continues to determine himself as not solely probably the greatest gamers of his period, but in addition of all time. The one factor he must cement his standing within the latter group is a championship. He will get one other likelihood this season. Alongside together with his quest for a Cup, he’s additionally in line to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the second straight season. He received it final yr in a shedding effort. Whereas his level whole isn’t as dominant because it was in final yr’s playoffs, he nonetheless enters the playoffs main the league in postseason scoring.
3. Florida’s attainable mini-dynasty
The run the Panthers have been on over the previous 4 seasons is really outstanding.
Through the 2021-22 season, they received the Presidents’ Trophy with the league’s finest file.
After shedding within the second spherical, they got here again the subsequent season and received the Jap Convention (earlier than shedding to the Vegas Golden Knights within the Stanley Cup Closing).
They bounced again from that in 2023-24 and never solely returned to the Stanley Cup Closing, but in addition received it.
Now they’re again for his or her third consecutive Stanley Cup Closing and an opportunity to repeat. That’s pretty much as good of a four-year run as any group has had within the wage cap period.
4. Stuart Skinner’s redemption
Goaltending has been Edmonton’s greatest query mark for a number of years now, and that was once more the case this season with Stuart Skinner having an up-and-down common season. Then he misplaced his beginning job early within the playoffs, permitting 15 targets in his first three begins (all losses), shedding his beginning job. However after regaining his beginning job as a result of an damage to Calvin Pickard, Skinner has allowed simply 10 targets in his subsequent seven begins, going 6-1 within the course of. He could be a sleeper Conn Smythe contender at this tempo.
5. Canada seems to be to finish its Stanley Cup drought
It has been 32 years since one of many NHL’s Canadian franchises lifted the Stanley Cup, with the 1992-93 Canadiens being the latest group to do it. The Oilers are the newest group to try to snap that streak. There have been six Canadian franchises to lose within the Stanley Cup Closing since then, together with Edmonton on two totally different events (2006 and 2024).
