The stage is set. The Edmonton Oilers will battle the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. The only difference is that this time the Oilers have home ice advantage. Edmonton lost a Game 7 heartbreaker on the road last season, and it’s not often a team has a chance for redemption.
This is the first time there has been a Stanley Cup Final rematch since 2008-09 between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings won in 2008, but the Penguins enacted their revenge in 2009 with Sidney Crosby leading the charge. Connor McDavid would like to do the same, as he chases his first Stanley Cup, like Crosby did that season. Hopefully, that comes to fruition, but for that to become a reality, Edmonton needs four more wins. Here are five keys to victory in defeating the Panthers and bringing the Stanley Cup north of the border.
Key #1: Stuart Skinner
This one’s obvious, but Stuart Skinner must outplay Sergei Bobrovsky. The Oilers’ netminder has had a rollercoaster playoff run. He struggled during the first two games against the Los Angeles Kings, leading to Calvin Pickard replacing him for the next six. The only reason he’s playing again is due to Pickard’s unfortunate injury. Now, Skinner has taken back that starting job and hasn’t looked back.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub
He was arguably Edmonton’s best player in the Western Conference Final, posting a .924 save percentage (SV%), with a shutout against the Dallas Stars, and outperformed Jake Oettinger. Despite his abysmal start, he has a 2.53 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 SV%, with three shutouts in 10 playoff games. On the other side, Bobrovsky has a 2.11 GAA and a .912 SV% with three shutouts in 17 games. Those numbers are great, but Skinner must stay hot and outplay him over a seven-game series. Can he do it?
Key #2: Special Teams
This is a key to victory most of the time, but their special teams must be better than Florida’s. The Panthers have the best penalty killing percentage this postseason at 87.9 percent. But Edmonton’s power play is finally getting hot, rocking at 30.0 percent, so something has to give. If the Oilers solve the Panthers’ elite penalty kill, that will go a long way in winning this series.
However, the Oilers’ biggest concern is their penalty kill. While they have improved slightly throughout the playoffs, it’s still not where it needs to be. It’s only at 66.0 percent, ranked 14th in the postseason. To put that into perspective, the other three teams in the conference finals had a top-five penalty kill. Edmonton must improve its kill and stay disciplined.
Key #3: McDavid & Draisaitl
This is the moment McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been waiting for since the end of last season. While McDavid had three goals and 11 points in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, Draisaitl didn’t score a goal. The latter was noticeably hurt, which hindered his production. But he looks healthy now, so expect a big series from No. 29.
This Oilers team feels like a team of destiny, led by its two superstars. They’ve been through it all together, which only makes them stronger. This duo has been here before and knows what it takes to win. Setbacks only make you stronger, and they’ve matured as a result. Big players seize the opportunity and step up when the lights shine the brightest, so expect McDavid and Draisaitl to dominate and bring the Stanley Cup home.
Key #4: Match Florida’s Physicality
The Panthers led the NHL with 2,446 hits delivered in the regular season, 233 more than the next team. They followed that up with another 815 in the playoffs, 163 more than the Oilers. Florida is a physical team, but so is Edmonton. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they lost Zach Hyman for the rest of the season. Hyman was the playoff hits leader with 111, so that’s a big hole to fill.
With Hyman’s injury, other players must fill that void and bring the physicality. Vasily Podkolzin, Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, and Kasperi Kapanen are the players to watch. Hopefully, they can maintain that physical play and make it difficult for the Panthers’ defenders to move the puck, causing turnovers.
The best way for Edmonton to counter Florida’s physicality is to move the puck quicker. The biggest improvement the Oilers made from last season’s Final was bringing in puck-moving defencemen. They replaced Cody Ceci and Vincent Desharnais with Jake Walman and John Klingberg. Those are two exceptional puck movers. Therefore, Edmonton’s defence is better equipped to handle the Panthers’ tenacious forecheck.
Key #5: Play With the Lead
Playing from behind is exhausting, so it’s imperative to strike first and play with the lead. The Oilers have proven they can defend well and lock it down when ahead. In Round 1 against the Kings, they were chasing the game and only scored the first goal once. But they scored first more frequently as the playoffs continued. They netted the first goal in their last eight games, and the last time they allowed the first goal was Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
They played with the lead for most of the Western Conference Final. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Oilers led for 226:34, and only trailed for 14:02 against the Stars, all coming during Edmonton’s Game 1 collapse. That discrepancy highlighted how well the Oilers played with the lead, because they didn’t give it up when they had it. Dallas had strong pushes throughout, but Edmonton didn’t break. They stayed within their structure and made smart decisions with the puck, frustrating the Stars.
The best way to play with the lead is to stay on your toes, apply pressure, and forecheck hard. The Oilers are a great cycle and puck possession team, so they must establish that against an elite Panthers squad.
The Oilers are looking to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, and Canada’s first since 1993. This highly anticipated rematch kicks off on Wednesday, June 4, at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
