The wait is over, and now it’s time to get down to business.
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will meet in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night in a rare rematch—the first in over a decade—with the Oilers looking for revenge and the Panthers chasing a repeat.
After falling in heartbreaking fashion in Game 7 last year, Edmonton returns deeper, sharper, and more determined. They’ve rattled off a 12-2 record since dropping the first two games of the playoffs, riding the offensive brilliance of Connor McDavid and the grit of veterans like Corey Perry and Evander Kane.
“This is the only thing we’ve been thinking about,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “It’s not easy to get back here, and now we’ve got to finish it.”
The Oilers’ revamped defence, led by Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, and newcomers Jake Walman and John Klingberg, will be tested by Florida’s relentless forecheck. With Zach Hyman sidelined, Edmonton will lean on their depth—18 players have already scored this postseason—and the expected return of Connor Brown.
Meanwhile, Florida is chasing history. Back for their third straight Final, the reigning champs are built around stars like Barkov, Tkachuk, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, but bolstered by deadline adds Brad Marchand and Seth Jones.
“They know us. We know them,” said McDavid. “It’s going to come down to execution.”
This is just the 11th Stanley Cup Final rematch in league history. Last time, the team that lost the first one—the 2009 Penguins—came back to win. The Oilers are hoping history repeats itself. Game on.
