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Panthers, Oilers Ready for Round 2 in Stanley Cup Final

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have both pulled off a pretty tough thing in reaching the Stanley Cup Final in successive years.
It is tough for the team that loses in the Final one year, rebound to come back and battle for a championship the next.
The Panthers, of course, did it last year after losing in 5 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Florida was a changed team in 2024, enjoying their success but not letting it get away from them.
They remembered what it felt like to stand on that ice in Las Vegas watching the Golden Knights celebrate.
They had vivid memories of seeing the bedlam around them the day they drove through Vegas to the airport to head home knowing their mission was not completed.
Losing to Vegas in 2023 made the Panthers tougher and more resilient.
A short offseason? That was for us in the media to talk about. The Panthers did not run out of gas last year, nor have they drained the tank in this one.
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But are the Oilers tougher from losing last yearโs Final to the Panthers โ or does Florida have a little bit of a mental edge knowing that it knocked Edmonton out a year ago, and certainly has the team to do it again.
If the Panthers the pain from Vegas as motivational fuel, Edmonton has that covered.
Florida, you may recall, did not play the Golden Knights in a rematch. The Oilers are seeing the same faces in the same arena they lost in the year before.
You think Connor McDavid remembers what walking into the small visitorsโ locker room in Sunrise feels like? If not, the documentarians would be happy to show him the video.
The bottom line is, the Oilers are a better team than they were last year. The Panthers may be as well, but does it matter?
As Paul Maurice says, on Wednesday, theyโre going to drop the puck.
May the best team win.
FLORIDA PANTHERS / FHN
- Itโs a rematch between the Panthers and Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.
- Hereโs the full schedule for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
- Sasha Barkov made a play that left the Panthers speechless โ and the Hurricanes stunned.
- Paul Maurice and Rod BrindโAmour stayed away from the handshake line.
- Making the Stanley Cup Final three straight years puts the Panthers in some pretty cool company.
- The Charlotte Checkers went to Montreal and took the first two games against the host Laval Rocket. The next three in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference final are in Charlotte. Looking pretty, pretty good.
- How the Panthers were built.
- The Panthers were staring down the face of the Hurricanes and didnโt flinch.
- All the postgame video you can handle from Wednesdayโs win.
- Tickets for the Miami Winter Classic going on sale to the general public soon.
- Donโt forget to subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to watch video interviews with the Florida Panthers throughout the postseason.
NHL LINKS / NHN
- After avoiding the Clarence C. Campbell Bowl last year, McDavid threw caution to the win on Thursday.
- A brutal start leads to another loss in the WCF for the Stars.
- Former Islanders coach Lane Lambert takes over the Kraken.
- Patrick Roy will return as coach of the New York Islanders.
- What the Pittsburgh Penguins need in a new coach.
- The Philadelphia Flyers sign one of their key RFAs.
- Looking at who might be there in the draft for the Detroit Red Wings.
- Brock Nelson and the Colorado Avalanche have โmutual interestโ in a new deal.
2025 STANLEY CUP FINAL
GAME 1
FLORIDA PANTHERS @ EDMONTON OILERS
Best-of-7 Series
- When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.
- Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton
- National TV: TNT/truTVย
- National Streaming: Max
- Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys), SiriusXM
- Radio Streaming: SiriusXM, NHL App
- Series Schedule (all games at 8 p.m., TNT) โ Game 1: @Edmonton Wednesday; Game 2: @Edmonton, Friday June 6; Game 3: @Florida, Monday June 9; Game 4: @Florida, Thursday June 12; Game 5*: @Edmonton, Saturday June 14; Game 6*: @Florida, Tuesday June 17; Game 7*: @Edmonton, Friday June 20.
- Regular Season (Panthers won 2-0) โ At Florida: Panthers 4, Oilers 3 (Feb. 27). At Edmonton:ย Panthers 6, Oilers 5 (Dec. 16).
- How They Got Here: Edmonton d. Los Angeles (6), Vegas (5), Dallas (5); Florida d. Tampa Bay (5), Toronto (7), Carolina (5)
- Postseason History: Florida Won 2024 Stanley Cup Final 4-3
- All-time Regular Season Series: Oilers lead 23-18-0, 3 ties

They’re a better team without Hyman? Maybe, with a now healthy Kane, but , honestly he hasn’t done much, so Im not so sure now, If they are better, it’s only because of experience and now knowing what to expect. But I think they were deeper last year. I know we most definitely are. The one thing that im nervous about is for the first two games they get last change and will be able to dictate matchups on thier offensive zone drops. I’m sure they’ll keep McDavid away from Barkovs line as much as possible. I’m very curious to… Read more »