Interest in the Oilers-Panthers playoff is so intense that The Maven asked objective reporter Solon Mihas for his preview of The Final Round. The following is Mihas' guest column.
Get Your Popcorn Ready!
For the second straight season, the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will duel it out for the Stanley Cup.
The Oilers finished the season 48-29-5 (101 points), third in the Pacific Division.
The Whys And Wherefores Of The Stanley Cup Final
<b>HERE'S ARE 5 REASONS WHY FLORIDA WILL WIN:</b>
They beat the Kings in six, then dispatched both the Golden Knights and the Stars in five to claim the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy, once again, as Western Conference Champions.
This year, Captain Connor McDavid touched the trophy. That used to be a superstitious no-no.
Post-game this is what he had to say, “Don’t touch it last year, we don’t win. Touch it this year, hopefully we win.”
The Oilers’ 12-4 playoff record hasn’t been without challenges. Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner struggled early, owning a record of 6-4 with rough numbers in losses.
Skinner’s backup, Calvin Pickard, went 6-0 before being injured, giving Skinner another shot, and he’s been spectacular since.
Edmonton’s offense is deadly, especially with McDavid and Draisaitl leading the way. McDavid has 26 points in 16 games; Draisaitl, has 25 points.
McDavid also reached 100 playoff assists in only 90 playoff games. The only player to reach the feat faster? Wayne Gretzky.
Edmonton hasn’t been superstar reliant. Five players average a point per game, and 40-year-old Corey Perry, leads the team in the goal department, with seven.
It’s no surprise that the Oilers have again reached the Final round. Now, the champs. Florida finished third in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 47-31-4 (98 points).
They knocked out the Lightning in five, then survived seven games against the Maple Leafs. In the East Final, they beat the Hurricanes in five to reclaim the Prince of Wales Trophy and return to the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season.
Captain Aleksander Barkov has led the way with 17 points in 17 games; Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk each have 16 points. Ten players have 10+ points.
In net, Sergei Bobrovsky has been a wall, ranking top three in every major goalie category. Both Edmonton and Florida have added to their rosters since last season.
Edmonton has added Jake Walman, John Klingberg, Kasperi Kapanen, Trent Fredric, Viktor Arvidsson, and Jeff Skinner.
Florida has brought in Brad Marchand, Seth Jones, Nate Schmidt, and A.J.Greer.
The Oilers will miss Zach Hyman, who has been ruled out for the entirety of the Final with an upper body injury.
Edmonton Projected Lineup:
FORWARDS:
NUGENT-HOPKINS - MCDAVID - PERRY
KANE - DRAISAITL - KAPANEN
PODKOLZIN - JANMARK - ARVIDSSON
SKINNER - HENRIQUE - FREDRIC
DEFENSE:
EKHOLM - BOUCHARD
NURSE - KULAK
WALMAN - KLINGBERG
GOALIE:
SKINNER
Florida Projected Lineup:
FORWARDS:
RODRIGUES - BARKOV - REINHART
VERHAEGHE - BENNETT - TKACHUK
LUOSTARINEN - LUNDELL - MARCHAND
GREER - NOSEK - GADJOVICH
DEFENSE:
FORSLING - EKBLAD
KULIKOV - JONES
SCHMIDT - MIKKOLA
GOALIE:
BOBROVSKY
Matchup Breakdown:
Forwards: Edge to Edmonton - McDavid and Draisaitl are unstoppable. Defense: Edge to Florida - Deeper blueline with size and experience. Goalie: Edge to Florida - Bob has been better, and he beat Skinner and the Oilers last year for his first Stanley Cup.
One underspoken X-Factor? Coaching.
Paul Maurice vs Kris Knoblauch – A rematch of last season's Final benefits both coaches, strategically.
Because of this, I believe, Knoblauch and the Oilers have the upper hand coming off of a Finals loss last season. They will better understand what must be done to win.
Look at the Panthers as an example. They lost in the 2023 Final, then went on to redeem themselves in 2024 with the franchises first Stanley Cup.
In the last two Final rematches, the losing team came back to win the next year.
1984: Gretzky’s Oilers avenged a loss to the Islanders.
2009: Crosby’s Penguins avenged a loss to the Red Wings.
Now it’s McDavids turn. The Stanley Cup hasn’t been on Canadian ice since 1993, that will change this year.
I pick the Oilers to win in six, and here’s why; this time around I don’t think the Panthers have what it takes to contain the deadly duo of McDavid and Draisaitl. I also don’t think it’s a longshot for Skinner to outplay Bobrovsky, especially if he continues his ways from the Western Conference Final.
McDavid will win his first cup AND his second Conn Smythe. Fasten your seatbelts, it all starts tonight.