[Other Sport] **** Official NHL Stanley Cup Finals 2024 ****

[jamie-oh]

Would love an Oilers win, just because Canada, innit? its been soooo bloody long since a canadian team won it, and if my own delightful canadiens arent going to, i'd like any other canadian team.

(apart from the maple leafs, obvs . . . )

 

[mlg57]

Oilers, Panthers have ingredients to provide epic Stanley Cup Final

McDavid looks to bring trophy back to Edmonton; Florida hopes to write different script in return

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final has the ingredients for an epic series: generational talents, shutdown defenders, contrasting coaches, mayhem-loving villains and storylines galore.

The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will play Game 1 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC). No matter who wins the Cup, hockey can’t lose.

If it’s Edmonton, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will hoist the Cup for the first time, taking their place among the Oilers’ list of legendary champions. In their first Cup Final since 2006, the Oilers will win it all for the first time since Mark Messier was their captain in 1990. Canada, where hockey means so much, will have its first champion since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

If it’s Florida, the Panthers will hoist the Cup for the first time. This team once struggled to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs and fill the building; now it’s in the Cup Final for the second straight season, stands packed. The Sunshine State, where hockey has grown so much, will have its third champion in five years after the Tampa Bay Lightning’s titles in 2020 and 2021.

McDavid and Draisaitl have seemed destined for this moment. The centers have four MVP trophies and six scoring titles between them. McDavid won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2017, 2021 and 2023 and the Art Ross as scoring champion in 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Draisaitl won the Hart and Art Ross in 2020.

They are two of the greatest playoff scorers in NHL history. McDavid is averaging 1.58 points per game in his career, Draisaitl 1.56. Among players who have appeared in at least eight playoff games, only two have averaged more. Their names? Wayne Gretzky (1.84) and Mario Lemieux (1.61).

We could look back on this the way we look back on 1984, when Gretzky won his first of four championships with the Oilers, or 1991, when Lemieux won his first of back-to-back titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

McDavid leads the playoffs with 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) and has a shot at breaking Gretzky’s record for assists (31) in a playoff year set with the Oilers in 1988. Draisaitl is second in the playoffs with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists).

Edmonton also has the playoffs’ leading goal-scorer, forward Zach Hyman (14), and highest-scoring defenseman, Evan Bouchard (27 points), who has a shot at breaking Paul Coffey’s record for assists (25) in a playoff year set with the Oilers in 1985.

The problem is that the Panthers have plenty of firepower themselves and have shown they can keep superstars off the score sheet in the playoffs. They’re scoring 3.24 goals per game and allowing 2.29. The Oilers are scoring 3.50 goals per game and allowing 2.61.

McDavid captains Edmonton, but Aleksander Barkov captains Florida. The center won the Selke Trophy this season when he was voted the NHL’s best defensive forward for the second time.

Florida also has Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling, perhaps the best defensive defense pair in the playoffs, and Sergei Bobrovsky, one of the top goalies in the League. He was voted the NHL’s best goalie in 2013 and 2017 and is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this season.

The Panthers are a pain to play against. They’re deep. They’re physical. They can pin you in your end with their forecheck and pump shots on net. They can wear you down and stop your attack before it gets started.

Prepare for heat as early as Game 1, and not because the high temperature in Sunrise on Saturday is forecast to be 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Forward Matthew Tkachuk, who leads Florida with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists), played for the Calgary Flames, the Oilers’ archrivals, from 2016-22. Forward Sam Bennett played for the Flames from 2014-21. Each loves to stir it up, as does Oilers forward Corey Perry, who is in the Cup Final with his fifth team, an NHL record.

The coaches are polar opposites. Kris Knoblauch is an NHL rookie. He took over the Oilers on Nov. 12 and led them to the best record in the League the rest of the regular season (.703). Paul Maurice has coached 1,848 regular-season games, second to Scotty Bowman (2,141) in NHL history, and 130 playoff games. This is his third trip to the Cup Final, after going with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002 and the Panthers last season. He’s still looking for his first championship.

Knoblauch is mild-mannered, soft-spoken. Maurice is a colorful quote machine, making his press conferences must-see TV.

There will be so much more to talk about. Each team has a No. 1 pick that has waited so long to win: forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Oilers (2011) and Ekblad of the Panthers (2014). Goalie Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak of the Oilers are trying to win the Cup with their hometown team.

Dreams will come true. The only question is whose.

 

[StonehamPark]

Pretty huge for Canada.

Most of us* will be cheering on the Oilers, to win it for the country. And there couldn't really be a better Canadian team to do it.
*(note. Flames)

 

[mlg57]

It didn’t take long for Sergei Bobrovsky to put his stamp on the Stanley Cup Final.

The goalie made 32 saves for the Florida Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in Game 1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

"We're happy with the win, and it's a very fun game,” Bobrovsky said. “We’ll reset, refocus and get ready for the next one."

Bobrovsky became the first goalie in 13 years to get a shutout in Game 1 of the Cup Final. Roberto Luongo, now in Florida’s front office, did it with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

“He was incredible tonight,” said forward Evan Rodrigues, who scored Florida’s second goal. “He did everything for us.”

Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen also scored, and Aleksander Barkov had two assists for the Panthers, the Eastern Conference champions. Florida took a series lead for the first time in three Final appearances with a goal in each period.

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida lead series 1-0

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM @ FLA 11/06 1 am

Game 3: FLA @ EDM 14/06 1 am

Game 4: FLA @ EDM 16/06 1 am

Game 5: EDM @ FLA 19/06 1 am

Game 6: FLA @ EDM 22/06 1 am

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[mlg57]

The Florida Panthers took command of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and, in the process, wrested control of the best-of-7 series, at least temporarily.

Evan Rodrigues scored two of four consecutive goals by the Panthers, helping them to a 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

“It's special. Trying to embrace it,” said Rodrigues, who also scored in Game 1, a 3-0 victory Saturday. “Trying to stay in the moment. It's two big wins for our team, and I think we've already turned the page and we're getting ready for Game 3."

Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad scored, and Anton Lundell had two assists for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves and has stopped 50 of 51 shots in the series for the Eastern Conference champions.

Mattias Ekholm scored, and Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for the Oilers, the Western Conference champions.

The Oilers have one goal through two games. Their vaunted power play, which went 0-for-4 on Monday, is 0-for-7 in the series. They had one high-danger chance during 5-on-5 play in Game 2.

Their elite players have been contained. Center Connor McDavid, who leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 32 points (five goals, 27 assists), has one assist, as does defenseman Evan Bouchard, who has 28 points (six goals, 22 assists), tied for second with center Leon Draisaitl (10 goals, 18 assists), who has no points.

“We have to be better and we can be better for sure,” said McDavid, the Edmonton captain. “I thought they went up a level and we didn’t match it today.”

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida lead series 2-0

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA @ EDM 14/06 1 am

Game 4: FLA @ EDM 16/06 1 am

Game 5: EDM @ FLA 19/06 1 am

Game 6: FLA @ EDM 22/06 1 am

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[mlg57]

The Florida Panthers are one win away from their first Stanley Cup championship.
"The job's not finished. We're not really thinking about that," Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. "We've got a lot of work to do."
They've done a lot of good work to get to this point, being up 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, with the latest triumph a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Thursday.
Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and an assist, Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves, and the Panthers stopped Edmonton's third-period rally in time to take the 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who are the back-to-back Eastern Conference champions. They lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 last season.
They can win the Stanley Cup on Saturday, when they play Game 4 here.
There hasn't been a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final since 1998.
"You go through all your routines and everything throughout the year and you find out what works for you so that when you get in a moment like this, you know, you just do what you've done before," Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. "And that's what we'll do and play the same way we played all year. That's kind of where our focus is."

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida lead series 3-0

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA 4 EDM 3

Game 4: FLA @ EDM 16/06 1 am

Game 5: EDM @ FLA 19/06 1 am

Game 6: FLA @ EDM 22/06 1 am

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[RandyWanger]

Checked out after the 'nucks did.

 

[Albion my Albion]

It appears that the Stanley Cup final will not be going back to Florida. Too bad for Hürzeler in Miami.

 

[mlg57]

The Edmonton Oilers' finally turned up with a thrashing of the Panthers. Their depth forwards got things started, and their star players delivered the knockout punch to extend their season and the Stanley Cup Final at least one more game.

Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists, Dylan Holloway had two goals and an assist, and the Oilers defeated the Florida Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 at Rogers Place on Saturday.

The Panthers, the Eastern Conference champions, lead the best-of-7 series 3-1. Game 5 is at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday.

"It's just one win, that's all it is," said McDavid, the Edmonton captain. "It doesn't matter if you score eight or you score one, it's just one win. We've got to go to Florida, do a job and drag them back to Alberta."

Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had two assists, and Stuart Skinner made 32 saves for the Oilers, the Western Conference champions.

McDavid scored his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final and broke Wayne Gretzky's NHL record for most assists in a single postseason. He has 32; Gretzky's record of 31 was set in 1987-88 for the Oilers.

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida lead series 3-1

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA 4 EDM 3

Game 4: FLA 1 EDM 8

Game 5: EDM @ FLA 19/06 1 am

Game 6: FLA @ EDM 22/06 1 am

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[mlg57]

The Edmonton Oilers hold off Panthers in Game 5 and stay alive again in Cup Final.

Connor McDavid had four points again, and the Oilers for the second time in as many games rode their captain to extend their season and the Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid had two goals and two assists, giving him eight points in the past two games and 11 in the series, and the Oilers defeated the Florida Panthers 5-3 in Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

He is the first player in NHL history to have back-to-back four-point games in the Stanley Cup Final, and Edmonton became the first team to win a Game 5 on the road after falling behind 3-0 in the series.

The Panthers lead the best-of-7 series, but now it's 3-2 after back-to-back wins by the Oilers, who have outscored Florida 15-4 since the third period of Game 3.

Game 6 is at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Friday.

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida lead series 3-2

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA 4 EDM 3

Game 4: FLA 1 EDM 8

Game 5: EDM 5 FLA 3

Game 6: FLA @ EDM 22/06 1 am

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[tronnogull]

Oilers seeking to emulate the 1942 Leafs.........

 

[Casper18]

Great to see the Oilers keep this alive. Hopefully they can win game six and set up a grand finale.

 

[tronnogull]

Wow.......tempted to stay up all Monday night to watch game 7......

 

[Casper18]

This has been a incredible series. I think the Oilers are going to do something very special.

 

[mlg57]

Yes the impossible is on after being 0-3 down the Oilers could actually win the Stanley Cup.

The Edmonton Oilers did it again, avoiding elimination for the third straight game in the Stanley Cup Final, this time to force Game 7 and a chance at history.

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024

Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Series tied 3-3

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA 4 EDM 3

Game 4: FLA 1 EDM 8

Game 5: EDM 5 FLA 3

Game 6: FLA 1 EDM 5

Game 7: EDM @ FLA 25/06 1 am

 

[mlg57]

History will be made in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amarant Bank Arena on Monday. The question is whether the Florida Panthers or Edmonton Oilers will be the ones making it.

If the Panthers win, it will be the first Cup championship in their history.

If the Oilers win, it will be their first Cup championship since 1990. They could also become the first team to climb out of a 3-0 deficit to win the Stanley Cup since the Toronto Maple Leafs did it against the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.

Edmonton would also become the first team from Canada to claim the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens won it in 1993.

 

[mlg57]

Panthers recover, defeat Oilers in Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final for 1st title

Avoid becoming 2nd team to lose championship series after leading 3-0

Crisis averted. The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions.



"So special," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I don't think we realize what we've just accomplished just yet. Every time I look at that trophy it'll get better and better."

Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, Sam Reinhart scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

The Panthers, who joined the NHL for the 1993-94 season, won their first Stanley Cup championship in their fourth chance to get it in this series. They lost the previous three games after taking a 3-0 lead and were in jeopardy of becoming the first team since 1942 to lose four straight potential clinching games in the Stanley Cup Final.

"To become a true champion you have to overcome adversity, and that was the moment you have to get together and get the job done," Bobrovsky said. "We weren't afraid to make a mistake. We played with freedom. We attacked."

Florida coach Paul Maurice finally won a Stanley Cup championship after coaching the most games in NHL history before his first title with 1,985 (1,848 in the regular season, 137 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs). He also improved to 5-0 in Game 7 for his NHL career.

STANLEY CUP FINAL 2024



Florida Panthers (1A) v Edmonton Oilers (2P)

Florida win the Stanley Cup series 4-3

Game 1: EDM 0 FLA 3

Game 2: EDM 1 FLA 4

Game 3: FLA 4 EDM 3

Game 4: FLA 1 EDM 8

Game 5: EDM 5 FLA 3

Game 6: FLA 1 EDM 5

Game 7: EDM 1 FLA 2