HIGHLIGHTS
- The Oilers are heading back to the Stanley Cup
- Edmonton took down the Dallas Stars in five games on Thursday night
- Read below for the full story
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will have a chance at revenge in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Oilers took down the Dallas Stars in five games on Thursday evening in an impressive 6-3 victory, setting up a Finals rematch with the defending champion Florida Panthers. They also advanced in just five games, eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. This is the first time the same two teams will play in the Cup in back-to-back seasons since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and 2009.
Last season’s matchup was a thriller. Edmonton fought back from a 3-0 hole to force a Game 7, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. The Oilers left it all on the ice and have been waiting for the opportunity for redemption. There’s no shortage of motivation here.
Kris Knoblauch’s squad knocked out the Stars for the second year in a row in the Western Conference Finals. They scored 16 goals across the final three games of the series, completely dominating one of the deepest teams in the NHL.
McDavid has been the main man in these playoffs, tallying 26 points. Leon Draisaitl also has 25 points, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins just shined in the conference finals, collecting 10 of his 18 postseason points in the series.
While the Oilers did just lose Zach Hyman to season-ending surgery, this is a team with serious talent on both ends of the ice and a ton of playoff experience. The Panthers are arguably better this time around after adding Brad Marchand and Seth Jones at the trade deadline, but Edmonton has proven it can compete with the best.
Game 1 of the Finals will be in Edmonton. Florida was 2-0-0 against the Oilers during the regular season, and both games were ridiculously entertaining, finishing 6-5 and 4-3. We’re in for another fantastic series.
