A Stanley Cup Final appearance has been a long time coming for the Edmonton Oilers, as arguably the most storied franchise in the NHL has hoisted the coveted chalice since 1990. They’ll be looking to do so again by taking out the Florida Panthers, and with Game 1 on the horizon, it’s time to break down the matchup.
Path to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final
It’s been over 30 years since Wayne Gretzky continued his legacy for the Oilers, but fans in Edmonton have expected Stanley Cup victories since 2015. That’s thanks to drafting Connor McDavid #1 overall, who many regard as the best skater since the Great One.
Before we decide if he’ll finally get over the hump, let’s take a look at how McDavid and the Oilers got to this point. It began with a Pacific Division rivalry against the Los Angeles Kings, who they’ve faced in the first round in each of the past three seasons. Like the past two, Edmonton eliminated their division rival.
It’s taken them a game less each year, meaning they cruised through in just five games. That set them up with a matchup against another Pacific Division team - the Vancouver Canucks. They won the division, which is why the seven-game series ended in Vancouver. Of course, it was the Oilers ruining it for the home crowd.
Most recently, Edmonton eliminated the #1 overall seed, the Dallas Stars. It was their second straight season reaching the Western Conference Finals and their second straight year losing it. This round, the Oilers got things done a game earlier to send the Stars home in Edmonton in Game 6.
What they need to do against Florida
Now that we’ve seen their path, can this Oilers team be the first Canadian squad to lift the Stanley Cup since 1993? Well, to do so, it’s going to be all about the special teams. When it comes to power play efficiency, Edmonton has been producing at an unbelievable rate.
Much was made of the fact that they scored a power play goal in 11 of their first 12 postseason games, and rightfully so. However, while it wasn’t quite as strong against the Stars, they still sit with an impressive 37.3% power play. As you’d expect, that’s the best of any team in these 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
We know many fans will say that such success should be expected with skaters like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice. True enough, so how about their penalty kill? To many fans and analysts’ surprise, that is also the best of any team this postseason!
Not only is it the best, but by a significant margin. Their 93.9% penalty kill is more than 5% clear of the Panthers, who have been the second-best. In other words, Edmonton is more balanced than they’ve ever been, as they are not simply relying on offensive production from McDavid and company.
McDavid and company win in six
Given the aforementioned balance, we have the Oilers finally getting over the hump and hosting Lord Stanley for the first time in over three decades, thanks to Connor McDavid. With the series beginning in Florida, a split is what we’re expecting. Then, we see Edmonton going up 3-1 in the series in front of the Edmonton crowd.
After that, we’re predicting that the home teams will win each of the next two games, which means the Oilers will win it all in front of the home faithful in six games.
