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The Oilers win 4 keys to the first game of the Stanley Cup final with the Panthers – Hockey Writer – Edmonton Oilers

Time has finally come. After nearly a week off, the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will begin tonight. The Cup final was always highly anticipated, but as we saw the rematch between the two teams was a distance a year ago.

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While it was the Panthers who started out from the Red Hot with a 3-0 series lead, it was the Oiler, which would be the advantage around the home. They will hope to start with 1 win and 1 victory this time. To achieve this, they will need to perform well in these four areas.

McDavid & Draisaitl needs to take over

While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have performed very well this postseason, we haven’t seen the real video game statistics that Oilers fans are already accustomed to. They were largely supported by the depth score, which shows that they should have a lot left in the tank this year.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Dresser (29) and forward Connor McDavid (97) talk before the standoff (mandatory credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)

Although the Oilers beat some really good teams to get back to the finals, they haven’t faced a team as good as the Panthers. To be present in this series, they will need their dynamic duo to grab the horns and occupy the capabilities of past provenness.

Skinner needs a good start

Although Stuart Skinner has remained inconsistent throughout his NHL career so far, there is no doubt about his late-stage numbers in the playoffs. It certainly is a great property for him and illustrates his spiritual power, despite the concern that he tends to start the series in a completely opposite way.

The Oilers can’t afford the confrontation with the Panthers as they did a year ago, and Skinner will play a huge role in whether that happens. He needs to start the series with the Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars as he completes. If that happens, his team should be able to rank first in Game 1.

Avoid

There isn’t a lot of criticism about the Oilers during this year’s run, though if you’re choosing an area that needs improvement, it’s their fine kill. They currently account for only 66% of the free throw percentage in the playoffs, ranking 14th among the 16 teams that are eligible for the playoffs. Only two worse were the Ottawa Senators (64.7%) and the Los Angeles Kings (61.5%), both of whom were eliminated in the first round.

Alexander Barkov Seth Jones Florida Black Panther
May 18, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) congratulates on a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second phase of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in the second phase of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Image

The Oilers will compete against a Panthers, which aren’t extraordinary in the playoffs, but aren’t 23.2% anyway. They have a lot of weapons on both units, which will make the Oiler pay if they play undisciplined games. This makes them have to do everything they can to play with average strength.

Don’t play Black Panther Game

There is a reason why the Panthers have a third straight Cup final. They are a very good team in all areas, although they are best at physical and bullying styles. They have a lot of huge bodies and they are not afraid to oppose their opponents, and opposition teams try to replicate this style to beat them, they will grow.

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While oilers do have several of their own physical weapons, they rely more on skill games. While the Panthers’ bodies can be frustrating at times, it’s important that they have to continue to rely on something so far away, rather than letting their frustration take over and trying to have a physical round with the Panthers.

Awesome series

While it remains to be seen who will be ranked number one in this series, it feels like a very likely distance again. Both teams are very interactive in almost every way, suggesting that this may be one of the more memorable Stanley Cup finals that hockey fans have seen over a while.

Alternative hockey writer Edmonton Oiler Flag


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