The 2025 Stanley Cup Last is ready. For the second consecutive 12 months, it is the Florida Panthers vs. the Edmonton Oilers within the closing spherical of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Not all sequels are pretty much as good as the unique. Will this one be Rocky II? Or will or not it’s The Godfather III? Extra importantly, can the Oilers win this time — ending the drought for Canadian groups profitable the Cup, a streak going again to 1993?
Listed here are the foremost particulars on the collection, from the schedule and betting intel (courtesy of ESPN BET) to notes on every membership and the matchup from ESPN Analysis.
Stanley Cup Last
Paths to the Last:
Oilers: Defeated Kings in six, Golden Knights in 5, Stars in 5
Panthers: Defeated Lightning in 5, Maple Leafs in seven, Hurricanes in 5
Schedule:
Recreation 1: Panthers at Oilers, June 4, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 2: Panthers at Oilers, June 6, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 3: Oilers at Panthers, June 9, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 4: Oilers at Panthers, June 12, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 5: Panthers at Oilers, June 14, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 6: Oilers at Panthers, June 17, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Recreation 7: Panthers at Oilers, June 20, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Betting intel
Cup winner:
Oilers: -115
Panthers: -105
Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP)
Connor McDavid (EDM): -110
Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA): +250
Aleksander Barkov (FLA): +425
Leon Draisaitl (EDM): +800
Matthew Tkachuk (FLA): +2500
Sam Bennett (FLA): +3000
Matchup notes
That is the twelfth Stanley Cup Last rematch in NHL historical past, the fifth within the enlargement period (since 1967-68), and the primary since 2008-09. The previous two occurrences — Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Crimson Wings in 2008 and 2009, Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Islanders in 1983 and 1984 — included Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky profitable their first Cup. An excellent signal for Connor McDavid?
The Panthers didn’t contact the Prince of Wales Trophy as winners of the Jap Convention final 12 months, after they did so in each 1996 and 2023 once they gained it on these events. Florida gained the Cup in 2024 after not touching it, whereas it misplaced within the Cup Last the earlier two occasions when the workforce touched it. The Oilers determined this 12 months to the touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for profitable the Western Convention. They didn’t contact the trophy final 12 months, nor did they achieve this in 2006 — and but they misplaced the Stanley Cup Last in seven video games each occasions.
In final 12 months’s Cup Last, the Panthers raced out to a 3-0 lead on an mixture rating of 11-4. The Oilers gained the following three by a mixed rating of 18-5. Recreation 7 was the tightest sport of the collection by far, ending with a 2-1 win for the Panthers; the game-winning objective occurred at 15:11 of the second interval, Sam Reinhart’s tenth of the 2024 postseason.
The Panthers gained each of their 2024-25 regular-season video games in opposition to the Oilers (6-5 at Florida on Dec. 16 and 4-3 at Edmonton on Feb. 27).
This collection will characteristic the highest 4 picks from the 2014 NHL draft: Aaron Ekblad (No. 1 to FLA), Sam Reinhart (No. 2 to BUF), Leon Draisaitl (No. 3 to EDM) and Sam Bennett (No. 4 to CGY). It is the second closing in NHL historical past the place every of high 4 picks from the identical NHL draft (skaters and goaltenders) gown in not less than one sport for both workforce — becoming a member of the 2024 closing, with the identical gamers.
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Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Last for the third consecutive 12 months
The Florida Panthers defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in 5 video games to advance to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Last.
Workforce notes
Oilers
The Oilers will play within the Stanley Cup Last for the ninth time, which passes the Philadelphia Flyers (eight) for probably the most amongst non-Authentic-Six franchises, and ranks seventh general.
Edmonton is the eighth workforce within the NHL’s enlargement period (since 1967-68) to succeed in the Stanley Cup Last regardless of dropping their first two video games of their opening playoff collection. Every of the opposite seven golf equipment to take action ended up profitable the Stanley Cup: the 2018 Washington Capitals, 2014 Los Angeles Kings, 2011 Boston Bruins, 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, 2002 Detroit Crimson Wings, 1993 Montreal Canadiens and 1992 Penguins. The 2014 Kings are the one membership in NHL historical past to start out 0-3 and win the Cup.
Connor McDavid averages 1.73 factors per sport in opposition to the Panthers in his profession, together with playoffs. That is the very best fee in opposition to Florida by any participant within the franchise’s historical past (min. 20 GP). The gamers proper behind McDavid: Joe Sakic (1.44 factors per sport), Peter Forsberg (1.43), Mario Lemieux (1.32).
After dropping his first three begins this postseason, Stuart Skinner is 6-1 in his previous seven begins, with a 1.41 goals-against common, .944 save share and three shutouts.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving present Oilers participant, can grow to be the second participant in NHL historical past to play his first 14-plus seasons with a franchise after which win his first Stanley Cup with them. He would be a part of Steve Yzerman (1997 with Detroit, his 14th season)
Panthers
The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL historical past with three consecutive Stanley Cup Last appearances, and second previously 40 years, becoming a member of the Lightning from 2020-22.
Florida can grow to be the tenth franchise in NHL historical past to repeat as Stanley Cup champions and eighth through the enlargement period.
The Panthers will enter Recreation 1 in Edmonton having gained their previous 5 highway playoff video games, outscoring opponents 27-7 over these 5 video games whereas going 6-for-14 (42.9%) on the ability play.
Over Florida’s previous 10 video games this postseason, Sergei Bobrovsky has a 1.57 goals-against common, .935 save share and two shutouts. He enters the 2025 Stanley Cup Last with 57 profession playoff wins, second-most amongst lively goalies behind solely Andrei Vasilevskiy (67).
Carter Verhaeghe scored his third profession series-clinching objective within the Jap Convention finals, and now trails solely Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen (each with 4) for probably the most amongst all lively gamers. Verhaeghe’s 12 profession game-winning objectives within the playoffs are twice as many because the next-closest participant in Panthers historical past (Matthew Tkachuk, six).
Sam Bennett scored in Recreation 5 in opposition to Carolina and have become the primary participant to succeed in the 10-goal mark within the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He additionally grew to become the second-fastest participant in franchise historical past to hit the benchmark in a postseason, behind Dave Lowry (15 video games performed in 1996). Bennett’s 10 objectives are tied for the third-most in a single postseason in Panthers historical past, behind Carter Verhaeghe (2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (2023) with 11 every.
