15 Thoughts: Oilers vs Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final

Things to think about as the Oilers and Panthers battle for the Stanley Cup.

The Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games and became Western Conference Final Champions. They’ll meet the Florida Panthers who eliminated the New York Rangers one night earlier.

Here are 15 pre-series thoughts.

1. Edmonton is Canada’s team. This is the country’s chance to bring a Stanley Cup home since 1993. They are on the brink of ending Canada's 30-plus-year Stanley Cup drought, a feat not achieved since the Montreal Canadiens did so.

2. This will be Edmonton’s first trip to the Final since 2006 when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

3. The Florida Panthers haven’t won the Stanley Cup in their franchise’s history.

   

   Sergei Bobrovsky was solid for the Panthers vs. the Rangers

3. Evander Kane was injured in Game 6 after an awkward hit saw him leave the ice. He returned for a few shifts but didn’t play again in the third period. Kris Knoblauch said he was optimistic Kane’s issues wouldn’t be long-term and there is about a week for the two teams to rest up. Matthew Tkachuk doesn’t love playing against Evander Kane, so if Kane can’t go, that’s a potential issue for Edmonton.

4. Edmonton’s matchup against Florida will set a new record for the longest distance between two competing teams in NHL history, spanning 2,541 miles. The travel could be a factor in the series.

5. Neither team touched their Conference Final Trophy after closing out their respective series. That’s a superstition that teams often believe has a factor in the Final, but since neither team touched it, what exactly does that mean? Who does that benefit?