The Road to the Final: How Florida and Edmonton Got Here

The Stanley Cup Final is set, and we’ve got two heavyweights ready to battle — the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. But before they reached this stage, both teams had to survive tough playoff runs filled with big moments, momentum swings, and season-defining wins. Let’s walk through how each team got here.

Florida Panthers: Hungry for a Repeat

The Panthers came into these playoffs determined to prove last year’s Cup win wasn’t a fluke. They started strong, taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in an all-Florida first-round series. Tampa gave them a push, but Florida’s depth and steady defense led by Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky held firm. Bobrovsky, especially, was lights-out in key moments, shutting down Tampa’s top scorers and giving his team the confidence to play their aggressive style.

In the second round, Florida faced the Boston Bruins, the same team they upset in the first round last year. This time, Boston wanted revenge, but Florida wouldn’t break. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart came up huge, delivering timely goals and frustrating Boston’s defense. The Panthers’ balanced attack and physical presence wore Boston down, allowing Florida to close out the series in six games.

The Eastern Conference Final brought the New York Rangers — the Presidents’ Trophy winners. This was Florida’s biggest test yet. The Rangers had elite skill, goaltending, and depth, but the Panthers stuck to their game plan: tight checking, heavy forechecking, and opportunistic scoring. Tkachuk shined as the emotional spark, and Bobrovsky once again stole games when needed. Florida’s resilience and experience pushed them through, punching their ticket back to the Final.

Edmonton Oilers: Led by the Best

The Oilers came into the playoffs with one goal: win the Cup. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way, the expectations were sky-high — but the road wasn’t easy.

In the first round, they faced the Los Angeles Kings, a team that had given them fits in previous playoffs. This time, Edmonton’s power play was the difference. Evan Bouchard and McDavid picked the Kings apart with quick puck movement, and Stuart Skinner held strong in net. The Oilers closed the series in five, looking dominant.

The second round brought the Vancouver Canucks, a young and dangerous team. This was a rollercoaster — Edmonton had to dig deep after falling behind in the series. Zach Hyman stepped up with clutch goals, and McDavid took over, putting up multi-point games when the Oilers needed him most. Their comeback in this series showed real growth, especially from their defensive group.

In the Western Conference Final, the Oilers ran into the Dallas Stars, one of the most complete teams in the league. This was McDavid’s defining series — he was everywhere, pushing the pace, setting up teammates, and making Dallas pay on the power play. Skinner had some shaky moments early but steadied himself, making big saves when the pressure was on. Edmonton’s stars showed up, and their depth players added key contributions, lifting the Oilers to their first Final appearance since 2006.

Final Thoughts

Florida got here with depth, structure, and a calm, experienced core. Edmonton arrived on the back of star power, a lethal power play, and a burning hunger to end Canada’s long Stanley Cup drought.

Both teams have faced adversity, answered tough questions, and proven they belong on hockey’s biggest stage. Now, only one gets to finish the journey with the Cup.