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Create Account Stanley Cup Final preview: Players to watch, goalie confidence levels, top trends Edmonton Oilers 4dRyan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton WWE makes custom championship belt for winner of Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers 5hGreg Wyshynski 'He's meant everything to our group:' What's next for Joe Pavelski after 18 seasons in the NHL? Dallas Stars 10dRyan S. Clark Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason Boston Bruins 5dESPN staff 'He's the heartbeat of our team': Why everybody loves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, long-suffering Edmonton Oiler Edmonton Oilers 4dGreg Wyshynski Kris Knoblauch's journey from youth hockey coach to 'saving' Oilers' season Edmonton Oilers 8dGreg Wyshynski Have the Oilers done enough to get Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl a Stanley Cup? Edmonton Oilers 10dRyan S. 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Follow on X Jun 2, 2024, 11:05 PM ET Share * Copy Link * Email * Print LikeOpen Extended Reactions 387 REACTIONS Like 372 Fire 10 Wow 2 Interesting 2 Laugh 1 From a regular-season batch of 32 teams, to a Stanley Cup playoff field of 16, and now down to two, the NHL's champion is close to being crowned for 2024. A year after losing in the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Florida Panthers are out to finish their story and raise the Cup for the first time in franchise history. For the Edmonton Oilers, a Stanley Cup would silence all the "yeah, but" conversations regarding superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and etch their names among the franchise greats from five prior Cup teams. Game 1 is Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN+). Here's everything you need to know about both teams, from key players to watch, goaltender confidence ratings, and the top trends for each team coming out of the conference finals. FLORIDA PANTHERS Stanley Cup wins: None How they got here: Defeated Lightning 4-1, Bruins 4-2, Rangers 4-2 Goalie confidence rating: 9 out of 10 Sergei Bobrovsky has been rock solid for the Panthers throughout these playoffs. Granted, the team's excellent defensive play has aided Bobrovsky. But the veteran's steady stream of quality performances gives Florida undeniable confidence Bobrovsky will be there to make the big saves. EDITOR'S PICKS * PATCHWORK PANTHERS: HOW FLORIDA BUILT A PERENNIAL CONTENDER 5DKRISTEN SHILTON * HAVE THE OILERS DONE ENOUGH TO GET CONNOR MCDAVID AND LEON DRAISAITL A STANLEY CUP? 10DRYAN S. CLARK * KEYS TO THE OFFSEASON: WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE STARS, OTHER ELIMINATED TEAMS? 4DRYAN S. CLARK AND KRISTEN SHILTON 2 Related He has earned a 12-5 record in the postseason, with a .908 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average. The only playoff starter who has averaged fewer goals against per game than Bobrovsky was Boston's Jeremy Swayman (and Bobrovsky ultimately won that battle when Florida sent the Bruins packing in their second-round series). Bobrovsky had to be the Panthers' hero during last season's run to the Cup finals, and it wore him down in the end. This year's workload has been more manageable, and that should set Bobrovsky up for continued success. What the Eastern Conference finals taught us about the Panthers Florida is the total package. The Panthers have star power, scoring depth, elite defensive habits, a top-tier goaltender and -- perhaps most crucial of all -- innate killer instinct. The team was exceptional in the third period against the New York Rangers down the stretch of their series, winning the final three games by a one-goal margin. The Panthers also shut the Rangers down at 5-on-5 in that span, allowing just one even-strength goal while simultaneously rendering New York's once-vaunted power play completely ineffective with a stifling penalty kill. And the way Florida held the Rangers' elite scorers from producing -- Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad combined for a single goal through six games -- was a byproduct of the Panthers' full-team buy-in on defense. At the same time, Florida can be deadly off the rush while equally strong suppressing those chances from going the other way. Their ability to make New York pay for mistakes was another backbreaker for the Rangers, who couldn't find the same opportunities to do damage. Florida rarely offers quality looks, and Bobrovsky stood tall against the most glaring breakdowns. Players who will be key to the Cup Final One of Florida's strengths may be its defense in a collective sense. But the Panthers' defensemen will certainly be in the spotlight when the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman try to get rolling. STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS 2024 There are just two teams left vying for the Stanley Cup. Check out our coverage, with TV times, the latest news, results and more. • Playoff Central • Subscribe to ESPN+ • Stream the NHL on ESPN Gustav Forsling has had a brilliant postseason going up against some of the toughest opposing matchups, and he has also contributed offensively (four goals and 11 points). Brandon Montour's physicality and active stick breaking up rush chances has been invaluable. Florida defends well and is aggressive in holding shooters to the outside and limiting action from the slot. That will be critical in preventing the Oilers from running wild. Aaron Ekblad should also play a key role in steadying Florida from the back end -- and this year he won't be playing in the Cup Final with a broken foot. That's a definite improvement. Player who needs to step up Carter Verhaeghe was a force for Florida early in the postseason. His production has been dwindling, though. Verhaeghe popped in five goals in five games against Tampa Bay, but he has just four goals total since then. He put only two shots on net in the final two games of the conference finals and wasn't nearly as visible for the Panthers in creating opportunities around the net (although Igor Shesterkin did make a notable save on Verhaeghe in Game 6). All of that is to say, Verhaeghe needs to recapture his first-series form in the Cup finals. There will be a laundry list of capable scorers across the ice -- and some obviously elite talents, too -- and the Panthers can't afford any passengers in their group. Verhaeghe can absolutely be a difference-maker for Florida and drive its offense. Now is the time for him to shift gears. Is there a coaching edge for the Panthers? The Cup finals will feature two head coaches at opposite ends of the NHL spectrum. Florida coach Paul Maurice has been in the league for two decades, and he has now reached three Cup finals (two with Florida). Edmonton's Kris Knoblauch hasn't even coached an entire NHL season yet, having replaced Jay Woodcroft in November as his first gig in the league. Will experience be a factor for either side? The Oilers have responded well to Knoblauch, and their on-ice success since he took over is abundantly clear. But when evenly matched opponents like Florida and Edmonton clash, there is generally an X factor that emerges to separate the sides, something more intangible. Things such as a critical line change, or knowing when to take a timeout, or being able to read the demeanor of your team and adjust accordingly. All of that will be heightened given the stakes in the Cup finals. We've already seen in the playoffs how well-timed coaching decisions have helped secure wins in tight contests. The margins for error in this series will be slim. The edge could lie not with who is sitting on the bench, but standing behind it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDMONTON OILERS Stanley Cup wins: 1990, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1984 How they got here: Defeated Kings 4-1, Canucks 4-3, Stars 4-2 Goalie confidence rating: 9 out of 10 There were certainly questions about Stuart Skinner earlier this postseason. But how he has performed since Game 6 of the second round has only added to what makes the Oilers such a problem in the defensive zone. They enter the Stanley Cup Final allowing just 25.1 shots per game, the third fewest among 2024 playoff teams. With a penalty kill that held the Dallas Stars to zero goals through the conference finals, the Oilers have one of the strongest defensive identities in the league. Complementing that with a consistent version of Skinner -- who had a 1.95 goals-against average against the Stars -- only adds to the argument that the Oilers might be the most complete team in the playoffs. What the Western Conference finals taught us about the Oilers That anyone who still believes this team is just Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid has not been paying attention. The path they took to beat the Stars in the Western Conference finals is proof. NHL DRAFT COVERAGE ON ESPN The 2024 NHL draft will take place June 28-29 in Las Vegas. Get caught up on everything you need to know about the top prospects with draft preview content from Rachel Doerrie: • Latest mock draft • Draft prospect rankings • Draft order • More NHL coverage In the Oilers' victories in Games 4 and 5, they received key goals from players such as Mattias Janmark, Ryan McLeod, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Philip Broberg. Their penalty kill was perfect against the Stars, including going 3-for-3 in the pivotal Game 6. They've developed a two-way identity that has allowed them to play comfortably in one-goal games, including the closeout in Game 6. They've made goal prevention a serious component to their success, and it has only added to the looming threat that the Oilers could break out to score more than four goals in a game as well. A team that has been billed as an offensive juggernaut has shown it can be the complete package. Players who will be key to the Cup Final The Oilers have Draisaitl and McDavid, a pair of elite forwards who have four Hart Trophies between them. But again, they are more than that. Zach Hyman has given them a forechecking winger who can control the net front. They have a puck-moving defenseman in Evan Bouchard, who, along with Mattias Ekholm, gives the Oilers a trusted top pairing. This postseason has elevated Nugent-Hopkins' profile as a two-way player because of what he has been able to do at 5-on-5, on the penalty kill and on the power play; he could be their most important forward not named Draisaitl or McDavid. There's also what Darnell Nurse accomplished against Dallas, going from a figure under scrutiny to being one of the Oilers' most consistent players to close out the series. That includes logging more than 21 minutes with three hits while not being on the ice for a goal against in Game 6. That version of Nurse would be instrumental in helping capture the franchise's first title since 1990. Player who needs to step up Evander Kane. At his best, Kane is a physical power forward who can cause problems in the slot and at the net front, with a shot that can also make him dangerous on the perimeter. That has made him one of the NHL's most consistent goal scorers over his career, with a run of nine seasons with more than 20. It's also what makes his recent scoring drought (six straight games, going back to Game 7 of the second round against the Vancouver Canucks) so puzzling. Kane opened the conference finals with nine shots in his first two games, only to then record four shots combined in Games 3, 4 and 5. He was moved down from the second line to the third line as a result in Game 5, resulting in a significant decline in his work rate compared to his first two postseasons with the Oilers. It's possible Kane could be injured going into the Stanley Cup Final. After delivering a check early in Game 6, he skated to the bench and logged only 4:39 of ice time via nine shifts. Hiring Kris Knoblauch could be the latest move in a certain trend Moving on from Jay Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch not only saved the Oilers' season, but allowed them to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in nearly two decades. Whether the Oilers win the Cup or not, the move raises a debate about the expectations for an NHL coach in his first season with a new team. This trend started in 2019, when Craig Berube, who had 161 games of NHL head-coaching experience, was made the interim coach of the St. Louis Blues ... and won the Stanley Cup in what was his first of five-plus seasons with the club. TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK FROM Get exclusive access to thousands of premium articles a year from top writers. • NBA draft: 14 prospect-to-pros comps » • Ranking all 39 signings of the Klopp era » • Let's go! MLB post-hype check-in » More ESPN+ content » A year later, veteran coach Rick Bowness was an interim who guided the Dallas Stars to the Cup Final. In 2021, Dominique Ducharme, an interim coach with no previous NHL head-coaching experience, guided the Montreal Canadiens to a Cup Final. Last year saw Bruce Cassidy, who had 500-plus games of experience, win a title in his first campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights. It's a trend that continues with Knoblauch, whose head-coaching roles had previously been in the AHL and junior hockey. Knoblauch has the chance to be the first coach since Dan Bylsma in 2009 to win the title in his first year behind an NHL bench. * Terms of Use * Privacy Policy * Interest-Based Ads * EU Privacy Rights * Cookie Policy * Manage Privacy Preferences © ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. We work with 835 partners. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time through the “Manage Privacy Preferences” link on each page. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. For additional information, please visit our Cookie Policy. 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List of Partners (vendors) | View Illustrations PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA, AND IDENTIFICATION THROUGH DEVICE SCANNING 315 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Precise geolocation data, and identification through device scanning * USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA 256 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice. * ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION 123 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice. List of Partners (vendors) PERSONALISED ADVERTISING AND CONTENT, ADVERTISING AND CONTENT MEASUREMENT, AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SERVICES DEVELOPMENT 795 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT ADVERTISING 606 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * CREATE PROFILES FOR PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 492 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities. View Illustrations * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 487 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. View Illustrations * CREATE PROFILES TO PERSONALISE CONTENT 216 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests. View Illustrations * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT 189 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests. View Illustrations * MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE 706 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE 355 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES THROUGH STATISTICS OR COMBINATIONS OF DATA FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES 449 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SERVICES 531 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT CONTENT 121 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection List of Partners (vendors) SPECIAL PURPOSES & FEATURES Always Active * ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT AND DETECT FRAUD, AND FIX ERRORS 502 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label label Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them. View Illustrations * DELIVER AND PRESENT ADVERTISING AND CONTENT 494 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label label Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device. View Illustrations * MATCH AND COMBINE DATA FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES 354 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label label Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice. * LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES 325 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label label In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices). * IDENTIFY DEVICES BASED ON INFORMATION TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY 480 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label label Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice. 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