5 Keys to the Oilers Defeating the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final – The Hockey Writers –

The stage is set. The Edmonton Oilers will battle the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. The only difference is that this time the Oilers have home ice advantage. Edmonton lost a Game 7 heartbreaker on the road last season, and it’s not often a team has a chance for redemption.

This is the first time there has been a Stanley Cup Final rematch since 2008-09 between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings won in 2008, but the Penguins enacted their revenge in 2009 with Sidney Crosby leading the charge. Connor McDavid would like to do the same, as he chases his first Stanley Cup, like Crosby did that season. Hopefully, that comes to fruition, but for that to become a reality, Edmonton needs four more wins. Here are five keys to victory in defeating the Panthers and bringing the Stanley Cup north of the border.

Key #1: Stuart Skinner

This one’s obvious, but Stuart Skinner must outplay Sergei Bobrovsky. The Oilers’ netminder has had a rollercoaster playoff run. He struggled during the first two games against the Los Angeles Kings, leading to Calvin Pickard replacing him for the next six. The only reason he’s playing again is due to Pickard’s unfortunate injury. Now, Skinner has taken back that starting job and hasn’t looked back.

Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub

He was arguably Edmonton’s best player in the Western Conference Final, posting a .924 save percentage (SV%), with a shutout against the Dallas Stars, and outperformed Jake Oettinger. Despite his abysmal start, he has a 2.53 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 SV%, with three shutouts in 10 playoff games. On the other side, Bobrovsky has a 2.11 GAA and a .912 SV% with three shutouts in 17 games. Those numbers are great, but Skinner must stay hot and outplay him over a seven-game series. Can he do it?

Key #2: Special Teams

This is a key to victory most of the time, but their special teams must be better than Florida’s. The Panthers have the best penalty killing percentage this postseason at 87.9 percent. But Edmonton’s power play is finally getting hot, rocking at 30.0 percent, so something has to give. If the Oilers solve the Panthers’ elite penalty kill, that will go a long way in winning this series.

However, the Oilers’ biggest concern is their penalty kill. While they have improved slightly throughout the playoffs, it’s still not where it needs to be. It’s only…