NHL Stanley Cup Final 2024: Early Comments, Preview for Oilers vs. Panthers

The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers want the Stanley Cup to conclude two different types of pushes into the postseason.

Edmonton is finally in the NHL's championship series with Connor McDavid on the roster. The Oilers are after their first title since 1990 and Canada's first Cup since 1993.

Florida is trying to finish the job it couldn't get done last season. The Panthers fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

The Panthers are the better overall team, but the Oilers have the most star power with McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.

The Stanley Cup Final begins on Saturday in Florida with both teams on at least five days of rest.

Connor McDavid Searching For First Stanley Cup

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EDMONTON, CANADA JUNE 2: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against Miro Heiskanen #4 of the Dallas Stars in the second period of Game Six of the Western Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on June 2, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images)

McDavid's quest to finally win the Stanley Cup will be front and center in the conversation around the series for however many games it lasts.

The Oilers finally got the right combination of players around the generational superstar to get into the championship series.

McDavid expects a physical series from the Panthers, starting with Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, who he has experience playing against from their time with the Calgary Flames.

"They're both very familiar to me," McDavid said, per NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "There are no surprises. They both play hard."

"We played a real physical team in Vancouver as well," he said, referring to Edmonton's elimination of the Canucks in seven games in the Western Conference Second Round. "It's the playoffs. It's the Final. You expect physicality no matter who you're playing. And obviously Florida plays a fast game. In your face. Aggressive."

The Oilers' matchup with the Vancouver Canucks was their most physical matchup of the playoffs, but they also survived a battle with the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals.

Dallas was one of the most well-rounded teams in the NHL this season and that matchup should help the Oilers prepare for a deep Panthers squad.

Edmonton does not have Stanley Cup experience on its side. Florida was in the final last season and that could help it deal with the pressure early and get off to a strong start.

Florida In Search of Stanley Cup Redemption

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SUNRISE, FL - MAY 28: Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) reacts to a Panther's turnover in the second period during game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Florida wants to put in a better performance than it did last year against Vegas.

The Golden Knights beat the Panthers in five games. Three of the last five Stanley Cup Finals have only lasted five games.

Florida proved to be the best all-around team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. It earned its Stanley Cup berth with a controlling series win over the New York Rangers.

Florida's biggest key to success this year must be its discipline to keep Edmonton's lethal power play off the ice.

"I think both teams have been pretty good on special teams, and that's the thing; we have to be disciplined," forward Eetu Luostarinen said, per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "We can't give them too much time on the power play. For our end, we've got to look at some video and see how we can exploit them."

The Panthers also need to defend as a team and not let McDavid run rampant on their defense, as Tkachuk knows from personal experience playing him in Calgary.

"So it's got to be group," Tkachuk said, per Gulitti. "We've got guys that can skate, just like them. McDavid's probably the fastest guy in the world, so got to be on the right side of him. If you're even or behind him, he's going to beat you, so we've got to be in front of him at all times and have layers of support."

Tkachuk and the Panthers are after their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They only have one game victory in their two previous title series appearances.

Florida needs to start strong at home with wins in Games 1 and 2 before it heads to a raucous atmosphere in Edmonton, where the Stanley Cup Final has not been played in close to 20 years.