Matthew Tkachuk showed off his soothsayer skills last year in the Stanley Cup final handshake line when the Florida Panthers’ power forward told Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid that they would meet again very soon.
Fast forward to tonight and the winner-takes-all rematch Tkachuk predicted is set to begin at Rogers Place in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET.
The Panthers hoisted their first Stanley Cup last year when they knocked off the Oilers in seven games. They are determined to repeat as champions, while the Oilers are hoping to hoist the Cup for the first time since beating the Boston Bruins in 1990.
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It’s the 12th time in NHL history, and the second time in 40 years, that the same two teams are meeting in the final. Both teams have toughened up, added experience and made improvements and adjustments since their last Cup clash.
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This time the Oilers have home-ice advantage with Games 1 and 2 in Edmonton and, if necessary, so are Games 5 and 7. The Cup-crazy Alberta fans have embraced singer Chappell Roan’s hit Pink Pony Club, screaming the lyrics and dancing after goals and victories.
Speaking of having fun, the Panthers are making their third straight appearance in the Cup final and this season have been road warriors. They are 8-2 in the post-season, which is tied for the sixth-best winning percentage in NHL playoff history.
McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lead all scorers in the playoffs with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Since making their post-season debuts in 2017 McDavid has 143 points and Draisaitl has 133. The only thing missing on their resumes is a Cup.
And since the Panthers acquired Tkachuk in a trade with the Calgary Flames in the summer of 2022, the team has won 10 of 11 playoff series.
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