Panthers and Oilers will meet in the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk is about to renew some acquaintances. Connor McDavid is going back to where his NHL career started.
The Stanley Cup Final matchup is set: The Florida Panthers, back in the title round for the second consecutive year and seeking their first championship, will take on the Edmonton Oilers — a team looking to return to hockey’s mountaintop for the first time since 1990.
Edmonton wrapped up the Western Conference on Sunday night, eliminating the Dallas Stars with a 2-1 victory to end that series in six games. Florida won the Eastern Conference on Saturday night, topping the New York Rangers 2-1 to also finish off a six-game series.
Game 1 of the Cup final is Saturday night in Florida. The Panthers are in the title series for the third time; the Oilers are seeking their sixth Cup in what will be their eighth trip to finals. Edmonton hasn’t played for the Cup since losing a seven-game series to Carolina in 2006. And the Oilers have a chance to end a bizarre streak, given hockey’s meaning and deep ties to Canada — no team from a Canadian city has won the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993.