The wait is over. Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is finally here.
Let&#8217;s look at how the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/i-dont-think-he-gets-enough-recognition-edmonton-oilers-gm-stan-bowman-kris-knoblauch-stuart-skinner-meeting-connor-mcdavid">Edmonton Oilers</a> and Florida Panthers, who know each other well from last year&#8217;s Cup Final, match up head-to-head.

Here&#8217;s a quick look at the overall team success at 5&#215;5, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.
<table style="width: 634px;" width="555">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;" width="64">TEAM</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;" width="40">GP</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;" width="102">5&#215;5 GF-GA</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;" width="118">5&#215;5 SF-SA</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;" width="123">PP</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;" width="108">PK</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;">EDM</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;">16</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;">42-26 (61.76%)</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;">393-331 (54.28%)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;">13 on 56 (23.2%)</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;">7 on 58 (87.9%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;">FLA</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;">17</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;">47-28 (62.67%)</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;">369-318 (53.71%)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;">12 on 40 (30%)</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;">16 on 47 (66%)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Both teams have been very good 5&#215;5.
At 5&#215;5, Florida outscored Tampa Bay 12-8, then outscored Toronto 20-15, and they dominated Carolina 15-5. Edmonton outscored LA 15-14 in round one, then doubled up Vegas 14-7 before controlling Dallas 13-5.
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/healthy-leon-draisaitl-difference-maker-for-edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final">Edmonton</a> allowed seven 5&#215;5 goals in their first two games against LA, but in their last 14 games, they&#8217;ve outscored L.A., Vegas, and Dallas 38-19 at 5&#215;5, which is the main reason they are 12-2 in their last 14 games. Florida lost their first two games to Toronto in round two and allowed six goals 5&#215;5, but they went 8-2 in their next 10 games and outscored Toronto and Carolina 31-13.
Both teams enter the Cup Final on a tear, especially 5&#215;5.
Edmonton&#8217;s penalty kill looks ugly at 66 percent. It started horribly, allowing seven goals on 12 chances in their first three games vs. L.A.. In their first two games against Vegas, they allowed three goals on seven chances, and in the opening game against Dallas, the Stars&#8217; power play went 3-for-4. The Oilers&#8217; PK has struggled early in each series. That is a trend they want to stop.
Meanwhile, Florida&#8217;s PK has been consistent throughout the playoffs. They allowed two goals on 18 chances to Tampa Bay, Toronto scored twice on 20 opportunities, while Carolina scored three goals on 20 chances.
Can Edmonton&#8217;s power play have more success?
The Oilers&#8217; PP has been deadly once again, clicking at 30 percent. They scored a goal in all five games vs. Dallas, going 6-for-16. They only had 11 chances vs. Vegas and scored once, while the PP was 38.5 percent vs. L.A., scoring five times on 13 chances. Florida plays an aggressive style and will take penalties. They averaged 2.99 times shorthanded/game in the regular season and are sitting at 3.28 TS/game in the playoffs. Their PK has been good, but can it stop Edmonton&#8217;s vaunted PP?
Florida has a solid power play at 23.2 percent. They went 3-for-3 in their opening game vs. Tampa, but they are only 18.8 percent in their last 16 games with 10 goals on 53 chances. Can they beat an Oilers PK which has been weak early in the series? The return of Mattias Ekholm should help the Oilers&#8217; penalty kill.
Now let&#8217;s look at the forwards, defensemen, and goalies.
<h1 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Forwards…</h1>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-176343 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-890.png" alt="" width="796" height="197" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-890.png 796w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-890-300x74.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-890-768x190.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px" /> 
A three-time Hart trophy winner vs. a three-time Selke trophy winner is the marquee matchup up front with Connor McDavid vs. Aleksander Barkov. Neither coach will shy away from this matchup, as both centres are used to facing the other team&#8217;s top players. It is interesting to note how McDavid has more points, but also a better GA/60 at 2.8 to Barkov&#8217;s 3.2.
Losing Zach Hyman is a big blow for the Oilers, although <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-corey-perry-confirms-no-plans-to-retire">Corey Perry</a> has had a great playoff and is tied for the Oilers&#8217; lead in goals with seven. Perry won&#8217;t play every 5&#215;5 shift with McDavid, as other wingers will get a few shifts.
Evan Rodrigues killed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/its-only-about-winning-how-the-edmonton-oilers-grew-into-a-stanley-cup-or-bust-team">the Oilers</a> last year with four goals in the Cup Final.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-176344 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-891.png" alt="" width="793" height="199" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-891.png 793w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-891-300x75.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-891-768x193.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 793px) 100vw, 793px" />
This is the matchup I want to see. Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane are strong and physical, and so are Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Kane and Tkachuk lining up side-by-side on faceoffs could be highly entertaining. Kasperi Kapanen has been very noticeable since getting into the lineup in Game 4 of the Vegas series. He&#8217;s been quite physical, and if we see these two lines go head-to-head often, we should witness some big hits and some intense shifts.
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/03/healthy-leon-draisaitl-difference-maker-for-edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final/">Draisaitl played injured</a> last year in the final two rounds, and it showed. He scored 24 points in the first two rounds, but had only seven points, all assists, in the final two rounds as his shooting was limited. He, like Kane, is fully healthy this year, and I&#8217;d expect him to be much more of a factor in the Cup Final.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-176345 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-892.png" alt="" width="786" height="184" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-892.png 786w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-892-300x70.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-892-768x180.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 786px) 100vw, 786px" />
The Panthers&#8217; third line has been outstanding. They are tied for the team lead with 12 points each at 5&#215;5. They&#8217;ve crushed teams, especially Toronto and Tampa Bay. I have Adam Henrique&#8217;s line listed as the third line, because they&#8217;ve played more thus far, but if I were Kris Knoblauch, I&#8217;d play Mattias Janmark&#8217;s line against Anton Lundell&#8217;s line. Janmark and Vasily Podkolzin are arguably the Oilers&#8217; two most responsible defensive forwards. They rarely make defensive mistakes, and they are quicker than Henrique and Frederic. The Oilers need to slow this line down and force Florida&#8217;s top two lines to carry more of the load offensively.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-176347 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-894.png" alt="" width="744" height="177" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-894.png 744w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-894-300x71.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px" />
Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich have outscored the opponents 5-0 thus far. Gadjovich has scored some timely goals for the Panthers thus far. This Oilers trio has performed very well when they play together and has controlled time of possession in most of their games. However, we could see Henrique&#8217;s line against Nosek&#8217;s line, at least on home ice, to start the series.
The forward groups are pretty even. I&#8217;d give a slight edge to Edmonton, because of McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers&#8217; 3rd-10th forwards have scored 41 goals in the playoffs, while Florida&#8217;s 3rd-12th forwards (in points) have scored 35.
<h1>DEFENCE…</h1>
EDM 1st pair:
Ekholm: 14:55 and 0-1&#8211;1                      Bouchard: 18:46 and 3-8-11 
2-0 GF-GA and 5-7 SF-SA                     22-14 GF-GA and 167-118 SF-SA
FLA 1st pair:
Forsling: 17:28 and 1-3-4                       Ekblad: 16:23 and 3-5-8 
18-12 GF-GA and 166-144 SF-SA          14-10 GF-GA and 132-94 SF-SA
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/05/29/mattias-ekholm-jeff-skinner-return-edmonton-oilers-game-5-dallas-stars/">Mattias Ekholm</a> has only played one game, and he played just under 15 minutes at 5&#215;5, so we&#8217;ll see if he&#8217;s ready for top-pair minutes in Game 1. Evan Bouchard has had another outstanding playoff, and as good as Gustav Forsling is, it is hard to argue that Bouchard isn&#8217;t the best overall D-man in this series. He produces the most, and he has excellent possession metrics. Last year, in head-to-head play, Connor McDavid outscored Aaron Ekblad 5-0 at 5&#215;5 and Forsling 4-2. Will we see that matchup as often this year, as they each played over 70 minutes against him, or will Mikkola and Jones get more than the 30 minutes the Brandon Montour pair got against McDavid last year?
EDM 2nd pair:
Nurse: 20:20 and 1-3-4                            Kulak: 20:01 and 1-3-4 
14-15 GF-GA and 150-149 SF-SA           14-8 GF-GA and 149-112 SF-SA
FLA 2nd pair:
Mikkola: 16:30 and 3-2-5                       Jones: 17:29 and 2-1-3 
15-8 GF-GA and 96-88 SF-SA                17-8 GF-GA and 116-108 SF-SA
Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones have been Florida&#8217;s best pair. Mikkola has been excellent, and their combined size and length make them a formidable pair. Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak were outstanding in Game 5 vs. Dallas, their first game where they played almost exclusively with each other due to Ekholm&#8217;s return. They outshot Dallas 12-1, with the only shot coming on the Jason Robertson goal, after a rare blatant giveaway from Kulak. Nurse and Kulak are both excellent skaters, and they&#8217;ve played the most minutes 5&#215;5 of all Oilers D-men. Defence coach Paul Coffey trusts them a lot, and when Nurse plays a simple game, he&#8217;s very effective.
Nurse wasn&#8217;t healthy during last year&#8217;s Cup Final, and the entire playoffs as a whole. He only averaged 15 minutes/game in the Final. He&#8217;s healthy this year and he and Kulak will play an important role. The Jones/Mikkola pairing has been together all playoffs and has been more consistent.
EDM 3rd pair:
Walman: 16:43 and 1-4-5                         Klingberg: 17:43 and 0-3-3 
16-9 GF-GA and 105-67 SF-SA               10-5 GF-GA and 122-108 SF-SA
FLA 3rd pair:
Schmidt: 13:19 and 2-4-6                        Kulikov: 14:12 and 1-3-4 
15-8 GF-GA and 106-93 SF-SA               9-8 GF-GA and 90-84 SF-SA
<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/05/21/edmonton-oilers-stan-bowman-impressed-jake-walman-john-klingberg/">Jake Walman and John Klingberg</a> have been excellent for Edmonton. Walman is tied for the lead in +/-, and his next blocked shot will put him in the lead for shot blocks. Klingberg looked rusty and slow at times when he first joined the Oilers, but since returning from injury for Game 2 vs. LA, he&#8217;s been very good. He has his lateral mobility back, his best asset, and he creates time and space because of it. How all three Oilers D pairs handle Florida&#8217;s forecheck could decide the series. If they can move pucks up quickly and trap their forwards deep, the Oilers could have a lot of odd-man rush chances.
Dmitri Kulikov and Nate Schmidt have also played well. Kulikov is their most physical defender, and he&#8217;s not afraid to take healthy, hard runs at players. The Oilers will need to keep their heads up when he&#8217;s on the ice. He can be a bit overly aggressive and times and get out of position, and if that happens, the Oilers need to make him pay. Last year, Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a 7-1 GF-GA in the playoffs. He was excellent against Edmonton, and the Panthers will need their third pair to be solid again. It will be difficult to match OEL&#8217;s success, though.
With Ekholm healthy, the Oilers have the best group of six puck movers.
<h1 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">GOALTENDING…</h1>
Sergei Bobrovsky and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/five-oilers-who-could-be-x-factors-against-the-panthers-in-the-stanley-cup-final">Stuart Skinner</a> will go head-to-head in the Cup Final for the second consecutive season. Last year, Skinner allowed 16 goals on 175 shots for a .909Sv% and 2.32 GAA. Bobrovsky allowed 17 goals on 168 shots for a .899Sv% and 2.67 GAA. Skinner was solid in his first Cup Final, while Bobrovsky was as well. In the four Panthers wins, he only allowed five goals. When he was on, he was the difference, especially in Games 1 and 3.
Skinner has been excellent since returning to the net in round two vs. Vegas. In eight games, he is 6-2 with a .931Sv% and 1.73 GAA. He doesn&#8217;t need to be that dynamic. It would be very difficult to maintain those numbers. He just needs to be consistent. (I have a deep dive goalie scouting report from Kevin Woodley coming out later today.)
Bobrovsky has the better career numbers. Skinner&#8217;s been better the past two series. Who will prevail?
<h1>WRAP UP&#8230;</h1>
This series should be very competitive. There isn&#8217;t much separating the teams, but I do think some forget the Oilers outplayed Florida in Games 1 and 3 last year, but lost. They were the better team in five of the seven games, but Bobrovsky stole two games.
Edmonton is the quicker team, and if they continue to play like they did vs. Vegas and Dallas, they have a great chance to win.
This will be the toughest series to date for both teams, and it has the potential to be a classic.
<hr />
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&nbsp;

The wait is over. Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is finally here.

Let's look at how the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/i-dont-think-he-gets-enough-recognition-edmonton-oilers-gm-stan-bowman-kris-knoblauch-stuart-skinner-meeting-connor-mcdavid">Edmonton Oilers</a> and Florida Panthers, who know each other well from last year's Cup Final, match up head-to-head.



Here's a quick look at the overall team success at 5x5, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.
<table style="width: 634px;" width="555">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;" width="64">TEAM</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;" width="40">GP</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;" width="102">5x5 GF-GA</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;" width="118">5x5 SF-SA</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;" width="123">PP</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;" width="108">PK</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;">EDM</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;">16</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;">42-26 (61.76%)</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;">393-331 (54.28%)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;">13 on 56 (23.2%)</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;">7 on 58 (87.9%)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 66px; text-align: center;">FLA</td>
<td style="width: 42px; text-align: center;">17</td>
<td style="width: 125px; text-align: center;">47-28 (62.67%)</td>
<td style="width: 147px; text-align: center;">369-318 (53.71%)</td>
<td style="width: 132px; text-align: center;">12 on 40 (30%)</td>
<td style="width: 122px; text-align: center;">16 on 47 (66%)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Both teams have been very good 5x5.

At 5x5, Florida outscored Tampa Bay 12-8, then outscored Toronto 20-15, and they dominated Carolina 15-5. Edmonton outscored LA 15-14 in round one, then doubled up Vegas 14-7 before controlling Dallas 13-5.

<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/healthy-leon-draisaitl-difference-maker-for-edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final">Edmonton</a> allowed seven 5x5 goals in their first two games against LA, but in their last 14 games, they've outscored L.A., Vegas, and Dallas 38-19 at 5x5, which is the main reason they are 12-2 in their last 14 games. Florida lost their first two games to Toronto in round two and allowed six goals 5x5, but they went 8-2 in their next 10 games and outscored Toronto and Carolina 31-13.

Both teams enter the Cup Final on a tear, especially 5x5.

Edmonton's penalty kill looks ugly at 66 percent. It started horribly, allowing seven goals on 12 chances in their first three games vs. L.A.. In their first two games against Vegas, they allowed three goals on seven chances, and in the opening game against Dallas, the Stars' power play went 3-for-4. The Oilers' PK has struggled early in each series. That is a trend they want to stop.

Meanwhile, Florida's PK has been consistent throughout the playoffs. They allowed two goals on 18 chances to Tampa Bay, Toronto scored twice on 20 opportunities, while Carolina scored three goals on 20 chances.

Can Edmonton's power play have more success?

The Oilers' PP has been deadly once again, clicking at 30 percent. They scored a goal in all five games vs. Dallas, going 6-for-16. They only had 11 chances vs. Vegas and scored once, while the PP was 38.5 percent vs. L.A., scoring five times on 13 chances. Florida plays an aggressive style and will take penalties. They averaged 2.99 times shorthanded/game in the regular season and are sitting at 3.28 TS/game in the playoffs. Their PK has been good, but can it stop Edmonton's vaunted PP?

Florida has a solid power play at 23.2 percent. They went 3-for-3 in their opening game vs. Tampa, but they are only 18.8 percent in their last 16 games with 10 goals on 53 chances. Can they beat an Oilers PK which has been weak early in the series? The return of Mattias Ekholm should help the Oilers' penalty kill.

Now let's look at the forwards, defensemen, and goalies.
<h1 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Forwards…</h1>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-176343 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-890.png" alt="" width="796" height="197" />
A three-time Hart trophy winner vs. a three-time Selke trophy winner is the marquee matchup up front with Connor McDavid vs. Aleksander Barkov. Neither coach will shy away from this matchup, as both centres are used to facing the other team's top players. It is interesting to note how McDavid has more points, but also a better GA/60 at 2.8 to Barkov's 3.2.

Losing Zach Hyman is a big blow for the Oilers, although <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-corey-perry-confirms-no-plans-to-retire">Corey Perry</a> has had a great playoff and is tied for the Oilers' lead in goals with seven. Perry won't play every 5x5 shift with McDavid, as other wingers will get a few shifts.

Evan Rodrigues killed <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/its-only-about-winning-how-the-edmonton-oilers-grew-into-a-stanley-cup-or-bust-team">the Oilers</a> last year with four goals in the Cup Final.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-176344 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-891.png" alt="" width="793" height="199" />

This is the matchup I want to see. Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane are strong and physical, and so are Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Kane and Tkachuk lining up side-by-side on faceoffs could be highly entertaining. Kasperi Kapanen has been very noticeable since getting into the lineup in Game 4 of the Vegas series. He's been quite physical, and if we see these two lines go head-to-head often, we should witness some big hits and some intense shifts.

<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/03/healthy-leon-draisaitl-difference-maker-for-edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final/">Draisaitl played injured</a> last year in the final two rounds, and it showed. He scored 24 points in the first two rounds, but had only seven points, all assists, in the final two rounds as his shooting was limited. He, like Kane, is fully healthy this year, and I'd expect him to be much more of a factor in the Cup Final.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-176345 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-892.png" alt="" width="786" height="184" />

The Panthers' third line has been outstanding. They are tied for the team lead with 12 points each at 5x5. They've crushed teams, especially Toronto and Tampa Bay. I have Adam Henrique's line listed as the third line, because they've played more thus far, but if I were Kris Knoblauch, I'd play Mattias Janmark's line against Anton Lundell's line. Janmark and Vasily Podkolzin are arguably the Oilers' two most responsible defensive forwards. They rarely make defensive mistakes, and they are quicker than Henrique and Frederic. The Oilers need to slow this line down and force Florida's top two lines to carry more of the load offensively.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-176347 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-894.png" alt="" width="744" height="177" />

Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich have outscored the opponents 5-0 thus far. Gadjovich has scored some timely goals for the Panthers thus far. This Oilers trio has performed very well when they play together and has controlled time of possession in most of their games. However, we could see Henrique's line against Nosek's line, at least on home ice, to start the series.

The forward groups are pretty even. I'd give a slight edge to Edmonton, because of McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers' 3rd-10th forwards have scored 41 goals in the playoffs, while Florida's 3rd-12th forwards (in points) have scored 35.
<h1>DEFENCE…</h1>
EDM 1st pair:

Ekholm: 14:55 and 0-1--1                      Bouchard: 18:46 and 3-8-11
2-0 GF-GA and 5-7 SF-SA                     22-14 GF-GA and 167-118 SF-SA

FLA 1st pair:

Forsling: 17:28 and 1-3-4                       Ekblad: 16:23 and 3-5-8
18-12 GF-GA and 166-144 SF-SA          14-10 GF-GA and 132-94 SF-SA

<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/05/29/mattias-ekholm-jeff-skinner-return-edmonton-oilers-game-5-dallas-stars/">Mattias Ekholm</a> has only played one game, and he played just under 15 minutes at 5x5, so we'll see if he's ready for top-pair minutes in Game 1. Evan Bouchard has had another outstanding playoff, and as good as Gustav Forsling is, it is hard to argue that Bouchard isn't the best overall D-man in this series. He produces the most, and he has excellent possession metrics. Last year, in head-to-head play, Connor McDavid outscored Aaron Ekblad 5-0 at 5x5 and Forsling 4-2. Will we see that matchup as often this year, as they each played over 70 minutes against him, or will Mikkola and Jones get more than the 30 minutes the Brandon Montour pair got against McDavid last year?

EDM 2nd pair:

Nurse: 20:20 and 1-3-4                            Kulak: 20:01 and 1-3-4
14-15 GF-GA and 150-149 SF-SA           14-8 GF-GA and 149-112 SF-SA

FLA 2nd pair:

Mikkola: 16:30 and 3-2-5                       Jones: 17:29 and 2-1-3
15-8 GF-GA and 96-88 SF-SA                17-8 GF-GA and 116-108 SF-SA

Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones have been Florida's best pair. Mikkola has been excellent, and their combined size and length make them a formidable pair. Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak were outstanding in Game 5 vs. Dallas, their first game where they played almost exclusively with each other due to Ekholm's return. They outshot Dallas 12-1, with the only shot coming on the Jason Robertson goal, after a rare blatant giveaway from Kulak. Nurse and Kulak are both excellent skaters, and they've played the most minutes 5x5 of all Oilers D-men. Defence coach Paul Coffey trusts them a lot, and when Nurse plays a simple game, he's very effective.

Nurse wasn't healthy during last year's Cup Final, and the entire playoffs as a whole. He only averaged 15 minutes/game in the Final. He's healthy this year and he and Kulak will play an important role. The Jones/Mikkola pairing has been together all playoffs and has been more consistent.

EDM 3rd pair:

Walman: 16:43 and 1-4-5                         Klingberg: 17:43 and 0-3-3
16-9 GF-GA and 105-67 SF-SA               10-5 GF-GA and 122-108 SF-SA

FLA 3rd pair:

Schmidt: 13:19 and 2-4-6                        Kulikov: 14:12 and 1-3-4
15-8 GF-GA and 106-93 SF-SA               9-8 GF-GA and 90-84 SF-SA

<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/05/21/edmonton-oilers-stan-bowman-impressed-jake-walman-john-klingberg/">Jake Walman and John Klingberg</a> have been excellent for Edmonton. Walman is tied for the lead in +/-, and his next blocked shot will put him in the lead for shot blocks. Klingberg looked rusty and slow at times when he first joined the Oilers, but since returning from injury for Game 2 vs. LA, he's been very good. He has his lateral mobility back, his best asset, and he creates time and space because of it. How all three Oilers D pairs handle Florida's forecheck could decide the series. If they can move pucks up quickly and trap their forwards deep, the Oilers could have a lot of odd-man rush chances.

Dmitri Kulikov and Nate Schmidt have also played well. Kulikov is their most physical defender, and he's not afraid to take healthy, hard runs at players. The Oilers will need to keep their heads up when he's on the ice. He can be a bit overly aggressive and times and get out of position, and if that happens, the Oilers need to make him pay. Last year, Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a 7-1 GF-GA in the playoffs. He was excellent against Edmonton, and the Panthers will need their third pair to be solid again. It will be difficult to match OEL's success, though.

With Ekholm healthy, the Oilers have the best group of six puck movers.
<h1 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">GOALTENDING…</h1>
Sergei Bobrovsky and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/five-oilers-who-could-be-x-factors-against-the-panthers-in-the-stanley-cup-final">Stuart Skinner</a> will go head-to-head in the Cup Final for the second consecutive season. Last year, Skinner allowed 16 goals on 175 shots for a .909Sv% and 2.32 GAA. Bobrovsky allowed 17 goals on 168 shots for a .899Sv% and 2.67 GAA. Skinner was solid in his first Cup Final, while Bobrovsky was as well. In the four Panthers wins, he only allowed five goals. When he was on, he was the difference, especially in Games 1 and 3.

Skinner has been excellent since returning to the net in round two vs. Vegas. In eight games, he is 6-2 with a .931Sv% and 1.73 GAA. He doesn't need to be that dynamic. It would be very difficult to maintain those numbers. He just needs to be consistent. (I have a deep dive goalie scouting report from Kevin Woodley coming out later today.)

Bobrovsky has the better career numbers. Skinner's been better the past two series. Who will prevail?
<h1>WRAP UP...</h1>
This series should be very competitive. There isn't much separating the teams, but I do think some forget the Oilers outplayed Florida in Games 1 and 3 last year, but lost. They were the better team in five of the seven games, but Bobrovsky stole two games.

Edmonton is the quicker team, and if they continue to play like they did vs. Vegas and Dallas, they have a great chance to win.

This will be the toughest series to date for both teams, and it has the potential to be a classic.

<hr />

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