The 2024 Stanley Cup Finals features many intriguing storylines from star NHL players renewing a fierce rivalry to the potential that an entire country’s mental well-being is at stake by the end of next week. Edmonton returns to the final round for the first time in almost 20 years, while Florida’s fans have to travel all the way back in their memory back to….last year.
It has been a long wait for hockey fans but we have finally reached the time to drop the puck on the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. Here are just a few fascinating ones as we all wait for this incredible matchup to get underway.
Which team will end up raising the Stanley Cup?
Matthew Tkachuk vs. Connor McDavid Rivalry Renewed
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For the first six seasons of his career, Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk wore a similar red-colored jersey with an entirely different crest stitched to the front. It is a logo and a city that Edmonton Oilers fans are all too familiar with located less than 200 kilometers drive away. The city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is home to the Oilers’ primary NHL rivals, the Calgary Flames.
Matthew Tkachuk played 431 games for the Flames amassing 382 points and one All-Star nod in 2021-22 as he established himself as one of the best players in the NHL. Depending on who you speak to, Connor McDavid sits on that list. The 2024 Stanley Cup Finals is certainly not the first time these two players engage in battle as the rivalry spans almost the entire NHL career of both stars.
In Tkachuk’s 2016-17 rookie campaign, McDavid scored 100 points for the first time. Over the next several seasons, the two teams would meet over 30 times with Edmonton holding a slight advantage in the win column over that time. The matchup anyone cares about occurred in 2022.
Tkachuk had a hat trick in Game 1, however, McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Calgary Flames in five games in the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk was traded to Florida that offseason and the rest is history. McDavid finished with 12 points in the series, while Tkachuk’s series total sat at only four points.
Each Coach Seeking NHL History In Cup Finals
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Edmonton Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch was installed as the new bench boss in Edmonton only 12 games into the 2023-24 season. According to the NHL, the Oilers were the best team in the NHL since the change with a 70% win rate since early November. The Connor McDavid-led freight train has not slowed down in the postseason at 12-6 so far entering the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Oilers claim the Stanley Cup in 2024 Knoblauch will be only the eighth NHL coach to win the ultimate prize after a midseason coaching change.
Florida’s Paul Maurice is looking to avoid reliving a nightmare he has already experienced twice. The 2024 Stanley Cup Finals represents the third trip to the final postseason round for the long-time NHL coach. Maurice guided Carolina to the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Detroit in five games. He returned last season with the Panthers only to suffer another five-game bad dream against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Nine NHL coaches have made at least three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, but only three of them have failed to claim Lord Stanley’s prize. Paul Maurice would like to avoid being the fourth.
Rapid Fire Facts For the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals
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With all of the downtime between the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals, I’ve had the chance to acquire a few fun facts about the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals matchup that might not exactly make an entire article. Welcome to the facts buffet!
The entire country of Canada has been “swiping right” since last century seeking a Stanley Cup candidate to bring the trophy home. Six Canadian teams have reached the Stanley Cup Finals over the last 30 years with a shocking record of 0-6. The Oilers received their second chance to break this streak following their 2006 Stanley Cup Finals defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes.
After a loss last year in the Finals, Aleksander Barkov has another chance to be the first Finnish-born player with his name engraved on the Stanley Cup if Florida can manage a victory.
Florida’s goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, is potentially only missing the shiny silver trophy from an otherwise Hall-of-Fame-worthy resume. Next year, Bob is on pace to win 400 NHL games which only 13 other netminders have ever done in NHL history. Only three of those have never won a Stanley Cup, those players are Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist. Curtis Joseph was the only goalie without an NHL Finals appearance after winning 400 games in his career.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports & entertainment journalist with diverse credentials in writing, broadcasting, and digital media. He can be located on X for real-time takes (@CBabosWrites). With various roles in the sports industry over two decades, Chris can speak with authority on the topics he covers.
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