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After some sensational action throughout the NHL postseason, the race for the ultimate crown is now down to two teams as the Edmonton Oilers travel to Florida to take on the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday evening.
As the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers will have a home-ice advantage against Edmonton, the No. 2 seed in the Pacific.
The Panthers performed like a No. 1 seed throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs and easily breezed past the Lightning and Bruins, beating them in five and six games respectively, and then battled the Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference Final to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season.
The Oilers, meanwhile, were the second-best team in the Pacific Division and reached the Final by easily taking care of the Kings in five games, then coming out on top in a toe-to-toe battle with the Canucks in a seven-game series before defeating the Stars in six games in the Western Conference Final.
This matchup promises to deliver a thrilling series filled with two standout squads. Here, GOAL brings you all the information you need to know about this NHL match, including how to watch, team news, key results and head-to-head results.
Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers: Date & Puck-Drop time
| Date | Saturday, June 8, 2024 |
| Time | 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT |
| Arena | BB&T Center |
| Location | Sunrise, Florida |
The Florida Panthers will play the Edmonton Oilers in a highly anticipated NHL matchup on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
How to watch Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers NHL Game on TV & stream live online
The Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers NHL fixture will be broadcast live nationally on ABC.
If you don't have cable TV, the best way to watch almost every NHL playoff game online is with DirecTV Stream Choice. Best of all, DirecTV Stream packages all start with a five-day free trial. You need to pay for DirecTV Stream's Ultimate plan ($119.99 per month) to get all the channels you need to watch games on national channels: ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, TBS, and TNT.
Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Team News & Key Leaders
Florida Panthers
The Panthers are reporting they are at full strength for Saturday's game.
Left wing Matthew Tkachuk has excelled throughout the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He leads the side with 19 points with five goals and 14 assists. He scored a goal and four assists in the series victory over the Rangers.
The Panthers have an abundance of attacking depth among their top-six forwards, including Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe in addition to Tkachuk.
Center Verhaeghe was among the team leaders with 34 goals and 38 assists during the regular season. He has nine goals and eight assists in the playoffs.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been clutch in the net with a .908 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA on 415 shots with 1.3 goals saved above average.
Edmonton Oilers
Similar to the Panthers, no current injuries that will affect Saturday's match are being reported by the Oilers.
The Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, with their offense firing on all cylinders, scoring 63 goals in 18 playoff games.
Center Connor McDavid has been a man on a mission this postseason. The scoring machine leads Edmonton with 31 points, including 26 assists.
He was a big reason behind the Oilers triumph over Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, scoring three goals and providing seven assists in the six games. In the decisive Game 6, he netted a goal and provided an assist in the 2-1 win.
Center Leon Draisaitl has helped the Edmonton offense massively this season. The 28-year-old has 10 goals and 18 assists this postseason, including two goals and two assists in the Dallas series.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner was sensational in the Western Conference Final with a .922 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA on 154 shots.
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 12/17/23 | Edmonton Oilers 1-5 Florida Panthers | NHL |
| 11/21/23 | Florida Panthers 5-3 Edmonton Oilers | NHL |
| 11/29/22 | Edmonton Oilers 4-3 Florida Panthers | NHL |
| 11/13/22 | Florida Panthers 4-2 Edmonton Oilers | NHL |
| 2/26/22 | Florida Panthers 4-3 Edmonton Oilers | NHL |