The Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers kicks off on Saturday. Here are four key factors to watch in Game 1.
- Importance of Winning Game 1 Winning Game 1 often sets the tone for the series. According to Hockey Reference, teams that win the first game of a Stanley Cup playoff series go on to win the series 68% of the time. Both the Oilers and Panthers are 2-1 in Game 1s this postseason, so this match will be crucial.
- The Impact of Edmonton’s Star Power Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are among the top performers in playoff history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in points per game. McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 13 points in Game 1s this postseason. Zach Hyman, who leads the postseason with 14 goals, has also been a significant threat in openers, scoring six goals in Game 1s.Florida’s head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the challenge of containing Edmonton’s stars, especially McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman. The Panthers’ defense has been solid in the postseason, but the Oilers present a new level of challenge.
- Goalie Duel: Bobrovsky vs. Skinner Sergei Bobrovsky, with his playoff experience and two Vezina Trophies, brings stability to the Panthers. In contrast, Stuart Skinner, in only his second playoff run, has been inconsistent with an .897 save percentage. Bobrovsky’s recent form is strong, having allowed more than two goals only once in the last 11 playoff games, boasting a .921 save percentage.
- Special Teams Battle Both teams have impressive penalty kill statistics with the Oilers penalty kill percentage sitting 93.88%, the highest in the NHL playoffs. Meanwhile the Panthers penalty kill performance has been outstanding as well at 88.24%.However, the power play side of the discussion leans heavily in favor of the Edmonton Oilers who boast the best power play performance in the playoffs at 37.25%, while the Panthers have only converted 23.33% of the time.
The puck drops for game one tonight at 8pm est. on ABC/ESPN+.