Only four wins stand in the way for a team to be crowned the 2024 Stanley Cup champion, and the fun starts Saturday night.
It’s been a long and grueling NHL postseason like it is every year. After the field was cut in half for the playoffs, the season is down to just two teams remaining — the Panthers out of the Eastern Conference and the Oilers from the Western Conference.
Florida is back in familiar territory. Matthew Tkachuk and Co. reached the final series in 2023, but the quest for the Panthers’ first-ever Stanley Cup fell short when the Golden Knights knocked them off in five games. Now, the team is back again this season, with the same core group put in place.
Led by Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida knocked off Tampa Bay, Boston and New York en route to the franchise’s third Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Panthers are regarded as the best all-around team in hockey, with depth at forward and on defense, along with a stellar goalie in net in Bobrovsky.
MORE: Watch Oilers vs. Panthers Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Fubo
On the other side is the best hockey player on the planet. For the first time since 2006 and the first time in the Connor McDavid era, the Oilers are playing for a Stanley Cup. McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Co. finally got over the Western Conference hump, taking out Los Angeles, Vancouver and Dallas to emerge out of the West.
Unlike in years past, the Oilers aren’t solely built to win high-scoring affairs. While Edmonton boasts a lethal power play, its defense and goaltending have drastically improved from previous editions of the team. A Stanley Cup has not been brought back to Edmonton since 1990 — is this finally the year?
The action begins with Game 1 in Florida tonight. The Sporting News is providing all of the updates and highlights from Panthers vs. Oilers Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
STANLEY CUP FINAL: TSN PREDICTIONS | AI PROJECTIONS
Panthers vs. Oilers score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | F | |
| Oilers | – | – | – | – | – |
| Panthers | – | – | – | – | – |
Panthers vs. Oilers updates, highlights from Game 1 of 2024 Stanley Cup Final
(All times Eastern)
Pregame
7:55 p.m.: Here’s how the lineups look for both sides. No changes for Florida, but Warren Foegele and Philip Broberg enter for Edmonton.
Oilers in warmup:
Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Holloway
Foegele-McLeod-Perry
Janmark-Henrique-BrownEkholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-BrobergSkinner
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) June 8, 2024
#FlaPanthers in warmups:
Verhaeghe – Barkov – Reinhart
Tkachuk – Bennett – Rodrigues
Luostarinen – Lundell – Tarasenko
Lorentz – Stenlund – OkposoForsling – Ekblad
Mikkola – Montour
OEL – KulikovBobrovsky
Stolarz— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) June 8, 2024
7:43 p.m.: Connor McDavid is riding a four-game point streak heading into the Stanley Cup Final, with two goals and six assists in that span. Evan Bouchard also is on a four-game point streak for the Oilers, with a goal and five assists in those four contests.
Connor McDavid’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
What does No. 97 have in store? 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ilWiD9HRER
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 8, 2024
7:32 p.m.: As expected, it’s Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Stuart Skinner in net. Bobrovsky has played in all 17 games for the Panthers this postseason, sporting a 2.20 GAA and .911 SV% with a shutout and a 12-5 record. Meanwhile, Stuart Skinner has seen action in 16 of Edmonton’s 18 postseason contests. He was briefly benched during the second round against the Canucks, but bounced back and has been strong since. Skinner owns a 2.50 GAA and .897 SV%.
7:13 p.m.: When you look at the two benches for these teams, it’s two head coaches on opposite ends of the coaching spectrum. On the Florida side, there is Paul Maurice, who is in his third career Stanley Cup Final. He comes with 130 playoff games of experience. For Edmonton, Kris Knoblauch has 77 games in the NHL, including regular season and playoffs.
6:53 p.m.: As we know, the Panthers are in familiar territory. Florida played in the Stanley Cup Final last year, losing to Vegas in the 2023 championship series. It’s the same core group in place, with some tinkering to the complimentary pieces. Edmonton hasn’t played in a Stanley Cup Final since 2006, as this marks the first appearance in the McDavid era.
6:30 p.m.: The Panthers have performed well at Amerant Bank Arena, posting a 6-3 home record heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Meanwhile, the Oilers boast the same 6-3 record on the road and have not lost back-to-back games as the away team yet.
6:10 p.m.: Both teams have followed the same pattern in Game 1s. The Panthers and Oilers each won Game 1 in the first round, lost the opener in Game 2, and kicked off the conference finals with a win. In the Stanley Cup Final history, teams that win Game 1 have a 75.6% series winning percentage.
What channel is Panthers vs. Oilers on today?
- TV channel: ABC (U.S.) | Sportsnet, CBC, TVA (Canada)
- Live stream: Fubo | NordVPN
Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers will air live in the U.S. on ABC.
In Canada, fans can catch the game on Sportsnet, CBC or TVA.
Fans hoping to stream the action in the U.S. can do so on Fubo, which offers a free trial. That way, you can try before you buy.
If Game 1 of Panthers vs. Oilers is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device, anywhere in the world.
Panthers vs. Oilers Game 1 start time
- Date: Saturday, June 8
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
Game 1 of Panthers vs. Oilers will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 8.
The game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Panthers vs. Oilers series schedule
| Date | Game/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., June 8 | Game 1: Oilers at Panthers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Mon., June 10 | Game 2: Oilers at Panthers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Thurs., June 13 | Game 3: Panthers at Oilers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Sat., June 15 | Game 4: Panthers at Oilers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Tues., June 18 | *Game 5: Oilers at Panthers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Fri., June 21 | *Game 6: Panthers at Oilers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
| Mon., June 24 | *Game 7: Oilers at Panthers | 8 p.m. | ABC, Fubo |
*if necessary
