Edmonton Oilers take on Florida Panthers in rematch of 2024 Stanley Cup Final

The GIST: At long last, the puck drops on Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at 8 p.m. ET, with the defending champ Florida Panthers taking on the impressive Edmonton Oilers. And if you think you’ve seen this film before, you’re right — here’s two questions ahead of this best-of-seven series rematch.

• P.S. Despite the déjà vu, this was not a popular matchup in our men’s pro hockey bracket challenge: Only 69 GISTers picked Edmonton to win it all, while 27 went with Florida. Bria’s hot on Nicole’s trail for the lead, and this could come down to the wire.

🔁 Can the Panthers become the third team to repeat this century?: Only two squads — the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021) — have won consecutive Cups in the 2000s. As their quest to join them continues, Florida will rely on star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to stay shiny and mid-season addition Brad Marchand to keep on living in the moment.

👀 Can the Oilers end Canada’s 32-year Cup drought?: Much to the dismay of the hockey-loving nation, a Canadian squad has not hoisted the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did it in 1993. That said, there are a few reasons why that could change: Edmonton’s home-ice advantage, their strong roster, and captain Connor McDavid’s revenge tour.