If you told someone and guaranteed that there would be a rematch in the Stanley Cup Final this season, no one would have believed you back then. And yet here are the two finalists from last year, showing that the regular season records don’t actually matter when you’re a champion at heart. Now it is the second installment of this beloved rivalry, and it’s going down for real.

A year ago, Connor McDavid and Matthew Tkachuk hoped to see each other once more on the biggest stage of the NHL. The 2024-25 season, however, has its way of putting doubts on the contenders as other teams made their presence felt and kept on knocking at the championship door. A lot of bettors have counted them out with the inconsistencies that they have seen in the season.

And yet here are the Oilers and the Panthers, ready to take on the challenge on the Stanley Cup Final. It is the 11th time in the history of the game that the two same teams end up meeting in the Final for consecutive seasons. The last time we have seen this kind of game? 2008 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings, with the two teams splitting the series.

Will this one be the same?

A Score to Settle Between McDavid and Tkachuk

The Oilers nearly completed a historic twist of a comeback from an 0-3 deficit in the previous Cup Final. This time, the series begins at the Rogers Place in Edmonton once more, and this is going to be quite a spectacle to look out for now more than ever.

"I believed that it was going to be us two again," Tkachuk said. "I think we're the two best teams in the League. And if everything would go right, it would probably be us two again in the Finals. I have that confidence in our team and they were the best team that we played last year in the playoffs. I stand by that. I believed it at the time. And here we are again."

Tkachuk is playing in his third straight Cup Final with the Panthers, winning one of the last two runs. On the other hand, McDavid is in his second appearance in a row, and it does seem that this will become a storied finish to remember as the two stars – leaders of their respective teams – will collide to a promising finish in the postseason.

A Promising Goalie Showdown

We have seen how goalies have played a huge role in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it is no secret that this promising rematch will feature two of the best defenders on the goal in Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner.

Skinner has definitely upped his game to another level when he took over the starting role for the Oilers in the second round, and he went on to go 6-1 with a 1.41 GAA, .944 save percentage and three shutouts in his seven starts since a disastrous run in his first three.

On the other hand, Bobrovsky has been showing promise that he is definitely the league’s best goalie to watch, posting a record of 12-5 with a 2.11 GAA, .912 save percentage and three shutouts in starting all 17 games.

While this may downplay whatever tricks these teams have up their sleeves, it is definitely a big thing to consider the goalie play and how it will directly influence the chances of winning for both teams in this highly-anticipated final.