There have been four instances in the post-expansion era where the same two teams have played each other in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.
We’re about to have the fifth.
For the second straight year, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will lock horns in the Stanley Cup Final.
Last year’s series was an epic seven-game marathon that saw each team win three straight games before Florida eventually took home the title by winning a great seventh game.
How the rematch plays out remains to be seen, but just the prospect of another novela of a Final has many of us very excited.
Historically, it’s rare when this kind of situation arises.
The first time since expansion that we saw a Stanley Cup Final rematch came in 1968 and 1969, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the St. Louis Blues in consecutive years.
Montreal then pulled off back-to-back Stanley Cups against the same team again in 1977 and 1978, this time defeating the Boston Bruins both times.
A Final rematch happened once in the 1980s, with the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers going to battle two years in a row.
In 1984, it was the Islanders winning their fourth straight Stanley Cup against the up-and-coming Oilers. The following year, Edmonton ended New York’s drive for five, winning their first of five Cups in seven years.
After that, we went over two decades until the next Stanley Cup rematch.
Back in 2008 and 2009, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins went toe-to-toe in back-to-back Finals.
Detroit won the first round in ’08 and then Pittsburgh took them down the following season.
Will we get another split this time, or will the Panthers take home back-to-back Stanley Cups?
We’ll find out in the coming weeks.
Have your popcorn ready!
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Photo caption: Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (91) shakes hands with Edmonton Oilers right wing Corey Perry (90) after game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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