Stanley Cup Showdown: Panthers and Oilers Surge While Canes and Stars Fight for Survival
As the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs reach a boiling point, three of the final four teams are back for a second consecutive year in the Conference Finals. The Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers have all returned—each with something to prove. While the Panthers once again face a new Eastern foe in the Carolina Hurricanes, the Western battle is a heated rematch between the Oilers and Stars. But unlike predictions, the tides are shifting fast.
Before the series kicked off, analytics from MoneyPuck.com put the Panthers on top with a 53.3% chance to make the finals and a 30.7% shot at lifting the Cup. The Stars had the next best odds to reach the finals at 54.8%, followed by the Hurricanes at 46.7%. The Oilers trailed all three with just a 45.2% chance to make the finals and 18.2% to win it all. But reality has proven those numbers can change fast.
After dropping Game 1, the Oilers’ odds plummeted to just 12.7%. Then, in a stunning reversal, Edmonton strung together three consecutive wins to seize a 3-1 series lead. Now, with a commanding grip on the series, the Oilers boast a 34.1% chance to win it all—second only to Florida.
As for the Hurricanes, it seemed history was repeating itself after being swept by Florida in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Panthers stormed to a 3-0 series lead, scoring 16 goals in the first three games. Carolina entered Game 4 with a 15-game losing streak in ECF history, but they finally broke the curse, stunning the Panthers and staving off elimination. It’s a morale boost, but the hill remains steep.
The Stars face even longer odds. Historically, Dallas is 0-16 in playoff series when trailing 3-1. Conversely, Edmonton thrives in these situations, with a near-perfect 17-1 record when up 3-1 in a best-of-seven. Still, hope remains. Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen believes a reset in mindset might be the key: “Maybe we’re trying to shoot even too hard… got to relax a little bit.”
So now the narrative hangs on two questions: Can the Hurricanes build on their Game 4 win and turn the series around? Can the Stars defy a winless 3-1 comeback history and stop the Oilers from reaching their first Stanley Cup Final since 2006?
As it stands, a Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup rematch looms. But in the NHL, history is never set in stone—and miracles are never off the table.