Both the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are demonstrating that their strong performances in 2024 were no coincidence. The Oilers secured their spot in the Western Conference Final on Wednesday night by eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights with a 1-0 overtime victory, taking the series 4-1.
Meanwhile, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers, after winning Games 3 and 4 at home, traveled to Toronto and dominated the Maple Leafs, scoring six unanswered goals en route to a commanding 6-1 win. This sets the stage for them to potentially close out their series back home in South Florida on Friday night.
Edmonton`s goaltender, Stuart Skinner, had faced criticism for his reliability in the previous round, having allowed 10 goals in the first three games against Vegas. However, he was flawless in the final six-plus periods of the series, stopping all 45 shots he faced in Games 4 and 5. Kasperi Kapanen scored the decisive goal at 7:14 of overtime, poking a loose puck into the net to send the Oilers to their second consecutive Western Conference Final. The Oilers are now waiting to see if they will face the Dallas Stars or the Winnipeg Jets; Dallas currently holds a 3-1 lead in that series.
In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers` six goals in their latest game were part of an impressive streak of nine consecutive goals, dating back to their overtime winner in Game 3 last Friday. Florida followed that with a 2-0 shutout victory in Game 4. In Wednesday`s game, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was exceptional, stopping the first 31 shots and narrowly missing back-to-back shutouts, conceding a goal with only 66 seconds remaining in the game. Jesper Boqvist and A.J. Greer each scored their first career playoff goals, and defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, and Niko Mikkola also found the back of the net for the Panthers.
Round 2 Results
(1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (3) Florida Panthers
Game 1: Maple Leafs 5, Panthers 4
Game 2: Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 3
Game 3: Panthers 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)
Game 4: Panthers 2, Maple Leafs 0
Game 5: Panthers 6, Maple Leafs 1
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Carolina Hurricanes
Game 1: Hurricanes 2, Capitals 1 (OT)
Game 2: Capitals 3, Hurricanes 1
Game 3: Hurricanes 4, Capitals 0
Game 4: Hurricanes 5, Capitals 2
(1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (2) Dallas Stars
Game 1: Stars 3, Jets 2
Game 2: Jets 4, Stars 0
Game 3: Stars 5, Jets 2
Game 4: Stars 3, Jets 1
(1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers
Game 1: Oilers 4, Golden Knights 2
Game 2: Oilers 5, Golden Knights 4 (OT)
Game 3: Golden Knights 4, Oilers 3
Game 4: Oilers 3, Golden Knights 0
Game 5: Oilers 1, Golden Knights 0 (OT)
Round 1 Results
(1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators
Game 1: Maple Leafs 6, Senators 2
Game 2: Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2 (OT)
Game 3: Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2 (OT)
Game 4: Senators 4, Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Game 5: Senators 4, Maple Leafs 0
Game 6: Maple Leafs 4, Senators 2
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Florida Panthers
Game 1: Panthers 6, Lightning 2
Game 2: Panthers 2, Lightning 0
Game 3: Lightning 5, Panthers 1
Game 4: Panthers 4, Lightning 2
Game 5: Panthers 6, Lightning 3
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens
Game 1: Capitals 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
Game 2: Capitals 3, Canadiens 1
Game 3: Canadiens 6, Capitals 3
Game 4: Capitals 5, Canadiens 2
Game 5: Capitals 4, Canadiens 1
(2) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New Jersey Devils
Game 1: Hurricanes 4, Devils 1
Game 2: Hurricanes 3, Devils 1
Game 3: Devils 3, Hurricanes 2 (2OT)
Game 4: Hurricanes 5, Devils 2
Game 5: Hurricanes 5, Devils 4 (2OT)
(1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues
Game 1: Jets 5, Blues 3
Game 2: Jets 2, Blues 1
Game 3: Blues 7, Jets 2
Game 4: Blues 5, Jets 1
Game 5: Jets 5, Blues 3
Game 6: Blues 5, Jets 2
Game 7: Jets 4, Blues 3 (2OT)
(2) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Colorado Avalanche
Game 1: Avalanche 5, Stars 1
Game 2: Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
Game 3: Stars 2, Avalanche 1 (OT)
Game 4: Avalanche 4, Stars 0
Game 5: Stars 6, Avalanche 2
Game 6: Avalanche 7, Stars 4
Game 7: Stars 4, Avalanche 2
(1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild
Game 1: Golden Knights 4, Wild 2
Game 2: Wild 5, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Wild 5, Golden Knights 2
Game 4: Golden Knights 4, Wild 3 (OT)
Game 5: Golden Knights 3, Wild 2 (OT)
Game 6: Golden Knights 3, Wild 2
(2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers
Game 1: Kings 6, Oilers 5
Game 2: Kings 6, Oilers 2
Game 3: Oilers 7, Kings 4
Game 4: Oilers 4, Kings 3 (OT)
Game 5: Oilers 3, Kings 1
Game 6: Oilers 6, Kings 4
Torin Vale 
Elton Marrow